How to Ride Caltrain

[Peter Lawrence]

For those who don't know how, Caltrain created a YouTube video showing how
in five easy steps:

http://youtu.be/7RLUxlSM35s


- Peter

[Kenneth M. Lin]

I could have use that when I was riding Caltrain regularly couple years ago.

It did take me a week understand what they meant by "click on, click off" so
at least they recognize that their Clipper system is very, very confusing.

"Peter Lawrence" wrote in message news:kjjc21$le4$1...@dont-email.me...

[Kevin McMurtrie]

In article <kjjc21$le4$1...@dont-email.me>,

Detailed instructions for San Jose station:
1) Park
2) Try to decipher the time/train/track tables
3) Miss train
4) Drive to destination
5) Arrive earlier than train

Detailed instructions for Sunnyvale station:
1) Park
2) Stand in line at defective parking ticket machine
3) Miss train
4) Drive to destination
5) Arrive earlier than train

Detailed instructions for SF station:
1) Get there somehow
2) Buy ticket
3) The night's final train was full and left early
4) Hire cab for $$$$
5) Arrive earlier than train

VTA Light rail transfer instructions:
1) Check train schedule
2) Observe that train schedule is a joke
3) Start walking
4) Arrive earlier than train
--
I will not see posts from Google because I must filter them as spam

[Jym Dyer]

> It did take me a week understand what they meant by "click
> on, click off" so at least they recognize that their Clipper
> system is very, very confusing.

=v= I don't get what's so confusing. Caltrain already has a
"zone" system, so it's going to need to know both locations
for onboarding and offboarding. How else is a Clipper card
to keep track of these things unless you tag on and tag off?

=v= There's a valid issue with the location of some of the
card readers, which can be hard to find.
<_Jym_>

[sms]

On 4/4/2013 5:04 PM, Kenneth M. Lin wrote:
> I could have use that when I was riding Caltrain regularly couple years
> ago.
>
> It did take me a week understand what they meant by "click on, click
> off" so at least they recognize that their Clipper system is very, very
> confusing.

Clipper has been terribly implemented on Caltrain. Not sure what the
solution is since they seem committed to the proof-of-payment system.

I've never had a conductor check my Clipper card. In San Francisco they
will sometimes have Caltrain personnel ensuring that people click on,
but not at any other station I've used.

If you don't click on, and only click off, they think you're clicking on
when you're clicking off. If you don't click off and only click on then
you're charged the maximum fare. If you don't click at all and a
conductor checks your card you could just tell them that you did click on.

For infrequent users of Caltrain the system is ridiculous. You get off
the train and have to find a machine to tag. If you're used to using
Clipper on a bus where you only tag on, you're not used to tagging off.

[Jimmy]

Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurt...@pixelmemory.us> wrote:
> Detailed instructions for SF station:

> 3) The night's final train was full and left early

Does that really happen? How can a commuter train that allows
standees fill up? I could understand it happening for unusual events
with huge crowds, but not of a regular basis.

> I will not see posts from Google because I must filter them as spam

Oh well, your loss.

Jimmy

[Jimmy]

sms <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote:
> If you don't click on, and only click off, they think you're clicking on
> when you're clicking off. If you don't click off and only click on then
> you're charged the maximum fare. If you don't click at all and a
> conductor checks your card you could just tell them that you did click on.

How often does Clipper fail to read properly?

I don't like systems that are proof-of-payment, but the proof isn't
human-readable. It would be far too easy for a malfunction to cause
your proof to be invalid, and then you're stuck dealing with the
consequences if you get "caught".

Jimmy

[Kenneth M. Lin]

"Jym Dyer" wrote in message news:Jym.07Apr20...@econet.org...

In the Millbrae station at the top of the stairs, there is an non-working
tagging station. It's just the stand with nothing on top for you to
interact with. Once I saw that I assumed that the system has yet to be
implemented and I could pay my fare after I get on the train.

