tlonbart.jpgWhat was up at the Millbrae BART Station on Thursday? After you paid your fair and entered the gates there were signs stating that by being there you agreed to be in a tv commercial that was being shot there (all day with a huge cast and crew and big rigs). No warning before you paid and entered. No way to opt out. I experienced this at 10:30 am and again at 4:00 pm.

If you were at the Millbrae BART Station last Thursday, keep an eye out for any new Liberty Mutual advertising campaigns – you might be in one of their upcoming commercials!

BART Chief Communications Officer Linton Johnson told me in an email that “There was a photography shoot there for Liberty Mutual. The cast and crew comprised of some 70 people. The station is a public facility … there’s no expectation to the right of privacy in a public facility. Legally, the crew didn’t even need to warn passengers, it was done out of a courtesy. So there’s nothing to “opt” out of. Furthermore, the filming was done on an out-of-service platform using an out-of-service train. My guess is they probably put up those signs in the event that their camera lenses got a glimpse of our customers using the active platform. But again, being a public facility, nobody should expect the right to privacy.”

Hope you remembered to brush your hair on Thursday, Millbrae commuters!

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