So I rushed onto the last car of the San Francisco BART train this morning and noticed some changes in the seat arrangements. Then, be still my beating heart, I saw a bright blue image of a bike on the wall usually reserved for wheelchairs. Then, I looked above this blue bike and saw these words: “Bicycle Priority. Strollers and Luggage OK if Bicycle not Present.” Take that! All you pedestrians who give me the stink eye during my commute. Take that! All those times I wasn’t allowed on the train because it was too crowded. That’s right. I. AM. A. PRIORITY.

Several weeks ago, there was an electrical fire somewhere close to the Hayward BART station so for the next month and a half, commuters will need to be more flexible with their schedules.

Here’s a few tips on how to survive BART for the next month and a half:

1. Catch an earlier train (and plan to arrive at your destination later)
2. For you Fremont/Richmond line folks, get use to the BayFair station.
3. Don’t take BART when it’s a Spare-the-Air day AND a Bike-to-Work day AND when they need to do repairs.
4. When it’s crowded on the station, the next train (and the next, and the next one after that) will not be the one you need.
5. When you do finally see the train you need (after three trains have went by), it’ll be a 6 car train.
6. And No. You can’t squeeze 15 cars worth of people into a 6 car train so please stop trying.