As I have mentioned, the actual tagging stations are placed at the middle of
the platform while exits are at the both ends so it's not at a location
where I might accidentally walk by.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 4/9/13 2:46 PM, Jimmy wrote:
> Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurt...@pixelmemory.us> wrote:
>>
>> Detailed instructions for SF station:
>
>> 3) The night's final train was full and left early
>
> Does that really happen? How can a commuter train that allows
> standees fill up? I could understand it happening for unusual events
> with huge crowds, but not of a regular basis.

I doubt that would happen, except possibly on New Year's Eve night.

Otherwise, the last train from either San Jose or San Francisco never comes
close to being completely full (even the last San Jose train after a Shark's
night game).


- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

On 4/7/13 10:22 PM, Jym Dyer wrote:
>
> =v= There's a valid issue with the location of some of the
> card readers, which can be hard to find.

Caltrain has added some additional card readers at some of the stations like
California Avenue so it's less of a problem than it once was.


- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

On 4/9/13 8:08 AM, sms wrote:
>
> I've never had a conductor check my Clipper card. In San Francisco they will
> sometimes have Caltrain personnel ensuring that people click on, but not at
> any other station I've used.

I guess you haven't ridden Caltrain often enough then. They do check on a
regular basis (but not all the time). And the new train operators are
checking for proof-of-payment far more often than when Amtrak operated the
trains.

> If you don't click at all and a conductor
> checks your card you could just tell them that you did click on.

That's great, just lie to them. By the way that excuse doesn't work, you'll
still get written up though you might only get a warning. It's amazing the
excuses I've heard by passengers when didn't tag-on for various reasons and
got caught by the conductors.


- Peter

[Keith Keller]

On 2013-04-11, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Otherwise, the last train from either San Jose or San Francisco never comes
> close to being completely full (even the last San Jose train after a Shark's
> night game).

What about southbound trains after Giants games?

--keith

--
kkeller...@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us
(try just my userid to email me)
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[Peter Lawrence]

On 4/11/13 2:33 PM, Keith Keller wrote:
> On 2013-04-11, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> Otherwise, the last train from either San Jose or San Francisco never comes
>> close to being completely full (even the last San Jose train after a Shark's
>> night game).
>
> What about southbound trains after Giants games?

Caltrain adds two extra trains to the schedule after every Giants night and
weekend game which are enough to handle the extra passengers.

Also, the vast majority of Giants night games end before 10:30 PM so there
will usually be at least four Caltrain trains leaving San Francisco that
Giants fans can board after the game.


- Peter

[Kevin McMurtrie]

In article <kk77po$tef$1...@dont-email.me>,

CalTrain is hit and miss when it comes to events, with NYE being the
worst. There have been years where they ran many extra northbound
trains for NYE but no extra southbound trains. The doors close and the
train leaves when the seats are full.
--

[Jimmy]

Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurt...@pixelmemory.us> wrote:
> CalTrain is hit and miss when it comes to events, with NYE being the
> worst.  There have been years where they ran many extra northbound
> trains for NYE but no extra southbound trains.  The doors close and the
> train leaves when the seats are full.

They don't allow standees?

Jimmy

[Peter Lawrence]

Caltrain allows standing only passengers. Often the special San Francisco
Giants post-game trains are full of passengers standing.

Don't know what is the exact maximum capacity of each Caltrain passenger
car, but the maximum capacity of each Caltrain passenger car is calculated
by including both seated and standing passengers.


- Peter

[sms]

I had the misfortune of being on Caltrain after a 49er game. The train
was packed with rowdy fans standing. Unpaid fans, or so some of them
boasted. The conductor could not get through the crowd in the aisles to
check for payment and the riders seemed to know it.

[Andy Valencia]

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> writes:
> Caltrain allows standing only passengers. Often the special San Francisco
> Giants post-game trains are full of passengers standing.

During the time the Bay Area hosted the World Cup soccer championships (1994
maybe?) even the luggage racks were loaded with people, along with all of the
rolling stock the Golden Gate Rail Museum could supply. It was amazing.

Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html