On the down side, it's still hot and, eeeegh, it looks really gross out. On the up side -- free BART! As part of the Spare the Air program, BART is working with the nine-county Bay Area Metropolitan Transit Commission to encourage people to take public transportation instead of driving on hot muggy days, which decreases the level of smog in the air. (check out that nasty smog in the picture; it makes us cough just to look at it). BART is getting reimbursed $2 million to offer free rides for the first five Spare the Air days declared this summer -- and yesterday was the first one for 2004. Today's the second. (There have been 174 Spare the Air days since the program was started in 1991; 1996 was the haziest year, with 26 days declared).

Trying not to increase the problem, BART is also encouraging people not to drive to the BART stations if they can help it, and is offering free valet bike parking at five stations (Dublin/Pleasanton, North Berkeley, downtown Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and the Embarcadero). And BART officials say that most people have been very pleased with the program. Not all, though: Some folks are upset that they had already gone ahead and bought a ticket and couldn't get it refunded. One station agent said, "I told them they could keep the ticket and use it next time. That wasn't good enough. Some people will never be happy."