We take the on ramp for I-880 and head for Treasure Island.
“Dad, when we pulled out of the hotel parking lot, did you see that black sedan pull out a few cars behind us?”
“Uh, no, why?”
“Well, I just saw it in the visor mirror and the black sedan got on the ramp 4 cars back.”
“How can you tell, there have to be thousands of black sedans in this city?”
“This one has the license plate Batman, I mean it was 228626, which spells out Batman on the telephone.”
“Great Scott, I mean Nancy that is an awesome observation. How did you know that 228626 spells Batman?”
“It is the passcode on my smartphone, I needed something easy to remember and how much cooler could it be than Batman?”
“You’re right, that is an awesome passcode.”
“Well, cool license plate or not, let’s make sure we are being followed.”
Using techniques learned from watch classic spy shows like “The Man from Uncle” and “Get Smart,” I verify that we are being followed. The car always stays 4-5 cars back, but when I slow or change lanes, they do as well.
“Nancy, I have an idea, take the exit for the Colosseum BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station and we can ditch the SUV and take the train into Oakland and then a bus from there to Treasure Island.”
“Great idea, can you gather up all our supplies and throw them into the bag of jawea?”
“Way ahead of you dad, we are all set. Drop the SUV in front of the train station and we can go through the rapid pass and get on the first train and figure out the transfers to get us down town.”
“Perfect.”
Our plan works perfectly. Nancy and I ditch the car, though we luckily got a spot in the front row and head into the station. Just as we enter, thousands of people are going the other way as it appears the “A’s” game just finished up and people are heading back to their cars on their way home. Looking back, I see the Batman sedan pull up right behind the SUV and ditch their car as well. It looks like a man and a woman are following us.
“Nancy, did you see the man and woman exit the sedan and try to follow us?”
“Yes, he is just over 6 feet tall and she is right around 5 foot 6.”
“How do you know?”
‘Well, those cement block we ran past that make up the wall of the station and 2 foot by 4 foot and he was just over 3 blocks tall and she was right around 2 and ¾ blocks tall, elementary my dear dad.”
We use our Sacajawea dollars in the rapid pass and jump on the first train leaving.
“Nancy, I do not see the man and woman on this train, I think we lost them.”
“I agree, no one got on this car when we did and I never saw them in the rapid pass lane, so I don’t think they could have gotten tickets fast enough to get on this train.”
“Let’s get off in three exits and then double back one just to be sure and then catch the bus to Treasure Island.”
“Great plan, thank goodness for mass transit.”