Bay Area workers charged for building secret apartments inside train stations
Bay Area transit officials face felony charges after allegedly using public funds to convert disused Caltrain station offices into hidden mini‑apartments for their own use. Commenters weigh admiration for the ingenuity and low construction cost against the seriousness of embezzling public money and bypassing oversight. The incident is used to highlight broader issues in San Francisco housing and infrastructure: extreme construction and permitting costs, NIMBY zoning, powerful unions, and a public sector seen as both wasteful and unable to deliver affordable housing at scale.
Ethics of the Secret Apartments
- Many find the project impressive for its ingenuity, frugality, and devotion; others stress that it is still clearly wrong because it misused public funds for private benefit.
- Some view the squatting aspect as relatively victimless, especially in unused space, and say they would “not be mad” if it had been built with personal funds.
- Pushback emphasizes that these were private accommodations for a few individuals, not shared staff facilities, and that one worker was a high-paid deputy director, not priced-out low income.
Legal Framing: Misuse of Public Funds vs Squatting
- Clarification that charges are for misusing/embezzling public funds, not for unpermitted construction or simple trespass.
- Debate over whether it counts as “constructing housing for themselves” since the property legally remained with the agency.
- Several commenters explain embezzlement/misuse concepts: redirecting public money or work time away from authorized purposes is criminal even if the asset remains on agency property.
Housing Costs, Inequality, and Democracy
- Thread repeatedly contrasts $50k DIY conversions with ~$900k/unit “affordable housing” and seven‑figure public toilets, using this as evidence of systemic dysfunction, corruption, or perverse incentives.
- Some tie this to broader critiques of Bay Area democracy, short-termism, NIMBYism, and the “slum for rich people” dynamic that excludes lower earners while depending on their labor.
- Others argue corruption and bad outcomes are not unique to any single “-ism”.
Transit, Urban Form, and Commuting
- Subthread on whether high housing costs force long commutes from cheaper regions, and whether employers should pay commuting costs or higher localized wages.
- Extended debate on mass transit vs cars: density requirements, cultural resistance in the U.S., comparisons with Tokyo and European cities, and whether Americans would adapt to more walkable, transit-centric living.
Government Waste, Unions, and Construction Costs
- Many contrast the small apartment budgets with notoriously bloated Bay Area public projects (housing, toilets, trash cans, rail systems).
- Some blame unions, permitting, CEQA-style reviews, and anti-prefab rules for driving per-unit costs into the hundreds of thousands, while others emphasize land prices and zoning.
- There is disagreement over whether labor is the primary cost driver versus land, regulation, and political processes.
Comparisons to Other Hidden Spaces
- Commenters reference similar “secret” dwellings: underground bunkers in parks, hidden mall apartments, a “man cave” under Grand Central, and Parisian and London examples.
- These stories are framed as guerrilla responses to unaffordable housing or bureaucratic neglect, sometimes punished harshly (e.g., long sentences for dubious “improvised firearm” charges).
Future of the Station Apartments
- Unclear what Caltrain will do with the spaces: possibilities raised include official staff use, public rental, or demolition.
- Some suggest that, in principle, such on‑site units could provide legitimate operational benefits (rested staff, on‑call response), but acknowledge that this does not excuse how these ones were built.