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AC Transit
Category: Hotels & Travel Transportation Public Transportation Public Transportation [Edit]
1600 Franklin St(between 15th St & 17th St)
Oakland, CA 94612
Neighborhood: Downtown Oakland
(510) 817-1717
117 reviews for AC Transit
117 reviews in English
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Review from David S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/21/2012
OK back up to 4 stars now that I've discovered "realtime departures" that can be accessed from your computer, cellphone, kindle, or other such devices. VERY useful and accurate.
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/26/2012
I have a love/hate affair with AC Transit. When things go right, I love it. But when there are… Read more »
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Review from Maryam R.
Berkeley, CA
3/26/2012
SMH.
Bus drivers: I get it, your life sucks. At least you have a job, please just be nice to us. don't kill us by speeding and being horribly rude.
Passangers: asking people for money on a bus...seriously? most of us are broke and tired. Stand up and move to the back if you see someone who needs a seat. Too many students are ignoring people who clearly need a seat, and I (all the way in the back) have to get up and ask that person if they want my seat. Come on...
AC transit officials: clean the buses. They look nasty inside. Stains everywhere. Keep your drivers on schedule so they don't have to be mean, and raise their wages.
SMH. -
Review from Trav M.
Oakland, CA
2/2/2012
By far, AC Transit is one of the worst public transit systems I have EVER had to use. The buses are CONSTANTLY off schedule, the drivers take breaks mid-route, the customer service agents can be rude and un-willing to offer any help whatsoever, and downright the whole agency is a mess.
I will grant them one extra star for the Free B Shuttle AND for extending it to weekends, as well. It makes going out in Downtown/Uptown a whole lot easier. -
Review from Ginger v.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
Ok guys..if you're reading this, just know that complaining to their customer service people yield nada...feel free to read my manifesto, but I encourage you to CALL these people directly instead of customer service. Sometimes change needs to start from the top down in these matters.... Leave a clear message stating: " I want you to uphold the guiding principles of AC Transit"
Mary King (510) 891-4875
Christian Peepls (510) 891-7151
Tina Spencer 510 891-4754
Dear Mary King,
I am writing you in response to the recent observed events I've encountered during transit on AC Transit. I am a new rider to AC transit, as I relocated to the Oakland hills late last year, but my research of late points to a reoccurring lack of training and implementation of policies that are featured on AC Transit's website. Due to the lack of results achieved lodging complaints to your customer service department, I thought it would be wise to address the person in charge.
On Jan 10 & 13th the NX express to San Francisco from Oakland neglected to pick up passengers on its route between 6:45am and 8am. Scheduled busses were supposed to arrive during this time, but none did. For your reference the routes that never ran these days are highlighted:
(This has been omitted as I couldn't format pics to yelp)
..Per the information provided, Mary, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to concur that 40% of the express buses to leave the hub that day did not... possibly 40% of morning profits were not obtained that day as well. In addition to the aforementioned, several other occurrences have happened during my 90 days of taking AC Transit :
1. A woman with a neurological problem requests the lift as she is incapable of ascending or descending stairs. The driver denies her request, closing the door on the disabled woman and drives off.
(the woman identified her physical ailment, including defining the word 'neurological' to driver, in hopes of gaining access to transportation)
2. An elderly woman bound to a wheel chair awaits her bus to SF. She is waiting for the NL. After 2 scheduled buses fail to show, she boards an NL and inquires about her 45 minute wait on Fruitvale and MacArthur. The bus driver, discourteous and with brevity informs the elderly woman that "those buses didn't make it out today" and begins to laugh at the woman when she requests information about complaining.
3. In October of 2011, I and others observe the driver of the NX COMPLETELY RUN THROUGH the red light near Grand avenue, nearly hitting a woman walking across the street with her two toddler aged children.
4. On Jan 19th a new driver driving the NX line neglects to pick people up from the stop prior to Grand Lake theater. Passengers on the bus alert the driver of her mistake. The driver's response; " Dey didn't act like dey wanted to get on!!" Once the driver stops at Grand lake, a cyclist from the previous stop informs her there are several other people running to catch this bus. She begins to argue with him, she proceeds to argue with the remaining passengers as they approach and board. She had not been trained to apologize, take accountability, or 'smooth things over'. Her insistence to not see her mistake in haste delays the bus further as frustrated passengers board and she in turn reprimands them.
5. Today. When not one, not two, not three but four express buses in a row do not come. Most of us were outside for hours. Some of us, including myself, went back home and got our cars.
Mary, I request you to kindly look at these matters and resolve the problems as soon as possible. While I realize there must be many challenges that stand in your way of immediate success of my request, I implore you to attempt to try. Thank you for your leadership of AC Transit thus far. The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is the third-largest public bus system in California, generating 60 million per year according to your website. I write this to you in hope that our money as tax payers, fare purchasers, and property owners does not only contribute to executive salaries at AC Transit; but also contributes to the efficiency, safety and integrity of the ridership and hourly employees of AC Transit as well.
In closing I'd like to leave you with a few words of encouragement from the AC Transit website. Per AC Transit's guiding principles the agency aspires to;
"AC Transit will aggressively pursue transit priority and transit preferential
Measures...to improve street operation of the transit
system, to decrease transit passenger travel times, to improve reliability"
Thank you for your time -
Review from Rev. Julian B.
Hayward, CA
1/18/2012
I get on the 95 bus, which arrives at D and 7th six minutes late.
Just before B and Mission, I press the "stop" button. The chime is heard and the light comes on. Driver zips past my stop and the red light is now out. I press button again. Driver blows this stop off and, again, red light has gone out. By the time stop #4 is near, several riders are shouting to the driver to stop the bus! Now, bad leg and hip and cane make my one mile walk to where I was going painful and difficult.
I telephoned AC transit and lodged a formal complaint. My own hunch is that the driver, being late, wanted to catch up so he would get to the end of the line (BART station) on time. He inconvenienced the wrong person!
