Using BART to and from SFO and safety concerns

I take Bart between the East Bay and both airports (SFO and Oakland) numerous times each year with no problem. In fact, I'll be doing so again next week.

I try to sit against the wall of the car, with my suitcase barricading me from foot traffic in the Bart car. Keep your valuables in your purse, close to your body. I have a wrist tether for my phone, which is more to keep me from dropping it 10x per day, but also protects against it being grabbed. (Yes, I know people say "who wants your stupid phone" but they do get stolen here.)

At my home station, I arrange for a pickup, a neighbor or an Uber. And I stay near the station until it arrives. At SFO, as you say, you arrive directly at the international terminal and I've never seen anything unsavory at the airport Bart station.

A challenge you might have with an early evening arrival is rush hour traffic through the city. The good news is that the SFO Bart station is the first one on the line. It will be you and other passengers boarding the train and there will be plenty of room for you and your luggage. The last time I took Bart from SFO around rush hour (about 3 weeks ago) the train cars did get crowded at the city stations and were standing room only until about MacArthur or Rockridge. So don't assume that you can take up 2 seats with your luggage. You may be asked to make room for someone to sit.

In terms of planning, you may want to have your "Plan B" in case anything goes wrong with Bart on your trip to (especially) or from the airport. On my way to SFO earlier this year, there was an obstruction on the Bart tracks after 24th street and trains couldn't go through to the airport. My Plan B was to take Bart as far as I could get (because it's cheaper, and faster at rush hour) and then take an Uber from there.

One other idea I will suggest when you take Bart from SFO, since it sounds like you will be traveling alone, is to find a seat on the Bart car among other airport passengers so that you are not a lonely looking target. By the time the train goes through the city, the train car is likely to be full of commuters, so that won't be an issue.

And all of this is precautionary. About the worst I've ever had happen on a Bart train is a vocal nutcase, who is best simply ignored.

CW has given you very good information.
I would only add that I take BART to SFO and make a point of sitting in the lead car where the driver is.
I have certainly witnessed some odd behavior on the trains but I have never felt in danger.
That said, I do remain aware of my surrounding and could exit the train at stations or change cars but I have never felt the need to do so.

We also use BART to SFO. Our station is Concord. There are two of us but we’re elderly. I agree with what CWsocial and SharYn said. But we often take an Uber home from the
airport. My husband was harassed at Concord BART restroom once when we arrived at night. After that we felt more safe using Uber on our return.

Our son’s family including teenaged granddaughters regularly take BART from their east bay home to OAK and SFO. It’s a part of their travel and getting back and forth to college routines. We comfortably take BART when we return from an international trip. Getting on at SFO (our usual arrival time has been about 5pm) there will be one or two other people with luggage heading from the airport with you. We have noticed over our most recent 3 trips that ridership is still way down from pre Covid use. By the time we get to the under bay crossing the car may be 1/3 full with commuters added in. Our switching station to get us home to Davis is Richmond where we try to time our frequent BART to hourly Amtrak connections.

Our routine since moving up here 6 years ago, has been to rent a car going in to the airport since we need to be at our international flights about mid afternoon but take BART to Amtrak to home since we arrive at SFO at rush hour after a long flight. It’s worked very well for us but I have been concerned to see fewer riders since Covid.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have used Bart for years to go to work in SF. Bart is extremely safe and clean. On the ride from downtown SF to SFO you see many travelers with suitcases as it is the easiest way to get to SFO. It is also the cheapest way to get to SFO. It is cheaper than a taxi ~$10 vs. $50. You can use your phone to buy tickets. https://www.bart.gov/tickets. There are a lot of people on the trains and in the stations during the time you want to travel to the airport. I know of no incidences of violence on the trains or in the stations despite the news saying SF is dangerous.

Adding to Katie’s information about cost of BART, for any riders 65 and older, even occasional riders, I highly recommend getting a Clipper Senior Card. It gives you about 65% off on all BART fares. https://docs.clippercard.com/brochures/en/Clipper_Youth-Senior-Combo_072618_Tagged_7-31-18_v2.pdf

We now have our Senior Clipper Cards on our phones, not a physical card. We set them up to reload so as to avoid having to top up at a machine.

Wow..thanks for all the great information and advice! I'll definitely sit in the first car near the operator...that alone will bring some comfort level to my concerns. The last time I rode BART was in the 1980's when one used paper tickets and cell phones were huge contraptions with a tall antenna, so I am pretty much "out of practice"! Anyway...all comments and advice are gratefully received and noted. Happy travels to all!

Another tip. When we got on BART at SFO last month we lazily got onto the first car of the train sitting there. A minute later the door at the end opened up and a train operator walked off. We were hoping she was just taking a little break but we didn’t realize that she was walking down to the opposite end of the train to drive it going away from the airport. So if the operator leaves your car in the direction SFO to SF don’t be surprised.

My elderly parents always use SFO when they fly out of CA and have never had a problem traveling on the BART. I've traveled at 4:30am and also had no issues. Always get on a train that has people, never get in an empty train and there are buttons on the train that connect you with the driver in case of emergencies.

I would have no concerns about riding it.

Fears are lifted and I shall now concentrate on the upcoming travel and new experiences that await me. Again, thanks all for encouraging and very helpful comments. This forum is incredibly helpful!

Sit in the middle cars. That is where the majority of people will be sitting thus making it safer.

With the Senior Clipper Card (the actual plastic), I use BART almost every day, either within SF or going out to the East Bay or down into San Mateo County. I don't see as dangerous at all as long as you're not solo at night near OAK airport, especially if the area is unfamiliar to you.

No concerns coming from the East Bay to SFO with luggage in tow, you won't be the only one.

The Senior Clipper Card is a terrific (and money-saving) idea, and I did get one based on Mona's recommendation of a few days ago. Glad I can use the actual plastic card as I always am wondering what happens if everything you need for travel is on an iphone and for some reason, there's no battery life left or there is some other phone malfunction when you really need an app for a QR code or travel pass! I like to at least have printed tangible backup.

For all the reasons listed and more , I only use the plastic Senior Clipper Card. It is indeed a great deal. Reloading it is easy with a machine, that is non-debit card, I carry at least 2 credit cards, just in case.

The future (rolling out beginning in 2024) is that Bart will be implementing tap-to-pay with a credit card, catching up to many metropoliton cities that already have it.

https://abc7news.com/bart-bay-area-rapid-transit-fares-clipper-card/13629113/

You may want to check this Bart Bus Bridge Alert to see if your date and route are impacted:
https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230913

Bus Bridge Alert:
Hazardous tree removal and track work between Pleasant Hill and Concord on 2 non-consecutive weekends (next work weekend 10/14-15)

CW Note: Also Oct 28 and 29.

Thank you for the "heads up" on that information. Much appreciated.