This Morning's Commute

I thought I was ahead of the game this morning when I caught the last eight-car train into the City. Little did I know I would be lagging far behind by the time I got into work this morning.

We were just outside the West Oakland station (the last East Bay stop before heading underwater through the tube to San Fran) when the train operator came over the PA system to say we'd be stopping for just a few minutes. But when we arrived at the station, we were told that the train was heading back the way it came, that there was a fire outside the Embarcadero station (the first SF stop), and that no trains were going that way.

So I got off and continued to read my book out on the platform. It was quite windy and cool so I wove my way through the crowds and took the escalator down to the station to get a bit warmer. I found an empty bench and thought I'd wait it out until I could see what was going to be happening.

Well, I wasn't the only one to find that bench. Soon an entire school of first-graders (okay, I exaggerate) was sitting beside me, yelling and bumping me. So I got up and went to wait elsewhere. I'm glad I did because soon I heard my name and there was my boss, having also found himself kicked off his train on the way to work.

He had heard that we should go back one stop and take a bus over the bridge so we went up on the opposite platform. As soon as we got there, they announced, "Everyone needs to leave the station. Shuttle buses will be coming soon." So we went outside the station to wait. And we waited. And waited. Then they moved us over to the other side of the station and we waited. And waited. At least it wasn't raining today.

After while I started hearing announcements coming from the station, so I told my boss I'd go over and see what I could find out. Sure enough they were starting to let people back in and trains would soon be heading through the tube. So we shuffled in and hurried up the stairs. We were lucky and got on the first train before too many people were on the platform. Fifteen minutes later we were at work.

I left home a little before 9 and arrived at work just before 11. I can normally do it in less than an hour.