I can understand a moment's inattention causing one stop to be muissed. Three in a row? And the light being turned out three times? No, my children, this driver did this intentionally!
When I complained to AC, the agent with whom I spoke asked me if I were willing to attend a hearing with the driver and his supervisor present. My answer? "Gladly, yes!" -
Review from Michael C.
Daly City, CA
Updated - 9/26/2011
It really depends on where you live. Sometimes lines are convenient for your location and where you need to go, and other times good luck catching a bus.
With constant budget cuts and trying to increase fares to match the necessities, AC Transit is always hit or miss.
WiFi on the buses? Can you say, please rob me of my flashy wifi capable device on a public transit service?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/10/2005
AC Transit. Refer to Britton. Right on the money. With the exception if you're a student and get… Read more »
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Review from Henri W.
Dublin, CA
10/6/2011
Let me make this clear. I DO NOT ride this bus (thank GOD). I am writing this review as a driver and pedestrian sharing the road with these people.
Dang, you guys seriously do not give a fuck about public safety! All of the countless times you guys cut across 3 fucking lanes without looking just to cut me off. Stopping in the middle of an intersection on a red light, causing all kinds of hell for everyone going every direction. Dropping people off in random places, etc. Stopping and going as you please.
Not to mention all of the times I had to slam on my brakes every time you tried to pull a fast one on me. Yet the worst thing almost happened to me today. I was crossing the intersection in front of my house and one of your buses completely ran a red light and almost cost me my life if not for the few people who screamed at me to get out of the way! -
Review from Rachel D.
7/8/2011
I'm about to move to a city where they have a transit system, but it's not as extensive. Rather than say that AC Transit sucks, I'm going to go against the grain and be thankful for the 20 years of ridership I've enjoyed on it.
It's wonderful having a system that lets you go as far north as Richmond and as far south as Fremont. It was there for me when BART was on strike for a week during the 90s. It has taken me to work, to play, to run errands. And compared to MUNI, AC Transit is superb.
I've been through the good and the bad. I remember how a bus driver carried off a drunk, passed-out passenger and left her lying on the street. I've had drivers who got into accidents, making the rest of us take another bus. I've had a driver who completely ignored passenger requests about an emergency window that was flapping constantly in the wind on the freeway while another passenger and I tried vainly to keep the window closed. I had a driver who closed all the windows on her bus and then proceeded to smoke within the bus before opening the door to let passengers on. I had a bus driver who stopped without explanation and casually went to use the bathroom at a grocery store, with her about-to-be-used tampons peeking out of her purse. A friend had a driver who was clearly driving drunk on the way to San Francisco.
I love the Transbay buses that got you to San Francisco and back. They were the plush buses filled with business people who were less likely to graffiti the bus. I like how they have all-night-buses (not as many as before). I like the Rapid buses. I like the NextBus announcements. I like the convenience of the former tripplanner (and now http://511.org) site.
I like how if I don't feel like taking BART and have the time, I can find the bus routes that will still get me to my destination.
I realize that not everyone has time on their hands to wait for the next bus if theirs is full. I know not everyone cares to sit next to smelly homeless people or (gasp!) certain minority groups of the teenage persuasion. And not everyone thinks that buses are clean enough for them.
Compared to some cities, we have it good. I'm going to miss you, AC Transit. -
Review from Sachi T.
6/19/2011
Tip: Weekends are most unreliable time. On weekdays, the buses run very very timely!
Plus: I'm always amazed at how the 18 knows exactly when to pick me up from Berkeley Bowl on my way home! The frequent buses, like this one, are easy to use.
Minus: If someone pukes on the bus, it stops for good. I learned this the hard way and my friends and I had to walk from San Pablo to College because of a lady in the back of the bus.
Cleanliness: It's aiight. It's a bus for god's sake.
Nextbus function: REALLLY hit or miss.
But compared to buses in Sacramento, where I'm from, AC Transit is a godsend. 4 stars. -
Review from Tizz W.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 1/6/2011
Hey, ACTransit, remember all the good times?
Memories:
The (many) time(s) your bus driver DROVE RIGHT PAST ME with an EMPTY BUS?
Or when the bus driver literally SHUT THE DOOR in my face?
Or when the bus was over an hour late? Or just never came at all, despite, according to your operators, being on schedule?
Or when the bus driver when the wrong way on the bus route no less than THREE times, and had to be rerouted by the PASSENGERS on the bus?
Look, they aren't all bad people, but for $2 per ride, I expect better.
Thanks, though. You encouraged me to buy a car so I can avoid using your services as much as humanly possible.Listed in: The EB
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/8/2009
To be completely & utterly honest: I absolutely effing HATE AC Transit.
That said, I've lived in… Read more »
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Review from David N.
11/15/2010
Growing up in the East Bay, we always got a ride from "Aunt Clara" or AC Transit. In fact, when I was in high school, it was the bus drivers on the old 7 and 67 lines that knew where the parties were at!
I have an AC Pass but, I hadn't ridden the local bus for awhile. I need to work on Sat at the pre-game event for the Oregon vs. Cal game. Knowing better not to drive, I hopped on the 51B to campus.
First off, I tip my cap to the http://511.org travel planner, which provided the route and pretty accurate times for departure and arrival. I jumped on the 51B right next to Grocery Outlet and in about 15 minutes, I was at College and Durant, a short walk to Memorial Stadium. The South Asian driver was very nice.
After working the gig, I walked down Bancroft and got on the 51B to ride home. Literally "down hill" from here...
This time the bus driver was really a punk. He was just as Kelsey E. and Patricia H. have Yelped; pissy attitude and obnoxious. When the bus came by, the driver just passed me by. Me and a fellow rider ran down the street and actually caught the bus at the next stop.
Asked him why driver why he didn't stop and his reply was, "I didn't see you standing there." Uh, WTF? There were about six of us standing there.
