Pigeon on BART restores faith in humanity — for at least 1 rider

A feathered fare beater boarded a BART train in the East Bay Monday morning, causing a ruckus among passengers who rallied together to get the freeloader off the car. Sarah Mason, a daily commuter to the Civic Center in San Francisco, boarded BART at the Richmond station shortly before 8 a.m. One stop later, at the El Cerrito Del Norte station, a pigeon suddenly flew in through the open doors, prompting squeals and shouts from riders as it ducked under seats, Mason said. Commuters were unsuccessful in their first attempt to shoo the bird out of the train before the doors closed. Passengers called out, “It’s over here,” said Mason, a social worker who helps people find affordable housing in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. “It was a full train effort,” Mason said of the bird’s capture and release. Mason said she had a first aid kit in her bag that included a pair of disposable gloves. The glistening pink and green neck was beautiful. Michael Gray and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers.