BlackFridayWatch.com

Bart doesn't run after midnight. Think about that one for a second. It's not just a matter of hassling out who the designated driver's going to be, you can't so much as go to a late movie and feel safe you're going to catch the last train across the Bay. And if you miss the last train, it's the TransBay Express (a sort-of-hourly bus) for you.

That said, I want to be a Bart driver when I grow up. I think the time has come to acknowledge our informative and amiable Bart conductors. Today I was especially attuned to how the drivers always announced the upcoming stop and the next stop and always leaned out of the window, at least creating the impression if nothing else that they're keeping an eye on their passengers.

Here's to you men and women of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District...

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Obviously, the lack of a nap was making me cranky...okay, crankier than usual. I headed back down into the Powell Street Bart station.

Well. I guess I'm not the only one ready to head back home.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back on Market Street, I floundered around in Old Navy. This time I spoke to a woman who said she was the "Old Navy Market Street general manager." I add the skepticism here because (despite her being accommodating and friendly) everything else this person said was about how this was The Best Day Ever!

She didn't even acknowledge that it rained this morning...and like every other person I spoke to, no, I could not take a picture...meh.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I stood in line for H & M for a while. These folks told me (I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in the world who didn't know this) that this store just opened in San Francisco two weeks ago, and it's "big in New York."

Then I made my way back to Market Street. And it was not easy sledding those couple blocks because there were more people than the sidewalks could handle. I don't know. For the most part everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I'll point out that I kept my eyes open for protesters, but I gave up after the second time my attention focused on a picket that turned out to say something like, "Follow Me For Savings!"

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This store was the big winner on Union Square. While there was no waiting to get into Macy's, Rasputin's, or the Mac Store, this place had a line of people happily waiting and shuffling along in a line as long as a city block.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On one hand, the uncompleted Bart tunnels made a cameo in the film THX1138 and the rapid transit district does have a useful site, but a round trip ticket to San Francisco from across the Bay is more than US$5.

At the Disney Store in Union Square, I spoke to a greeter about the day. He said that all in all it was a fine day. Essentially, his attitude was that it definitely beat digging ditches, but mostly he had to restack the plush toys. It made him wonder if the store stacked the toys precariously on purpose, so you knock one over, then it has your attention, then you buy it.

Fair enough, I said. I noticed another greeter paying very close attention to what we were talking about while pretending not to.

It's only my second day, he said.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This afternoon I took a trip to the West Bay (also known as "San Francisco") on Bay Area Rapid Transit (or BART). I went to Union Square, saw some extraordinarily cheerful shoppers, visited stores, talked with empoyees and managers ("no, you can't take a picture in here") -- all under the most pleasant, crisp autumnal weather.

...but people still complained about the rain this morning. By the way, according to the National Weather Service we had light rain and temperatures around sixty. According to me, it rained for about an hour around nine. Don't get me wrong: I'm no hero. Rain's a natural disaster's how I see it

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For someone supposed to cover San Francisco, it's about time I actually entered the city limits. Union Square is both bustling and has its own Wifi node. No wireless network detection software was needed. I just plopped down, opened my notebook and was asked if I would accept the terms for the UnionSquareWireless Network. Yes. Yes, I would.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here're a few tools I've been using so far today. This list will help people who want to avoid creating stuff that looks like mine:

- Sony Cybershot 5 megapixel MPEG Movie VX camera
- Apple Macintosh PowerBook G4 computer
- Photoshop CS image processing software
- JiWire WiFi HotSpot Finder software
- Honda Civic Hybrid vehicle
- "Assination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell book on CD
- Leftover pumpkin pie

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Baffled by the lack of foot traffic on the usually bustling Fourth Street in Berkeley I sought out a fourth street StoreManager for insight.

Me: (surveying well-known yet empty store): Where is everybody?
StoreManager: I don't know. I thought it was going to be a big day. But we didn't count on the rain.
Me: I was over in Emeryville earlier and it's packed. But those are, you know like the big chain stores.
SM: Really? Was it raining?
Me: No, not so much...mind if I get a picture of you?
SM (sheepishly): Yeah, well, you see you can't. Actually, we're owned by Starbucks.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Uh oh. Rain." »

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Emeryville, California? Why it's across the bay from San Francisco, nestled between west Berkeley and Oakland. Once Emeryville became an incorporated municipality it offered tax breaks that have turned much of the factory land (not all, not all) into retail space.

When it got the Bay Area's first IKEA people made money off campers waiting to go buy stuff at the blue box.

There are three different outdoor and indoor shopping malls. Someone who knows more than me about such stuff would probably have some insights about rapid growth and malls. I imagine this conversation has happened more than once:

The new mall? Oh, you mean the old mall.

What about the old mall?

The old mall? Oh, they re-did that. It's the new mall.

The shopping mall part of Emeryville is actually a pretty small part of the little town's footprint. It's still home to many artists, small businesses, a sake factory, and Fantasy Records (a huge jazz label and John Fogerty litigant). Heck, even AmTrak stops at Emeryville.

It's hard to keep track with which part of Emeryville is The New Mall. My money's on the outdoor mall that is actually an indoor mall without a roof (you have to park in the pay lot). It's got chain stores and restaurants and a multiplex movie theatre (that competes with the theatre in the old mall, or is it the oldest mall...old old mall? See?). The problem is I don't know if there'd be any pedestrians at all (and most days there aren't many), if you didn't have to park over in the lot and then walk down the "street" to windowshop.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My neighbor left at four AM. That should have tipped me off. Of course, she manages a retail store, so that's why she got a head start.

In Emeryville, CA, not only did customers line up at the cash register, they were lined up outside waiting for OfficeMax, Circuit City, and Toys 'R Us to open.

I asked a woman how long she'd been waiting. She said, "Too long." And stared at the ground.

The only person who asked me anything said, "When are they opening?"

Most customers were stilll prowling for parking spaces. I don't know what the people in the two different fender-benders were waiting for once they realized they just got in a car accident.

Posted by Matthew Margolin at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)