I'm not sure why this "ASS (I mean) AC Driving Miss Daisy" was just so negative and bitter. He just was a weird road rage driver, who could care less about us, the passengers. Still, for $2 bucks each way, it's not like I hired a town car. It is in fact, my "Auntie Clara" and for what we pay and what it's worth, it's still a great deal.
Kinda like the Post Office. You just get what you pay for. -
Review from Carol C.
Alameda, CA
7/29/2011
I don't really want to give AC Transit a two star because I have been riding their buses for almost 50 years. The two star is for what happened this evening.
Memories: 1. The first time AC went on strike was in 1970, my senior year in high school, and that was tough when one had to walk from Oakland Chinatown (8th & Webster) all the way up Broadway to 42nd Street and back. Thank goodness I had a ride home after the graduation ceremony.
2, Then who could forget somebody in management would help a new bus driver learn the route on the first run? That is no longer done, which is too bad. (I guess the GPS helps the drivers along these days.) A few years back I had to help a bus driver who was filling in as a substitute on the old 63 route, running from downtown Oakland through Alameda to the Fruitvale BART station. He wasn't familiar with the route, so I sat by the door and gave him directions until I got off at Southshore Shopping Center, even though I was supposed to get off at Third and Santa Clara Avenue (Alameda) and head home. It was a good thing that another passenger on the bus helped him the rest of the way. On my return trip home, it was the same bus driver. Again, I helped him. When I got off at my stop, I gave him my 63 bus schedule (the route directions were on the backside of the schedule) so he could make it back to downtown Oakland. This is what a person would call the first run of a bus route.
3. AC used to be a reliable bus system years ago, but the long wait for certain buses, the cut in services and the measly 1-1/2 hours on a transfer are atrocious. When I worked in Oakland, and I needed to head home to Alameda, there were other buses I could catch besides the 51. I could get on the following buses to head home: 10, 42, 50 and the 63. Wow, what options and I had that monthly pass for unlimited rides.
Comparison of Muni and AC: When I am on the 5 Muni, the driver gives me a transfer good for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. On AC, the 1-1/2 hour limit on the transfer makes me wanna sing that song..."just give me a little mo time", but it's not gonna happen because the machine is calibrated for just 1-1/2 hours. The 5 Fulton is very reliable in getting me to my job, just as the 21 Hayes is. However, there is one thing that Muni bus drivers need to learn from the AC bus drivers...customer service. Bus drivers on AC are friendlier than the ones driving Muni.
Earlier this evening, I decided to take the Pittsburg Bay Point Bart train from Civic Center Station to the 12th Street Station and hop on a 51A to Alameda, instead of taking the Dublin Pleasanton train to the Fruitvale Station and hop on a 51A to Alameda. I was at the bus stop in downtown Oakland at 6:35 PM. I saw two 18 buses, two 72R's, three 1R's and a 12 bus roll along. The 51A did not arrive until 6:59 PM...wtf. The bus was crowded and of course, there was noise. I thought I would get home quicker since I live on the west end of Alameda. Nope, it took me even longer to get home. For this experience, the three stars is knocked down to two stars.
Cost comparison: Civic Center station to 12th Street BART station costs $3.10 one way. Civic Center to Fruitvale station costs $3.50 one way. I called myself saving 40 cents on BART and thinking I will get home quicker - nope, it did not happen. I will go back to doing what I did before - pay the 40 cents more, get off at the Fruitvale station and board the 51A from that site. It's the first stop heading to Alameda, the bus is not crowded, I get first dibs as to where I want to sit and it is a much peaceful and quiet ride home. I don't have to wait for almost half an hour for 51A at Fruitvale BART. The 51A is usually there; if not, the wait is no more than 10 minutes.
Recommendation: For anybody leaving from SF to head home to Alameda via BART, take the Dublin Pleasanton or Fremont train to Fruitvale BART and hop on a 51A. It is a much more pleasant ride than hopping on a 51A in downtown Oakland. Then on the other hand, if one does not want to use the BART to bus route home to Alameda, go to the Transbay Terminal and hop on the "O" bus straight for Alameda. That is a quick ride home.
Enough said, peace out!!! -
Review from Juan R.
Oakland, CA
3/8/2011
I don't understand why AC Transit is so bad, because public transit isn't that hard. Think about it. You have a schedule. You have buses. The buses should arrive on schedule, or as close as possible to on schedule.
To make matters worse, AC Transit has cut service so much in the last few years that the buses are scheduled to come only sparingly. Add in the cranky drivers and you have a recipe for disaster.
The buses are constantly and exceptionally late, or never come at all. The drivers are downright mean.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the prices are crazy high compared to other public transit when you compare the level of service they provide.
Oakland, why can't you be more like Portland????!!!! -
Review from Austin W.
3/6/2011
I hate the AC Transit with a passion. The drivers are cranky, the bus' are never on schedule, and the bus' are always packed. This pretty much sums up my review...
I've had so many negative experiences with the AC Transit. If Berkeley didn't force its students to buy an AC Transit rider's pass, I would never choose to ride the bus.
Just recently, I was on the 51B and as it was pulling away from a stop, the rear of the bus hit a pole. A window shattered and everyone had to get out and file into the next available bus, which was already packed. I'd rather walk 5 miles than to suffocate on a crowded bus. No wonder public transportation has a bad rep. AC Transit FTL! -
Review from pea p.
Berkeley, CA
4/13/2007
I cannot imagine that people actually pay 1.75 to ride these things. I am lucky to be a Berkeley student and ride for free. But even free I find AC Transit nearly intolerable.
Some folks on here, like Nat M. give them "a break" because they are "going bankrupt". I would respond that well run companies that listen to their customer's needs; respond to customer's questions and complaints (at all, and in a timely manner); provide reliable service; don't over-spend on flawed equipment (those ridiculous Van Hools Buses); and whose employees respect their customers and don't have caustic, bitter, sulfuric attitudes, rarely go bankrupt--especially when the company is a bus company providing a service with no competition at a time when gas costs 3.50 a gallon. Can you even imagine how bad a bus service has to be to alienate riders / go bankrupt at a time when gas is priced at an all-time high?! Thus, I think that Nat M. has her causal reasoning a bit cart before horsey.
