Wednesday June 28th 2000
Cal Train 42, San Francisco

I am writing to report an incident I experienced while taking Cal Train from San Francisco to Palo Alto. I have been a regular commuter for over three years and I have found Cal Train service to be the best of any public transportation available on the Peninsula. It is with some dismay, therefore, that I send this. I trust that it is the exception and that such things will not happen in the future.

Walking along the track at the San Francisco terminus, I observed the two cars closest to the engine; the first car I passed was closed while the next, adjoining the engine, was open. I entered that last car and found a seat in the half closest to the engine. I was carrying with me several, somewhat unwieldy bags for a flight to the east coast.

As the train was moving from San Francisco to the 22nd Street stop, a conductor entered the car and informed us it was, in fact, closed and that he required us to move to the previous car. I asked him why it had been open in the first place, and why this has happened to me several times before - that the car is left open for passengers to enter, when in fact it is not to be used for travel, and that I am later told to move. He replied that he did not know, that he had not been previously made aware of the situation and only discovered it himself upon arrival at the train. The conductor then left that section of the car, presumably to inform other passengers. At that point, another traveler in the section (there were two other travelers in that half of the car beside myself) indicated to me his frustration; he informed me that on multiple prior occasions he had also been asked to move, either because the car was to be used by a group or because the entire car was meant to be closed and off limits, yet no indications had been given ahead of time.

I, and the other travelers in the section, had stood up and were preparing to make our way to the previous car. The conductor had returned, and I asked him why the car was part of the train if it was not meant to be used for travel. We passed through a tunnel at that point and since the car's lights were not on, I and at least one other passenger could not clearly see to make our way out of the car so we waited in place. The conductor informed me that he did not know why the car was there. I asked him if it was going all the way to San Jose, the end of the trip. He replied that he believed it would, and that it would even be making the return trip. He then moved, in the darkness, out to the vestibule.

When the train exited the tunnel we could see our way out of the car. As I was passing the conductor in the vestibule I asked him why he couldn't let passengers remain on the car if it was heading all the way to San Jose. I believe it was at that point he stopped answering my questions. Instead, he replied somewhat petulantly that there had been twenty other people in the car and that none of them had - words to the effect of - given him a hard time about moving. It struck me as odd, given that I had at no point refused to move and that I was in fact moving to the next car even as he said this. (Admittedly I was the last person to leave the car, burdened as I was with my luggage.) I replied that the other passengers must be "lame" since it had been made quite clear to me, as noted above, that they too found the situation frustrating. At that juncture, I was stepping through the connection between the two cars.

The conductor's reply to my statement was a condescending mock agreement. At that point I decided he was quite clearly being unprofessional and impolite. I asked him for his name so that I might report his behaviour. He refused to answer, and instead actually threatened to throw me off the train: basically, an explicit threat of violence. He walked to the vestibule, at which point I heard him report over an intercom or radio that he had - words to the effect of - a trouble maker on board, presumably in preparation for executing his violent threat. Such overt belligerence is hardly becoming of a socialized human, let alone a Cal Train employee.

After putting down my bags, I went up to examine the schedules posted by the vestibule to ascertain which train I was on so I could make as detailed a report as possible, even without the conductor's name. From the schedule, I determined I was on train 42.

Eventually he returned to collect fares from passengers. When he approached me at my seat, I asked him if he was going to tell me his name while giving him my fare (ten ride pass). I explained that I thought he had been rude in not answering my questions. He then attempted to buy my complacency at that point by offering to give me a free ticket. I stated that I did not care for a free ticket, I merely cared for answers to my questions. He allowed that he would answer one question so I again asked him his name to which replied, "Von, train 42." (Or perhaps it is spelled Vaughan.) He went on to say, "I'll save you a lot of trouble - nothing will happen," presumably referring to my desire to report his behaviour. He further told me I could "call all day" but that nothing would result.

I will note further that while he locked the door on the closed side of the inter-car connection, he did not lock the nearer. Several new passengers attempted to enter the next car since that door was left unlocked. Perhaps this is required by safety regulations, but if not it strikes me as a continuation of the mistakes made at the San Francisco station; not handling a situation properly e.g.: by putting up signs or locking all doors to make it clear access was not permitted.

I can appreciate part of Von's perspective: he was faced with a misconfigured train that was no fault of his own, he had to move several passengers into an open car, and there was a traveler with several bags who was moving slowly (myself). However, I cannot appreciate his sudden rudeness coincident with my egress from the soon to be closed car. Certainly, he had achieved his goal of removing me from that car, however, I fail to see how common, let alone professional decency may be so unceremoniously dropped. Further, threats of violence can in no way be said to have been warranted.

I do not realistically expect strict disciplinary punishments to be weighted against Von, however, I hope Von and all Cal Train employees will to pause to reflect and affirm a commitment to politeness and consideration for all Cal Train patrons, at least outwardly. I also ask that Cal Train get it's act together to ensure such confusion and problems do not recur: lock the correct doors to begin with and put up signs.

I do require a reply indicating receipt and full review of this report.

Lastly, I strongly suggest all Cal Train employee uniforms clearly display a name (and ideally a unique employee number); perhaps that would in some way help to curtail future petulant dictatorial tendencies of recalcitrant conductors.