Hundreds board BART on Valentine’s Day for speed dating event
By Amanda Hari
Some people decided to look for love in an unconventional place this Valentine’s Day. More than 200 people boarded BART’s “Valentraine” with the hope of making more than a train connection.
“I thought it would be a fun way to meet other people who also like transit,” said Akash Borde.
“Meet someone to marry on a BART train,” said Madiscon Foreman about her goal at the event.
“I had nothing better going on today,” admitted Christian Montemayor.
It was part of BART’s second annual “Valentraine,” a speed dating event that hopes to help people find love on a different type of dating platform.
Borde decided to give it a try, armed with a list of things to talk about during the ride.
“A bingo card and ice breaker questions to get to know people,” said Borde, flipping through papers he was given when he registered for the event. “And some conversation starters that look very BART themed.”
With that, he was off to get on his train and see if he could meet someone special.
There were four BART cars, each with 50 people. The ride went from the 16th and Mission station down to Millbrae and back.
On the way down to Millbrae, there was organized speed dating, four minutes to chat with the person next to you. At the sound of the bell, the person sitting on the aisle moved to the next seat.
On the way back to 16th street, people were free to mingle with whoever they wanted to talk to.
Borde says he made more connections than he can count.
“Oh yeah. I mean, I set the expectation to meet a couple cool people and I think that’s been exceeded,” said Borde. “Unclear if the dating part will be a success yet, but I feel like that’s a really high bar to clear.”
But there is still a possibility for Borde. Despite it sometimes being loud and a little rocky, he says it was worth taking a ride on the Valentraine.
“It’s a cute event,” said Borde about his experience. “I would recommend it to anyone who wants to meet some cool people, maybe not necessarily find dates. I think it’s a wholesome event with some fun people.”
