Update: BART Erases "Hall of Shame" Gallery

As previously reported on Akit's Complaint Department, I mentioned that BART created their own sanctioned Facebook page, featuring the "Rude Rider Hall of Shame."

There was only a couple of pictures on there of "bad" passengers, but it looks like BART has decided to back-off and placed this statement on their Facebook gallery today:

"Looking for rude riders? We've heard that not everyone is comfortable with that kind of photo sharing. We respect that, so we're leaving it to Flickr and TwitPic. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos here and, yes, we agree: it's not ok to bring aboard a full-sized mattress or leave a spilled bag of Cheetos on the seat. If you have any other ideas for photo sharing sections please let us know!"

It looks like pressure from the local bloggers (including myself) and the folks at SFist have spoken their opinions about BART doing their own sanctioned "hall of shame." Will BART spokesperson Linton Johnson try to cover-up/sugarcoat this screw-up? Who knows?

So BART Starts a Hall of Shame Photo Gallery

Word from SFist and the SF Weekly is that our beloved BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) agency has started a Facebook page and features a passenger "hall of shame" gallery.

Unfortunately, BART doesn't like bad publicity. In an attempt to post some of my "hall of shame" photos on the Facebook page, it is not possible for people who register as a "fan" to upload photos, thereby it is up to BART's discretion of what goes up and not.

I have a couple of great BART hall of shame photos, showing a Daly City Station Agent hogging TWO parking spaces on MULTIPLE occasions. See the two photos here. But I guess that since BART controls what photos goes up on their own "hall of shame," I guess BART and their little happy union won't like it if my agent "abuse of powers - hall of shame" photos gets posted there.

Unfortunately, BART is not the first to start their own "hall of shame" gallery regarding their transit agency, "BARTrage" started theirs much longer ago then the transit agency.

I even started my own hall of shame dedicated to "aggressive drivers," "idiot parking," and "parking hogs" where I snapped photos from my journeys around San Francisco (including this one I love a lot). I even started my own worldwide group called "Parking Space Hogs" with over 190 pictures from around the world.

At this point, I really have to question BART's own intention of making their own sanctioned "hall of shame gallery." Sure, in one way, it's legal ("Johns" who get arrested for soliciting for prostitution gets plastered on a billboard), but from a moral standpoint and as a quasi-government agency, I think it's also inappropriate. Leave it up to the amateurs like BARTrage, SFist, SF Weekly, and myself to nail those morons.