Then there are the people who suggest that "If you don't like it get a car!" These are the same people that brought us, "If you don't like the war move to France!". Now I would love to buy a car and move to France but, as a student, this is not practical for me at this time. But is this a reason to assume that I and others who cannot afford cars or who choose not to own/drive can be treated like crap? Maybe we don't opt for property ownership and/or excess usage of fossil fuels (ethanol's bad too people), but this doesn't mean there are "Kick Me" signs taped to our backs.
Am I alone in thinking that it might actually be possible to have buses that:
*run pretty much on time.
*have an automated number that you could call 24/7 to find out when the next bus was expected at your stop (since they've taken the schedules down in many places and 511 transfers you to their 7-7 operators who stop answering the phone at 6:45). I've heard that there are these things called "computers" that might help with this.
*buses that are comfortable and don't force half the people to ride backwards. One time I was seriously across from and facing a guy with Leprosy. Or, okay, "Hansen's Disease."
*drivers who get decent enough pay, vacation time and benefits so that they value their jobs and don't take their road rage out on us.
*lower fares (more people would ride -- see: New York)
*drivers who stop when people are waiting and don't speed past the stop pretending they don't see you as you flail your arms.
*drivers who tell you what's happening when some accident or emergency ensures.
*Hydraulic (?) doors that stay open until you and your bags of groceries are clear -- one time one of those Hools "Jaws of Death" doors slammed on me, grabbing my ankle and making me auger on the sidewalk.
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen drivers totally ignore stops just to make up time.
There are some VERY NICE drivers. They get this one star. And then there are the drivers who should have become forest rangers working solo in the fire look-out towers because they have no idea how to behave around other human beings while commandeering a several ton moving vehicle.
Re: Van Hools:
Did you know that a committee at ACT re-designed the interior of the Van Hools buses, revising the successful design used in Europe?
Did you know that subsequently, before the ACT's version of the Van Hools bus design was adopted, ACT's own Riders Advisory Committee (RAC) said that the design was unacceptable and yet, instead of listening to the RAC the board eliminated the RAC so that they wouldn't need to listen to their recommendations and complaints?
Did you know that two lawsuits are pending which claim that the bus design violates the Americans with Disability Act (ADA)?
Did you know that AC Transit is the only transit company in the US whose board is elected? Who gets to vote?!?!
Did you know that the reason ACT felt comfortable choosing the VH's bus design was because they knew that the East Bay had "a lower number of articulate middle- and upper-class riders" than San Francisco?
It all just makes me sick. -
Review from Keane L.
10/7/2006
It's pricey and not very inviting, yes, but I've never had a bad experience with AC Transit. The fact that it exists is good enough for me.
I came home last night from a Yelp event later than usual and missed my normal shuttle, thus I had to resort to AC Transit lest I wonder hopelessly through Oakland. It was only a few minutes before the bus came. I only had a $10 bill, but the driver let me on for free. He let the tourist couple in front of me on for free too, because they only had a $20.
When I disembarked and thanked him again, he says back to me, he says, "Hey man, no problem. I'm just glad I could help."
Let me rewind that for you:
"I'm just glad I could help."
Wow, I believe in people again... -
Review from Rinky N.
East Bay
7/3/2007
On June 24th, AC had a MAJOR change in bus lines and schedules.
Certain buses were canceled or re-numbered. The handy-dandy brochures outlines the changes. Bus signs had sleeves over them explaining the changes. All that is fine but my biggest complaint is that they MOVED some of the bus stops without explaining where the new stops are. I was riding the 51 bus and the driver said, "the next stop has changed." It was only across the street but............. I was trying to figure where the 72 bus stopped at the EC Bart Station. The old stop had a sign that said, "The 72, 72M does not stop here any longer." Okay, fine but where DOES it stop? The BART station person pointed in the wrong direction. It turns out it was on the exact far end of the station.
I have been an AC rider since my days at CAL and I appreciate all the times I have been taken to my destinations, but.....
BUS PRICES--Fortunately I get a bus pass from work so I ride free. The buses used to get government subsidies, now they are pretty much on their own. It does seem a bit pricey.
BUS DRIVERS-I have had the best and the worst drivers. (Therefore the 3 star rating). The drivers used to get paid a LOT comparatively. When I first got my teaching credential, drivers got paid MORE than teachers.
But now their pay seems somewhat "modest" considering the Cost of Living in the Bay Area.
I have to give them a lot of credit. This has to be one of the most difficult jobs around--driving in the Bay Area and dealing with the public?
BUSES-I hate those stupid VAN HOOL buses. (They get a minus 5 stars) Most seats you have to step up to. Uncomfortable too! They are level with the street but so are some of the other bus designs. I always have trouble stepping up and down on the seats, especially when I am carrying stuff. Seniors or impaired folk really have to struggle.
BUS STORIES---I have had some truly "interesting" times on the bus.
I could write a book.
CHRISTMAS BUS--When I was a twenty-something lass, I was having a miserable day compounded by my miserable state. I had gotten off of work and it was raining. I saw my bus approaching.....it was the Christmas Bus.....decorated inside and out with festive holly and other finery. "Oh, god, " I thought to myself. I stepped on the bus and the driver had a Santa hat on. He smiled and gave me the happiest and most earnest greeting. There was Christmas music on the bus. I sat in my Scrooge-like slump and felt even more depressed thinking, "Now if I were in a good mood, I could really enjoy this!"
Anyway, I love/hate AC transit but I am so glad they are still around.Listed in: Sentimental Journeys
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Review from Sara N.
Emeryville, CA
8/6/2007
I shuddered at the thought of riding another public bus since my days from moving up to BART from Muni. But, AC Transit's treated me well in the last year.
