Using Public Transit To Make Your Getaway Doesn't Usually Work

A bank robber escaped from a Chinatown heist into BART's underground tunnels, forcing part of the system to shutdown for four hours.

1 minute read

November 17, 2004, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Although bank robbers often use public transit when attempting to flee, Monday's escape was the first time in recent memory that a suspect appeared to roam through BART's underground tunnels, spokesman Linton Johnson said.

Public transportation -- including BART trains, taxis and buses -- has long been a popular mode of attempted escape by bank robbers. On Oct. 15, Darius Shadzad, 34, tried to escape on BART after robbing a downtown Berkeley bank but was foiled after a dye-pack exploded in the station, police said. Instead, he was arrested on an AC Transit bus.

'Bad guys trying to use BART as an escape tool almost always get caught,' Johnson said. 'If they get on the train, they're trapped. We can stop the train.' "

Thanks to Chris Steins

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 in The San Francisco Chronicle

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

construction near Boston, with machinery digging at large pit.

Mass. votes against statewide minimum lot size for single-family homes

Over 2 million residents voted on Question 7; it was decided by just over 30,000 votes.

November 10 - GBH

A bridge over the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Maryland’s $15 billion bridge project gains key approval

The Maryland Transit Authority said the project will create over 60,000 jobs and add $23 billion to the local economy.

November 10 - WTOP News

A crowd of people cheering for an unseen performer.

‘No clear next steps’ for Chicago's permanent festival grounds

Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee has suggested Soldier Field as a possible location for the permanent event space.

November 10 - Chicago Sun Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.