Linton Johnson

Anonymous Could Wipe Out U.S. Power, Feds Say

​One thing Anonymous is really good for is embarrassing public agencies (BART) -- and their employees (Linton Johnson). But the National Security Agency is worried that the shadowy online hacking group will soon have the power to shut off our power via cyberattack. The Wall Street Journal is repor ... More >>

Linton Johnson, BART Spokesman, Reassigned to New Job

No longer the face of BART ​After a curious three-month hiatus, BART's Chief Spokesman, Linton Johnson, is back today -- but he has a new desk and a different title. The veteran spokesman has been reassigned to work on special projects while still bringing home the $170,000 pay package he made as ... More >>

Is BART Spokesman Linton Johnson in Trouble?

This is no joking matter ​One of the many demands Anonymous put out there in exchange for ending the weekly BART protests was that the transit agency fire its chief spokesman, Linton Johnson. And while the group might have succeeded in making him a target, its having no such luck in ousting him.BA ... More >>

News Website Down After Publishing Mugshots of Anonymous Hackers

Not so tough without the mask​Bay Area commuters, fresh off yet another BART protest and downtown San Francisco station shutdown last night, might be interested to see some of the faces behind the shadowy hacking group that has helped organize repeated demonstrations against the transit agency.The ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Five Ways BART Could Make Your Ride Home Less Crappy

​Despite the ongoing weekly protests, BART is trying to keep things real by unveiling designs for their new line of cars, named Fleet for the Future. We all know how utterly disgusting BART cars are --  it has oldest fleet of trains in the nation. So yeah, updated trains are long overdue even ... More >>

Anonymous Hackers Use Social Media to Mobilize for Tonight's BART Protest

Anonymous​When BART blacked out cellphone service last Thursday night in an attempt to foil protesters, hacker group Anonymous has swung into action, organizing a rally for this evening that has commuters steeling themselves for service disruptions. Whether or not you think the rallies are an ef ... More >>

BART Passenger Sues Police for Alleged Beating Over Ringtone

Bart in trouble again!​A BART passenger is suing the transit agency and several of its officers, accusing them of beating and arresting him after he said he complied with a police order to stop listening to a musical ringtone on his phone. You have to wonder -- how annoying was that ringtone? ... More >>

All BART Police to Get Tasers, But Will They Use Them?

​Over the next few weeks, all BART police will start carrying Tasers -- which they will be required to have on them at all times. This policy has been in the works for years, but in the light of the July 3 controversial shooting, the need for the less-than-lethal guns seems all the more pressing. ... More >>

BART Reopens After Woman Run Over by Train in Possible Suicide Attempt

UPDATE: Officials say a woman got onto the tracks early this morning and lay down between the rails before a train ran her over. The operator of the train, which was entering the station at 35 mph, saw the woman on the tracks and hit the "stop" button, but the train didn't halt in time, according to ... More >>

Local Idiot Kicked Off BART for Talking about Weapons of Mass Destruction

No more talk of WMD​After this week's killing of Osama bin Laden, we knew it wouldn't take long before that one comment about bombs and terrorism brought Bay Area transit to a screeching halt. This morning, during commute hour, BART booted a man off the train after he was reportedly scaring other ... More >>

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, Bay Area on "High Alert"

Aaaaand Scene!​Yes, we finally achieved the seemingly impossible -- we killed Osama bin Laden!But what does that really mean for us?While Bay Area leaders issue statement after statement celebrating the death of the No. 1 terrorist, it also seems during this time of triumph that we have to worry a ... More >>

What Do You Want in a BART Seat?