95% of the time it's on schedule
99% of the time you get a seat
Forward to the recent changes effective June 2007...I first frowned at thought of new schedules and bus drivers. The new schedule left me with only one opportunity to catch my morning bus instead of previously two transbay buses arriving a minute apart. Three days in a row I was late arriving to my stop and stuck waiting for the crosswalk light to change. Luckily, C Line's new bus driver waited patiently for me as I dashed across the street in my 3-inch high heels day after day.
THANKS, JEFFREY!
No complaints here. :) -
Review from big lug j.
Oakland, CA
6/20/2009
Dear 57 bus line,
You crazy.
Two years ago, after 4 years of driving without a license, after 4 years of having tiny heart attacks whenever I saw the police, after 4 years of driving in a zig zag pattern through residential side streets and randomly parking where ever the fuck at the slightest hint of po po, I decided to sell my car.
That's when I started riding your thick metallic ass.
It hasn't always been honey and sunshine between us. You have me waiting longer than I should at times, and at some of those meeting spots where I stood waiting for you to swoop me up, it was frequented by 1987-Starter-Jacket-wearing weirdo's and dirty bitches. Not cool. But I always waited patiently because you always got me where I needed to go.
Sometimes you stink, 57 bus line. Sometimes when I slide inside you it feels like I just got slapped by a wool blanket soaked in a wet-shit-rot-garbage cooch. Sometimes you smell like hot dogs and rubber bands. I can live with that though. I've had past rides who were worse.
I have this feeling that you might think of me as distant. Always reading. Always staring out the window watching Oakland pass by like a photo album. But don't worry, boo, I'm there with you. I'm listening. Actually, my favorite thing to do is to listen to your inner works. The rumble of your engine. The squeal of your brakes. And especially, the pack of teenage girls in the back, talking about how "they going to molly wop some bitch as soon as they get back to the East."
You crazy.
Love,
Big Lug.
5 Stars! -
Review from Christian H.
Oakland, CA
3/18/2006
Don't count on the late-night transbay 800 line!
Privately owned vehicles are for the clueless and self-absorbed. After walking (or biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc), public transit is the next-best mode of transportation for the enlightened. However, after last weekend's experience, I've vowed never to set foot on an AC Transit bus again.
Although I live in Oakland, my job and most of my friends are in SF. I usually use the fairly-dependable BART system to cross the bay, but that closes too early for me to use when I'm out late. On Saturday, 3/11/06, I was at a party at a friend's place in SF and was counting on AC Transit's late-night transbay 800 line to get me home. I checked AC Transit's website earlier that day to confirm the fare & schedule, but when I tried to catch the 4am bus I was dismayed to see it go flying up Market St just before I got to the bus stop, a full ten minutes early. I waited to catch the last bus at 5am, but finally gave up at 5:20am when it didn't materialize.
The next day I used their website to email them a complaint, and checked the box they provided to receive a response from them. Over three weeks later, I finally got a call back from their designated apologist. He tried to convince me to give them another shot by running through his stock of excuses, but it seemed like he had barely skimmed my complaint.
Anyway, this isn't the first time this happened. A few years back the old late-night AC Transit line left me stranded at the 1st & Mission bus station. You may think that two occurrences could be anomalies, and they could, but I've only tried using AC Transit's late-night service to get back to Oakland about fifteen to twenty times in the past six years, so that's at least a 10% failure rate.
I guess I should have listened to our wise and eloquent President when he said, "There's a saying in Tennessee - I don't know if it's Tennessee but it is in Texas: Fool me once, shame on, shame on ... you? Fool me twice, shame on..., uh, can't get fooled again!" -
Review from Pamela D.
8/31/2007
Four stars! Four piss-drenched, B.O-smellin', crackhead-lovin' stars!
No matter which AC bus I've been on, there's always been an interesting mix of folks: from businessmen to college kids, to elderly couples clutching one another's hands to little thugs yelling at one another.
The drivers are always surly, no matter what AC you're on but they're actually pretty nice.
Back in the day, I worked in Emeryville. And the only way for me to get there was to take the good ol' 57. Or as I call it, the FIDDY SE'EN. Sure,it was dirty. Sure, it was scary. But there was always a place to sit. Sometimes I didn't even have to pay to get on because I'd lose myself in a crowd of 13-year-old denizens loudly chattering about "cuttin' up dat bitch who looked at mah mayun last night!"
On night I watched a drug deal go down on the FIDDY SE'EN and tried real quick to make like I hadn't seen a thing, but they saw that I saw. For a moment I was pretty sure that I was gonna git cut, but the dude just smiled and winked at me. When he got off the bus he bowed to me.
What a gentleman! Still, I made sure I took an alternate route home that night. Y'know, just in case. -
Review from Surf R.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2007
Some bus drivers are nice. Others drive like a demolition derby. I've listened to ridiculous shouting matches between bus drivers and the elder they nearly caused to fall over.
Costs more than SF? Pay for a transfer? Weak.
I'm so over the bus. It takes me the same amount of time or less to bike 6 miles to work. Plus, I don't get nearly accosted when I try to defend some woman from sexual harassment.
The freaks, drunks, and thugs can have the bus. -
Review from Miguel G.
Alameda, CA
2/8/2009
AC TRANSIT SUCKS.
The buses are late, they smell like piss, and there's a passed out drunk dude in the back. Many (NOT ALL) of the drivers are rude. I can't wait to start driving. My bicycle is more reliable than this pathetic excuse for a transit system.
In all fairness, the Transbay buses are alright. -
Review from Wesley H.
Scottsdale, AZ
6/23/2010
Mediocre. Shitty busses. Highly unfriendly bus drivers. Oh, but most of all, NEVER ON TIME.
However, there are some (miniscule) positive attributes to AC Transit.
+ Cheap fares. Whoever said this is expensive hasn't left the Bay Area.
+ Good routes. Even if the busses are always bending their schedules, the routes are easy to follow and generally get you where you need to go. Eventually.
Now...for the negatives.
