Regarding “Decline in riders as BART struggles” (May 10): According to this article, BART is seeing declining ridership, still has issues around safety, cleanliness, and fare cheating, and is considering raising fares by over 5% next year.

And yet some of its workers, among the best compensated in this country, are allowed to double or triple their salaries into six digits with extensive overtime pay.

As someone who uses public transit on a daily basis and doesn’t get paid extra no matter how many hours I work, I think this entire situation is outrageous. BART needs a complete overhaul, all the way from its management to its janitors.

Felicia Charles, Millbrae

Noisy BART trains

While the BART directors have a firm grasp on the obvious ills of the system — unpoliced, creepy and sometimes violent passengers, filth and fare evasion — they miss my main complaint: noise. Any old rock musician can tell you that loud noise contributes to hearing loss.

As a hearing-impaired person, I must avoid BART whenever possible. Why should we citizens believe that BART is qualified to go into the real estate development business, when it can’t even manage its core mission? True believers in transit-oriented development should get a clue from European cities.

Construction of housing should follow transit that is already in place. Vice versa won’t happen.

Amelia Marshall, Oakland

Tipping arcane practice

The writer of “Remember to tip drivers” (Letters, May 10) tongue-lashes those who do not tip their Uber and Lyft drivers. Despite all of their best efforts to break the mold of traditional transportation models, they still can’t seem to get away from the arcane practice of tipping, which is really an undeclared fee.

Whether it’s car rides, restaurants, hair salons or any other service, when tipping is seen as mandatory, it is no longer a tip. It’s not that I mind paying the fee (I always tip, except for the Lyft driver who got lost). I just resent the sleight-of-hand approach. Tell me what your service costs, and I will decide to pay or go elsewhere.

Don’t make your customers guess at how much you think you deserve, and then make them feel guilty if they miss the mark.

Roger Drosd, San Francisco

Climate warrior

Regarding “Rep. Ted Lieu is Trump-rebutting Twitter warrior” (May 9): He’s also a climate warrior. Kudos to Rep. Ted Lieu for standing up for truth, justice and a livable future. His consistent, positive work on climate solutions should get more attention from the press.

His early support for the Green New Deal, combined with his long-time focus on achieving 100% renewable energy, emissions reductions and improvements in efficiency standards, which protect consumers’ pocketbooks, is praiseworthy. It’s also smart. The proposed Climate Solutions Act of 2019 builds in the ability to make needed improvements via checkups with the National Academies of Sciences about the bill’s effectiveness in meeting not only its number of goals, but its climate-preservation goals.

My hope for 2020 is that Lieu will feel empowered by the people’s demand for a Green New Deal, and write a yet-bolder bill that fully meets the scientific recommendations of the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

Helena Birecki, San Francisco

A phony ploy

Concerning “TV truth serum” (Editorial, May 10): Although this newspaper is offering praise to the Trump administration for requiring that drug costs be included in TV ads, how much does it truly care about the health of American citizens?

Consider that the White House has proposed cutting Health and Human Services (HHS) funding by 12% for the 2020 fiscal year, as well as slashing Medicaid spending and allowing states to lower benefits. For those who don’t know, HHS is responsible for regulating food products and new pharmaceutical drugs, implementing the nation’s biggest health care programs (like Medicare and Medicaid), preventing the outbreak and spread of diseases, and funding some of the most important medical research in the world.

The Trump TV disclosure rule is a phony ploy to make it seem like this president is concerned about the health care of U.S. citizens.

Anthony Iannucci, Milpitas

Vaping cessation

Focusing on the concept of vaping cessation may enlighten the debate about Juul and e-cigarettes. Switching to lifelong vaping is not the desired final outcome for adult smokers, or youth who would have never smoked otherwise.

Ultimate success could be a world where products like Juul no longer need to be produced. A danger is the potential for worldwide youth nicotine addiction that may result as Juul is distributed through Altria’s global marketing outreach.

To protect children around the planet from this unregulated American product, San Francisco legislators should not allow themselves to be influenced by e-cigarette industry lobbyists fighting e-cigarette regulation, and re-focus the conversation upon the goal of vaping cessation.

John Maa, San Francisco

Extra jolt in coffee

Since a “Blue Bottle recall” (Daily Briefing, Business, May 10) is needed because coffee-can lids may detach rapidly with force when opened, causing beans to eject from the can, posing a risk of injury, here’s a suggestion: Give daredevil customers who like their coffee with a bit of extra jolt the option of purchasing Blue Bottle Jumping Coffee Beans.

Cecilia Ventigmilia, San Francisco