ANTIOCH (KRON) — “Every day we see something — pushing, fighting, stealing,” Bruce Samar said.
Samar takes the first train out of the Antioch BART station every morning with the same group of commuters.
Last Friday, he said they were approached by a woman who was unstable and yelling at them, spitting on them and slapping them with a phone charger.
“You don’t know when she grabbed something from her bag, what is that? maybe gun?”
Samar held her down on the ground to protect the other commuters waiting for the train.
Others called police for help after looking around the BART station and realizing they were alone.
BART officials said the Anitoch BART station has no agents working inside.
The group of commuters who were in need of help called for police, but it took them 15 minutes to arrive. BART officials said they had to come from Pittsburg.
Samar said he doesn’t feel safe at the Antioch station.
“No. Safe means you are supposed to get support from someone or somebody,” he said. “There is nobody.”
BART officials said there are supervisors who monitor and walk the Antioch station — but not at all times.
And they said there are station cameras that are frequently monitored.
When police finally arrived to the scene, Samar said he and the other commuters did not press charges or sign a statement because they needed to get to work.
The woman was arrested for vandalizing the train.
“No security,” Samar said. “If something happens here, can they come? It’s gonna be a real catastrophe.”