- I already mentioned this, but unfriendly fucking drivers. I don't know where the sense of entitlement lies behind driving a loud oversized city bus, but the attitudes need to go. We as passengers don't want to be on the bus either.
- Aforementioned, never on time. There have been instances where a transbay bus never showed up at all. Although I visit Alameda on vacation, there are people who depend on that bus to get to work. Running your busses in a timely fashion is kind of the backbone of a bus network, in case you haven't heard.
And PS - After looking at the AC Transit website, and looking over the plans for a Bus Rapid Transit System, I must say that you have frosted every ounce of the Urban Planning connoisseur that I represent. If AC Transit was a fan page on Facebook, I wouldn't "like" it. -
Review from Jeromie B.
Oakland, CA
2/25/2010
I have been living in the east bay for close to 15 years now; 75% of that time I have spent relying entirely upon public transit to get around. I can say without question that AC Transit is the biggest disgrace to public transit of all the transit authorities in the bay area.
The buses are nowhere near what they should be in terms of punctuality and the drivers are the absolute scum of the earth. At times I have found myself taking cabs, just because I lack the emotional strength required to ride on an AC Transit bus.
I absolutely hate AC Transit...in fact even now I know I'm going to have to stop writing as this review is going to cause me to take a cab to work today.
Also the price...considering the experience you are going to have on these buses...is abhorrent. -
Review from Lisa K.
Portland, OR
11/6/2005
I give AC Transit a 3 only because the drivers are so great.
I give AC transit a -1 because the prices are way too high. Fortunately, they beat the lowest parking lot rate ($7) close to work.
Now, about the drivers - they rock!! If you give them a hello, chat it up a bit and be nice, you'll find out that they're people just like you and me. Some of their driving is questionable, but who is going to mess with a big bus? -
Review from Su K.
Oakland, CA
12/1/2009
I've taken the C and P transbay buses. About 7 or 8 out of 10 times, the buses show up on time. When a bus decides not to show up, it poses extreme inconvenience, since the next bus (C) won't show up for another half hour!
I've had buses pass right by me. Since the next transbay bus (C) won't show up for another half hour, I've literally ran after the bus, screaming. Having to stand at the bus stop and wait for an entire hour at 7:15 am is near torture. After the first few incidents, I've decided to raise my hand, step down from the curb a little, and start waving for the bus. I've even considered waving a big red scarf to make myself even more visible. After I began to act in this ridiculous manner, the bus always stopped. But I've gotten all kinds of remarks and snooty warnings from the driver. One driver even gave me a lecture about how she wouldn't stop next time, if I stepped down from the curb, because she didn't want to run me over. Well, my response was "I wish I didn't have to do this, but I've had buses drive right by me too many times."
Because the car pool/bus lane doesn't start until you get closer to the bay bridge toll, the commute time can vary depending on traffic. Basically, if I need to get into work by certain time, I would the transbay bus to a BART station. It becomes a rather expensive commute, but at least I have increased chance of making that 8 am meeting.
The transbay bus used to be my main means of commuting to SF. If the transbay bus ran a little later (It stops at about 9am for morning and 8pm for evening) ,and if the bus terminal were a little nicer, I might have continued using it. The bus terminal is extremely unpleasant -- urine smell everywhere, full of homeless people, dark and run down. In the end, I decided it was not worth paying over $180 per month for unreliable service and smelly and scary terminal.
As for the local service, it's one of the worst public transit systems I've experienced for a city of this size. (I've lived in NYC, Boston, Toronto, Seoul, and Tokyo. Yeah, I know that I shouldn't even begin to compare.) Oakland in general seems to be a city designed for drivers, and the bus system is an after thought.
In the end, I gave in and started driving everywhere. The main reason is that I can get home in 20 - 30 min. if I drive, and in 45 min to 1 hour with the public transportation. So, if you can afford a few extra bucks for gas and parking and you're a professional who charges by hour, wouldn't you be tempted to drive, too?
Note: The only reason I decided to give 2 stars instead of 1 is #51 bus. It reliably took me to and from UC Berkeley campus daily when I was a poor student. -
Review from Chalk A.
El Cerrito, CA
9/5/2007
Thank you AC Transit for buses that have the heat stuck on high on hot days, brakes that don't really work and not giving new drivers any sort of training or info about their routes (hello, we had a driver who didn't know how to get into the carpool lane going onto the bay bridge). The result? A sardine can full of cranky, hot people. It's such fun.
You get one star for getting me to and from work everyday without having to succumb to the evil wiles of BART and one star for when I get to ride a coach bus - coach, baby, COACH!
Other than that, it's pretty much shitsville. -
Review from Jay N.
Oakland, CA
1/18/2009
I would like to thank AC Transit for forcing me into a slower paced lifestyle. By requiring me to wait 30 minutes between buses, it has, for all practical purposes, short-circuited my high strung urban instincts.
I'm actually quite serious. AC Transit has literally forced me to adopt a more mellow lifestyle. It's almost Darwinian; if I failed to adapt, I would drive myself crazy standing around waiting for the bus, and I would probably die.
I Do Not, however, thank AC Transit for its crappy cloth-seated Belgian buses, or for its riidiculously high fares.
But I do thank AC Transit for having broken money machines all the time, so I only have to acutally pay my fare about 75% of the time. All right! -
Review from Trixie J.
San Francisco, CA
7/11/2006 1 photo
Transbay bus FEAR FACTOR is what happens whenever bart breaks down. By the time the bus gets to your stop, everyone else and their grandmother have already piled on, therefore the driver might not even stop for you.
During one of those glorious overpacked commutes, no thanks to stupid unreliable bart, I was wedged up front, next to the bus driver at the front windshield, with this incredible yet horrifying shotgun view. It was like surfing on the freeway, except you have absolutely no control and inside your head, you're wondering if this is really how you're going to die. To make the best of these situations, it helps to pretend that you are training for the next snowboarding season.
