10 Questions with Station Agent Robert Parks
The BART Communications team is starting a new series called “10 Questions,” in which we ask BART employees questions about BART and life. To kick things off, we’d like to introduce you to Robert Parks, a longtime Station Agent who greets every patron with a smile. Dressed in a button-down shirt and tie, Parks is often the first BART employee riders see when they’re getting on the train at Downtown Berkeley or El Cerrito del Norte stations. A longtime BART employee, Parks discussed everything from Pinochle – a game that’s not just for older people, he said – and why he loves working at Downtown Berkeley Station (Hint: It’s busy). The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
How long have you worked for BART?
I started here June 2006.
What’s your role at BART?
I’m a Station Agent. It entails a lot of things. We are the frontline; we help customers with whatever they need.
If you can remember, what is your earliest memory of riding the trains?
That goes back to probably the 1970s. I got my teaching credential from UC Berkeley, and I’d catch BART to the Downtown Berkeley Station. It was really convenient. I would get dressed, get on BART, and not have to worry about anything, especially parking in the city.
What’s something that might surprise us about your job?
Nothing surprises me anymore.
Name your favorite BART station or route and why.
I don’t know if I can say I have a favorite. But I think before the pandemic, it would have been Downtown Berkeley. I say that because I like to be busy, and this is a busy station, and there’s lots of people going to the airport. There’s tons of interaction with people all the time.
What do you typically do to pass the time on the train?
When I’m on the train, I pick up my phone and play Pinochle. It’s a card game. A lot of people think it’s an older person’s game, but I learned at 12 years old.
I also love to write. I started to do that now. I like to stay busy, I can’t just sit around.
What’s on your desk besides your computer?
We have our memos, phones, calendars, printers, calculators. We also have masks now.
If you acquired a decommissioned legacy BART car, what would you transform it into?
If I had one, I’d turn it into a library for schoolkids. The reason I’d do that is I’ve been around the school system for quite a while (Parks used to be a schoolteacher). I’d definitely want to do something with kids and learning. I’d provide books and educational materials to help with tutoring, too.
Here’s your chance to brag. What’s something cool about BART you’d like to highlight?
There are some interesting people that work at BART. As you go around from different stations, I meet lots of fascinating people. They’re doing really cool things outside of BART – there’s singers, there are artists, and just people who are doing great stuff.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned at BART?
For one, how to deal with people. People are different, and you must be able to appreciate their differences. You have to deal with them on their own terms, their own personalities.