You are supposed to sit, not shit on the seat​We didn't need The Bay Citizen's commissioned scientist to tell us that there is fecal matter and mold in the BART seats -- just look at them. After foolishly installing carpet and cloth seats some 40 years ago, BART is dropping $2 million to replace t ... More >>

BART Back on Track for Morning Commute ... Just in Time to Cause More Delays

Just in time​A few hours after fixing a massive derailment that shut down BART service in parts of the East Bay yesterday, separate mechanical issues set off new delays this morning. Officials are now reporting 15 minute delays on the trains after mechanical problems between the Embarcadero and Mo ... More >>

First Muni, Now BART; More Transit Delays Today

Mass delays ​Yesterday, morning passengers were stuck on Muni, as train delays plagued the entire system for more than two hours; 150 commuters were reportedly stranded at the corner of Market and Church Streets. The day before, Muni had mechanical issues, causing a train back up at the Embarcader ... More >>

Most BART Riders Escape Tickets for Eating and Drinking

Not Tried BART Yet? Now's The Time To Do It.

You will love me​Have you heard? There's a thing called BART in this here Bay Area. And BART wants to make sure you know about BART -- that's why this week was 'Try BART Week.' If you haven't yet sampled the public transit goodness that is BART, today's the day to do it: if you do, you could win f ... More >>

Hear That Siren? Did Your Train Stop? It was the 'Shake-Out' Freak-Out.

Fiona MaFiona Ma is into it​San Franciscans without clock or calendar can set their internal timing devices by the weekly emergency sirens, which test every Tuesday at noon. Other than the Tuesday test, these blare only when an earthquake or other disaster is at hand (just having your home or offi ... More >>

BART Votes To Change Station's Name -- But Not Pay For It

Cheers! Now let's go to the Centre...​Legions of future BART riders will misspell the name of the forthcoming Contra Costa Centre -- yes, Centre --  station following a vote by the transit agency's board of directors yesterday. The board voted 7-1, with only Carole Ward Allen objecting, to re ... More >>

'Lucky Dog' Races Through BART Tunnels

Black poodle 1, BART 0​A black, 10-pound poodle managed to bring BART to its knees this morning, as it ran wild through the tunnels, snarled rush hour service, and, so far as anyone can tell, got away clean. The animal exited the train at Lake Merritt Station around 7:30 a.m., then decided to take ... More >>

Marijuana Ads Dumped By BART

And you can forget about advertising on BART, too...​SF Weekly recently broke the news that Muni is now accepting ads for medical marijuana. BART, meanwhile, began taking pot ads years ago. But, BART officials now tell us, right as Muni has agreed to accept pot ads, BART has reconsidered and will ... More >>

BART Delays Lead to Frustrating Morning Commute

​A pair of mishaps led to BART commuters this morning having plenty of extra time to get to know their fellow passengers. A mechanical failure that took a train out of service at West Oakland station exacerbated an earlier delay near Fremont when the high-voltage third-rail was exposed on the trac ... More >>

Gay Sex, Terrorism Cited as Reasons to Close Subway Station Restrooms

'Leaving a bomb in the men's room' can apparently have multiple meanings...​Last week, we wrote about the nearly decade-long closure of public bathrooms in the busiest downtown BART stations. "They're still closed because terrorists are still trying to kill people," BART spokesman Linton Johnson t ... More >>

If BART reopens its public restrooms, then the terrorists win

BART Still Pondering Why Virtually New Coupling Device Fell Apart

​In the wake of this morning's incident in the BART transbay tube -- in which a coupling device fractured, splitting a nine-car train into five- and four-car segments -- the agency and its riders were left with three unsettling possibilities: This was due to a lack of maintenance on BART's aging f ... More >>

BART Contractor Alters Time and Space

Sorry, to quote another Beatles song, "You Can't Do That" ​"Eight Days a Week" was a cute enough Beatles song, but the Fabs never really thought there were extra hours in the day or extra days in the week -- they didn't start hitting the hard stuff until 1965. This BART elevator contractor, howeve ... More >>

iPhone Users Unable to Get Service on BART in the Transbay Tube

 iPhone users have a new reason to be pissed off at AT&T.  via flickr by Jason-Morrison Anti-AT&T​AT&T was supposed to be one of the many phone carriers that activated their networks so that its customers could use their phones and laptops seamlessly as the travel ... More >>