Not bad for those who live around the end of the bus route and do the transbay commute to the city. It's quick (15-20 minutes) & mostly painless. Less stinky. Better view. Above ground. More reliable than BART lately. Fairly ordinary commuter crowd during commute hours (versus the creepy bus-riding degenerates who ride because they are not allowed to drive.)Listed in: Skeeve Central
-
Review from anjou k.
Oakland, CA
10/10/2009
Bus #57 is great for people watching and irritating because there are so many people.
It's amazing how quickly people become familiar. I found myself anticipating certain regulars and wondering what their lives were like.
There was the woman with the bright red lipstick that was too much for 8am.
The blond girl who knew all the teenagers that went to Oakland Tech.
The man who picked scabs off his face and ate them.
The mother who managed to get her kids and stroller on the bus quickly and gracefully while I stumbled around with myself and my little purse.
My two weeks of taking the bus have come to an end, but I occasionally see my fellow passengers at the bus stop. I wonder if they recognize me. I wonder if I'm creepy for noticing them. But mostly I'm just grateful I don't have to take the bus on a daily basis anymore. -
Review from Crystal L.
Oakland, CA
4/5/2008
I freakin hate AC Transit.
I tell you I dont wanna smell anymore crackhead or homeless men with 1 leg and a crooked eye. I dont like to smell your pissy lemonade hair or I dont wanna sit next to you.
How about around 5 or 6 pm, I gotta catch the 40-Bayfair Bart.
I see a bunch of fuckin ignorant ass kids. Fighting, Cussin up a strom and I see the teenage mom pregnant with 2 kids already or the lil old lady who left her show to go cash in her cans on 103rd ave
I just cant wait... 'Till I actually can get off on bancroft and 82nd ave .
I've been lazy for the 5 years to get a License. But this should motivate me even harder -
Review from Alex M.
Berkeley, CA
1/27/2012
Despite what they would have you believe. AC TRANSIT LOST AND FOUND IS NOTHING BUT A BLACK HOLE! Loose anything on any bus and expect to never see it every again!! It was raining on the 17th and i took the stupid 49 clockwise bus because the dumb 51b was 19 mins away(on a friday at 6:20pm wtf). I lost My 120$ medications for depression and anxiety on the 49 bus. It was raining my shoes got soaked then i go to any bus stop to find a stupid bus driver i get on the bus explain that i left my pills on the clockwise 49 bus, and she says theres nothing she can do! then i tell her why dont you radio the other bus shes goes "we aint got no radios! " HOW DO YOU RUN A BUS SERVICE WITHOUT RADIOS!? WHAT IF WE HAVE A 7.0 EARTHQUAKE? And the transbay buses all get stuck on the bay bridge nobody would have any idea! Once i lost my keys on an ac transit 800 owl bus never saw those keys again called their lost and found an african american woman who was rude and combative towards me for no reason told me since i didnt have the bus number that she could not help me and furthermore that the morons in the lost and found department DONT EVEN HAVE COMPUTERS! So now im fucked because ac transit has the worst customer service of any transit agency in the bay area. If i lost my pills on County connections Id already have them back, if i lost them on muni the bus driver would have radioed the other bus or dropped me off at one of the yards to go search for it. But not ac transit they dont give a crap about any of us! Horrible service, horrible drivers, late all the time.
-
Review from Jess R.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2007
The 51/ Broadway Bus is literally Hell on Earth. You either don't see one for an hour or you see three (yes, three) at one time (then you don't see another for an hour). The busdrivers are beyond rude. Total C U Next Tuesday's if you get my drift. God forbid you should ask them a question. Usually they just flat out ignore you, but if you're lucky enough to get an answer, expect to be yelled at.
But, yeah, taking it is better than polluting the air with you car I guess... -
Review from Valerie D.
Oakland, CA
4/21/2010
If i could give AC TRANSIT no stars I would. This is by far the worst transit system in the Bay Area! Hell even MUNI is better and I've traveled on both for the past 15 years!
Caveat: I am a pissed off ex-rider of this crappy system and yes, I will use metaphors and colorful words to describe a severely flawed transit system!
As for the new set of bus lines and changes... utter shit and unasinous on the group or groups of people at the Transit Authority, who came up with the bright idea to make peoples lives commuting even more shittier then ever with their deplorable changes.
Really was this suppose to make it better for people, who do not have a car by choice or for convenience (I'm buying a car now! thanks for solidifying this AC In a TRANCE! for me, by the way).
I take the slightly crowded, sometimes pot-smelling or other foul ass smelling 18 bus line, then transfer to the even lovelier 49... aka 9 to work.
4 F***ing times in a row the drivers of this line did not even bother showing up! Huh... does this mean they did not bother showing up for work? Me thinks so!
I called customer service as I was walking again! towards Aquatic Park from downtown Center; Don't bother calling 511 because it is a F***ing joke in its self, unless you want to talk to someone who does not know their ass from their elbow or what have you! Hell, my 95 year old Grandmother could have given me the same incoherent information! Sorry G.
Now, I'm in pretty good shape and do not mind walking, but speed walking to work is not the way I want to start my morning off!
And another little shitty discovery on be half of the lovely changes made to the "system" why or why when heading towards Emeryville on the 57 you now have to get off walk almost 10 minutes to catch another bus just to take you over the hill. Really!!!! and by the way there was no indication as to where the next bus was... no bus stop... nothing!
Seriously, these inapt morons at AC Transit could not think about the logic behind adding another line to do the job of one bus! Its only 1 and a half miles.. what was the gas really that important that some Einstein said "hey I know, why not make two lines that would cost us more money to do the work of one bus.... even though it is only an extra 1 down the F***ing road" really AC Transit it did not make a difference!
Again, I walked all the way over the ramp to my destination.
SO as for the changes that where suppose to make bus riders lives much easier when getting from place to place... I give the 49 2 middle fingers and AC transit as a whole a complete F in service, quality and the shitty attitude some (not all the drivers have)! AC TRANSIT YOUR A JOKE and buses in Third world countries have a better system and that is really sad!!!!! AC Transit Your a Joke in this Town!
