Lafayette Casual Carpool

Lafayette BART - Casual Carpool

A current of pedestrians on their way to the Lafayette BART station stream through the packed parking lots as we arrive at 7:30AM. But, along Deer Hill Rd between Happy Valley Rd and Oak Hill Rd, it’s stop and go (much like the sign) for a slow trickle of cars and would-be passengers that arrive sporadically until  9:00AM. We hand out just 126 flyers to folks heading for the convenient 24 West on-ramp to The City.  One rider, Robert asks, ‘What’s in it for me?’ as I hand him a flyer. ‘A fascinating read’, I reply.  And it seems, a memory, as he relates that he met his wife in the Casual Carpool!  Another rider, Gail  asks about ‘urban legends’.  Well, there is one about a guy who bypassed  Fremont and Howard on his way to SFO, but no one seems to know the ending to that story…do you?

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Eastshore Carpool ~ El Cerrito

Eastshore Carpool, El Cerrito

‘Queing Up’ takes on a new meaning here. Some cars pull up between the carpool signs, while others lay back at the second sign. Some riders  make the long, long walk down Eastshore in front of the Del Norte Marketplace; other folks  cherry-pick the car they want to ride in.  Cars at the back of the line ‘beep-beep’ or try to attract the attention of arriving riders so they can cut out of line toward  the 80West on-ramp. The sun broke early through light morning fog and did a slow bake on the ‘marketeers’.  Thank you, Carolyn for taking flyers to share at my ol’ stomping ground! Hope all is well.  From 7:30-9:45AM we hand out 360 flyers, and then buy a leaf blower at OSH.

North Berkeley BART

N. Berkeley BART Casual Carpool Stop

At the intersection of Sacramento and Francisco, there is a curious  twist on the usual method of  matching up cars and people: cars headed for the Financial District stop at the North side of the newspaper stands. Cars headed for Civic Center pull past the newstands to the South side, and if there is a line, back up to the newstands.  Passengers load up from the middle at a quick, rhythmic  pace, prompted in part by the arrival of passengers from BART.  One fellow held up a brightly colored sign to start a line of his own – guess  he got where he was going.  From 7:30AM to 9:40AM, we handed out 500 flyers!