BART Carpets Stink -- and BART Management Agrees

Shag on...​ When it comes to BART, safety or the lack thereof seems to dominate dialogue in the press. But what's likely more of a nuisance -- and certainly a greater health hazard -- is the stained, soaked, and soiled carpeting on the train cars. An out-of-towner recently asked SF Weekly, wh ... More >>

Train patrol: BART plans increased police presence

BART may lose $780k if contractor can't get venture together

Controversial BART Contractor Still Hasn't Gotten His Act Together; Agency Facing Potential Loss of $780K in State Grants

​In the print edition of today's SF Weekly, we reported on the saga of Nedar Bey, the controversial lighting contractor who may or may not cost BART hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grants. The story is complex, but here it is in the tiniest possible nutshell: Last month, Nedar Bey was aw ... More >>

With Last-Minute Contract, BART Staves Off Loss of $800K In State Funds -- For Now

​On Friday we reported that BART's decision to split a multi-million dollar "emergency contract" was in jeopardy of leading to an unforeseen emergency of a different sort. With the contractor for a job installing lighting at North Berkeley station unable to come up with the proper bonding by the s ... More >>

BART Contract With Controversial Builder May Result in Loss of $800K in State Funds

​In a definite candidate for the ironic hall of fame, the BART board last week awarded part of a multi-million dollar contract to Nedar Bey -- who had earlier accused that very board of being "servants of the devil." Fittingly, hundreds of thousands of dollars in government money may be going stra ... More >>

BART Union Approves Contract; Workers, Management Go Back To Talking Trash *Without* Specter of Crippling Strike

​The union for BART's drivers and station agents blamed the system's financial woes on George W. Bush and greedy management while the system pointed the finger at well-compensated, overtime-hoarding employees. And the riding public can offer a Mercutio-like pox on both their houses while dozing of ... More >>

Transit Train Wreck Turned Aside: Winners and Losers in Tentative BART Settlement

http://world.nycsubway.orgGuess who's still here?​If you rode BART to work this morning and came to the horrible realization that not only was your seat cold, but wet, too -- congratulations! You're still a winner. You can still go get a new pair of pants at Ross or Old Navy and get to work in les ... More >>

Be Elated As You Ride BART Monday. Who Knows How Long It'll Last?

Has BART found the map to smooth service?​If you were hoping to work from home Monday, your best excuse just pulled out of the station. BART and the tenacious ATU No. 1555 union reached a tentative accord yesterday. You can ride the morning train with a new-found enthusiasm Monday. See you over th ... More >>

Pain Train: BART, Drivers' Union Fail to Agree on 'Last, Best and Final Offer'

http://world.nycsubway.orgDid we just miss the last, best, and final train?​The other day we joked about how, come Labor Day weekend, it might take a Dunkirk-like flotilla of small boats to cross the Bay. Not so funny anymore! With the Bay Bridge scheduled to be closed for construction, BART had a ... More >>

BART Strike Would Impact 40 Percent of Employees ... In the Communications Department

​When one juxtaposes the terms "union negotiations" and "BART," images of men and women in jumpsuits driving or fixing trains come to mind. You don't think of spokespeople or anyone with the term "multi-media" in his or her job. But you should. Of the five employees in BART's communications depart ... More >>

For contract talks, BART and its unions take the information superhighway

Oscar Grant Protesters Hope to Shut Down Fruitvale BART Station Next Week

More on the wayA group of East Bay residents protesting BART officials' handling of the shooting death of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day say they plan to shut down the Fruitvale station on Thursday, March 5, during evening rush hour. The effort will mark the first organized attempt by protesters to ... More >>

Take the Rude Train

BART riders won't give up their seats for a pregnant woman.

Subway Daze

BART fears city subway project poses danger to busy downtown S.F. station.

Buy Coffee in Bart Station, But Don't Take it for a Ride

BART to Change Its Maps

BART’s ‘SCREEECH’ Problem: Dustin Diamond Must Be Stopped

Big BART Brother

The transit system's bosses know when you're sleeping, know if you're awake ... or singing Christmas carols

24 Hour BART Means Vomit, Systemic Hangover

BART’s Radar Dreams