AC transit needs to get it together and realize that there are a lot of people who need to rely on the buses to get from a & b because:
A: The economy has left some of us in need to make a choice between gas or food.
B. A person simply does not want to own and/or responsibility of owning a car, plus the car payments and gas and maintenance. Also, for some environmental reasons---It is funny AC transit has fuel efficient buses, yet they make so many people revert to buying a car! go figure! SO THAT BLOWS YOUR AUTHORITY SYSTEM THROUGH THE OZONE!
C. Your a youth therefore not old enough to drive a car or elderly, too old to drive a car and can barely see over the steering wheel, because you went from 5 "8" back in 1982 to 4'5' currently, or your license has been taken away at the DM because the person thought 25 miles in the fast lane was FAST!!! therefore not able to drive.
D. AC transit has three scheduled times, let me break it down for the general public:
1. 5 minutes on time, which means if you get to the bus stop at the time it says on the printed schedule, YOU'VE missed the bus!.
2. 15 minutes late or the one I recently saw and called a cab! it said 175 minutes for next 18 ac transit! this was at 8 pm in downtown Oakland!
3. NO show at all! Need I explain??? Have a twenty in your wallet and a number for a local cab company or your walking shoes!
P.S. http://Translink.org is a complete joke too! 98% of the time I attempted to add value to my translink card.... "Error Occured!" Really! well hell the buses are a piece of shit, the schedule times--aka no show or late as hell-- are laughable.... Is it no surprise that the Website to add Value to your card failed as well.... NOPE!
No Value here.... all crap! on wheels and in the system! -
Review from David L.
4/6/2010
Quality: 2
Value: -
I have a Berkeley AC transit pass since I'm a student, and it's definitely been very useful. The AC Transit itself, however, definitely needs a lot of work. Buses rarely follow the schedule, and I've had numerous instances where I've waited nearly a half hour without the bus arriving (52L). The Nextbus displays for the 1/1R stops are nice, but they're not always accurate. For instance, sometimes they'll say that a bus is coming in 50 minutes, but there's actually one coming in 25 minutes before that one. However, they are more or less right about three quarters of the time, especially the one at the BART station.
Adult tickets are $2, which are pretty expensive. If it weren't already included in my mandatory registration fees, I'd probably just bring my own car up and pay the $75/month parking. -
Review from Kelsey E.
7/9/2008
I hate you I hate you I hate you. Did I mention I hate you? Cause I do!
4 years of being a Berkeley student and I'm so over AC transit. If only having a car was convenient in the bay! There is absolutely no point in looking at the schedules since they are never on time. And, my personal favorite is when they are almost on time, and then randomly stop for longer than they should at every stop because they are "ahead of schedule." I almost missed a train because of this and got some SERIOUS attitude from the lady driver when I asked her why she was stopping for no reason.
And hey driver, don't accelerate so freakin hard when someone with baggage just steps on, unless perhaps you're trying to make them fall on everyone. And no, hairy smelly man, do not grab the hand railing above my head. I don't want your armpit in my face. And no, freshman, you need to hold on to something because your balance isn't that good. Get off your cell phone and hold on!
Uh, I'm over it. -
Review from Tracy Y.
Oakland, CA
11/11/2005
Sometimes I get home via BART, sometimes i use AC Tranist...
ACT is better than BART when:
- you can get a seat on the super comfy "express" buses
- you don't want to wrap yourself in laytex before sitting down or touching anything.
ACT sucks because:
- it's just as expensive as BART to get me home but takes longer.
- People can (and DO) use thier cell phones.
- My bus runs every 15 minutes during commute hours ONLY.
- I can only buy the 10 ride passes at 2 places.
BTW - I'd rather walk than get on an AC tranist local bus: long waits, totally expensive, loud people. Just walk - you'll feel better. -
Review from Pivbo H.
Oakland, CA
12/5/2009
I was just laying on the floor in my office and looking at what I guess must be beard dandruff on the floor, so then I decided I should do some pushups (30) and then got a boner (it left a dickprint on the padded carpet). I needed to wash my hands so I could adjust my boner, and when I did, it was like disgusting black chemical sludge being rinsed off a mallard by Dawn dishsoap in Prince William Sound.
I'm certain the sludge came from the 40 and 72 buses. I guess it's possible that it came from waiting around for those buses for 70 combined minutes on a weekday. Filth gathers in weird ways. I can't prove all of this for sure, but I called the helpline and the guy was pretty skeptical about everything I just wrote.
If you've ever been to New York and expect the Bay Area transit system to even remotely remind you of those good old days back East, you're fucking insane. These buses take forever, and the idiotic residents who have been riding them for their entire lives also have no idea how to board a bus and put money into that fucking monolith thing with the dollar bill sign on it. It's tard. On a pos note, the drivers seem pretty nice, except when they pull the bus over to talk on their cell phones on Foothill Blvd for 10 minutes. Did you know that you can't just walk into the Hell's Angels clubhouse?
So here's my current situation: remember that boner that left a print on my carpet at work? Well, I still have a boner, and it might be the same one I had earlier. Shit life. -
Review from Eric G.
Berkeley, CA
4/27/2010
They cut my bus line. Now I have to walk 8 blocks. Now a 20 minute trip now takes 50 minutes. Screw you with a pointy stick AC Transit.
Minus one big fat point for the energy efficient but shrieking loud whistling busses.
Minus one point for the dumbass 25 line, that runs backwards on itself, with cockamamy signs on the busses with circles and lots of words that true to lure you onto the wrong bus. I've seen so many people hop on and off that bus because it's going the wrong way. I asked the driver this morning and I don't think HE knew where he was going.
Minus 50 points for coming early. Minus 20 points for coming late. My favorite is when two of the same bus are riding bumper to bumper. That's a clear sign that somebody fucked up.
Bite me.
