Extra

New: Bart Trains Filling Up Before Mehserle Verdict at 4.

By Bay City News
Thursday July 08, 2010 - 03:59:00 PM

BART officials are asking passengers -- especially those riding near the downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland stations -- to be patient with service because the trains are very full as a result of the Mehserle verdict.  

The verdict is going to be read at 4 p.m.  

"All of our trains are on time; however, they are very packed with passengers," BART spokesman Linton Johnson said. 

Noah Klein was one of the passengers trying to get on a train at the 12th Street/Oakland City Center station. 

Klein works in the Elihu M. Harris State Building in downtown Oakland, and was told to go home early after word came in that a verdict had been reached. 

"It was a mob almost," he said. "It wasn't rushing or angry or trying to push, but everyone was trying to make their way down to a train." 

He said, "everybody's pretty calm, just a little concerned."