Nail, Standing Up

More on SBUX

I used to think it was ridiculous that Starbucks opened up so many shops; it seemed to me to be a poor revenue growth strategy.  I was forever sharing the story from The Onion about the Starbucks opening up in the bathroom of a Starbucks with anyone that might share my view.

Then a couple of weeks ago I found myself in Manhattan between meetings with an hour to kill.  I stepped out of the subway on 7th Avenue and immediately headed to Starbucks so I could check email and otherwise be productive during that hour.  Interestingly, I had no idea where a Starbucks was in that location.  I simply knew there would be one in a block or two, and if I got that far without finding one I would backtrack and go a block or two in the other direction.  I found the Starbucks in the first block.

I generally don't go to Starbucks for coffee.  I prefer Peets, or the Beanery, or any of the local roasteries in any of the cities I usuall find myself.  But I ended up drinking a ton of Starbucks product because I know that I can always find one within walking distance and that I will be able to connect.  Starbucks knows me better than I know myself, and I pay dearly for it ;)

Traffic

Seven hours to and from Oregon in a car crystallized one thing for me: does no one know how to cruise on the right and pass on the left?  Man, it is annoying.   

The best part was the guy who was cruising in the left lane of a four lane highway (two lanes each way) up above Willits at about 55 when the limit was 65.  I pulled up to him, stayed a safe distance behind him, and after a while flashed my brights to let him know that I was there.  Seriously, I wasn't being aggressive.   He still didn't move so I went around on the right.  As I pass him I look over and he is flipping me off.  I do everything by the book and he is flipping me off.  I spent the next half hour trying to figure out how this was George W's fault.

When I become king I definitely push the CHP to enforce that law. 

Those BART train blues

Sent to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Board today:

"I am finally numb. I give in. You've made me weak.

"I am discussing an amazing phenomena that is apparent at the BART station in Millbrae. Nine times out of ten when the northbound CalTrain arrives in the evening during commute time and there is also a BART train waiting on the opposite platform, the BART doors close and the train leaves just as the Caltrain doors open to let people off. This is unbelievable. After millions (billions?) of dollars spent to bring BART to SFO and then also to Millbrae where the Caltrain station was, BART can't seem to make the obvious leap in thought that the folks on Caltrain might possibly be interested in riding BART. Actually, it's worse than that. By waiting until the Caltrain doors open to leave, it is as if we are being taunted by BART.

"There are only four reasons that this could be happening:

1. The dispatcher and/or train operator can't see or hear the Caltrain.
2. The schedule requires the BART train to leave at a proscribed time.
3. BART employees are too uneducated and dim-witted to figure out that folks want to make a transfer.
4. BART employees are wretched, depressed folk who fulfill their dark fantasies for revenge on those responsible for their bleak lives by using the only power they have against innocent customers who simply want to get home at night.

"Unless the dispatcher and operator are blind and deaf, they can see and hear the Caltrain coming for miles, so it can't be #1. BART plays fast and loose with the schedules at all sorts of other times, so #2 is clearly not the answer. I've seen what the BART folks get paid...they must be smart with those wages so "no" on #3. That only leaves #4 unless you can come up with a better explanation.

"I am a big supporter of public transportation in general and BART in particular. But other than riding BART (because I have no choice) I will not be supporting any effort to raise fares, buy more bonds to improve the service, or perform any other action supportive of BART employees or management. Clearly, any organization that can't figure out how to make a tiny, no-cost adjustment to their service priorities resulting in huge numbers of happier riders can't be trusted with real money to make any real improvements.