It’s another “Spare the Air Day” in the Bay Area, as the heat wave and consequent increased pollution continues. On such days, most mass transit is free, including regional systems CalTrain and BART.

So I hopped on CalTrain at the 22nd St. station in San Francisco (pictured) [list of stations and map] — a somewhat strange dead zone underneath the 280 freeway, deep in a culvert, with trains plunging in and out of tunnels, but at least it’s shady. And we’re all about shade on a hot day like this.

Unfortunately, trains were delayed by an accident in San Mateo at 7:35 a.m. when a man walking near the tracks was struck. No suicide, he was just walking along. People do walk beside the tracks, which are convenient shortcuts for some; and some homeless people live beside the railroad tracks, as poor people do all over the world.

So I rode to Redwood City, but had to take a later shuttle to my job east of the freeway in the world’s shadiest office park.

Time I arrived at 22nd St. station: 8:45 a.m.
Time I arrived at work in an office park near Redwood City: 10:25 a.m.

Related posts:

1. Baby Boom
2. Cyclist hits Caltrain?
3. Caltrain to Palo Alto
4. Auto body repair, train tracks, palm tree
5. A block too far