Hot Body 12.10.09
Photo by Flickr user Anna L Conti
I got on the 22 Wednesday afternoon at my usual stop. The bus was quiet and everyone seemed to be bundled up in all their winter clothes. I know I was cold, despite my sweater, coat, scarf and gloves. The only open seat was next to a very large woman wearing an even larger puffy jacket. I sat down next to her, and immediately started to warm up. At least, my right side did, the side that was touching her. She was atomically hot. My whole body had thawed out within seconds of sitting next to her.
And lucky me, she was riding my way.
I was nice and toasty, at least until I got off the bus.
The only thing was, the whole time I was sitting next to her she was calling Kaiser to reschedule a doctor’s appointment, so she might have been running a fever. I hope not, though.
Stay warm, fellow commuters!
Muni/SFPD fracas at Clay and Franklin 12.10.09
Muni rider Steve sends us the following dispatch:
I’ve literally no idea what’s happening here, but I’ll casually toss out some unlikely guesses: bomb scare? Bus loads of new Tiger Woods mistresses?
These were snapped on my walk to Whole Foods. On the walk back, right as I got to the corner, a cop car backed into the intersection to let all but one of the busses (all 1-California, 5 total) to pass through. Clay St was still blocked off at each end of the block by cop cars.
Anyone know?
‘Suspicious’ ‘Package’ at Montgomery Station (update) 12.10.09
Photo by Paul
Update: Paul sends this update:
Suspicious Package at Montgomery Station…now being recycled.
… along with this photo:
Hilarious, ain’t it?
Original post: Muni rider Paul sends this message of holiday cheer:
Putting a box wrapped as an Xmas gift in front of the Muni Kiosk window is one ‘festive’ way to to avoid contact with Muni customers! …..Leaves more time for this attendent to talk on the phone and file her nails! Muni’s finest….hard at work finding new innovating ways to avoid customer service ….now with a festive touch!!
Send us your Muni stories. Tell all your friends.
Major Muni Metro Malfunction in Progress (updates) 12.09.09
Photo by giannii at Muni Alerts
Update 7:37 a.m. SFMTA sent out word around 4:45 a.m. that the repairs were completed. No word yet on what caused this. Feel free to speculate.
Muni Metro service will begin normally this morning (at approx. 5:00 a.m.).Repairs to the overhead wires were completed overnight.
Update 8:10 p.m. A couple of updates, actually, both from SFMTA.
1. Additional note: Muni transfers will be honored on BART this evening within San Francisco per a mutual aid agreement between the two transit agencies.
2. Muni Service Alert
As of 7:30 p.m., Muni Metro subway service in both directions between Embarcadero and Castro stations is not expected to resume until the beginning of service on Thursday morning.
Bus shuttles continue to provide service in both directions on Market Street between Embarcadero and Castro.
SFMTA crews are repairing overhead wires on the inbound direction near Van Ness Station. The SFMTA is investigating the cause of the overhead wire problem.
No additional service updates will be provided unless the information above changes.
Update 6:53 p.m. Commenter and awesome guy Matt Baume:
Even at street level, nobody’s doing much commuting. The shuttles are packed, slow, and unpredictable. Muni has done nothing to inform riders about where to catch them or where they’re going.
Also, SFist shows a photo of station meltdown.
Original post:
Here’s the word from HQ:
Muni Service Alert
As of 5:30 p.m., the Muni subway service has been disrupted due to overhead wires being down at Van Ness Station in the inbound direction.
Muni bus shuttles are operating between Embarcadero and Castro stations.
Updates will follow.
We’ll update as well … go to street level if you want to commute.
Donkey Punch on the 22 12.09.09
Photo by Flickr user Premshree Pillai
This post from Muni rider TeeTee brings up that age-old question: to involve thyself, or not to involve thyself?
This happened a few months ago, but I just found out I could post directly, so here we go…
I volunteer south of Market, so I take the 22 on Saturdays to get to where I need to go. My man always tells me, “Don’t get involved. Just don’t get involved.” But I’m a stubborn brat, so guess what?
I got involved.
I was on the 22 Fillmore on Saturday afternoon, sitting in one of the seats right in front of the back row. Behind me, there was a couple that was arguing – LOUDLY. He was calling her every name in the book, and she just kept apologizing. I didn’t do a damn thing until I literally heard him grab her; whether it was by the throat, the arm, the leg, I don’t know. All I know is that she made a sound like she was in pain.
So I was a dumbass and decided to go ahead and get involved. “What the hell,” I thought. “I’m a volunteer. Bad things don’t happen to us!”
WRONG.
I turned around and told the guy he shouldn’t treat someone he cared about like that. He nodded at me and I turned back around. Seconds later, DONKEY PUNCH to the back of the head.
The shitty part is…it was the girl who did it.
Man. Oh. Man.
If you’ve got a Muni story, send it to Muni Diaries. Maybe we can collectively, electronically shame these meathead fucks.
Perpetual delay on the J (or, ‘a munified front’) 12.09.09
Muni rider Steve has the following gripe to lodge:
cold mornings are the best days for nextbus and muni to conspire to reinvent time-keeping, i’ve decided.
the j-church went from 8 minutes away to 3, up to 7, then 8, down to 2, then to 11, then to 5. this is when i decided to go buy gloves. when i returned to wait some more, it was 2 minutes away, then 7, then 1. then it showed up. waaaaah, technology.
of course, because of the unspecified delay, it was being closely followed by its similarly tardy brethren. anyway, from dolores park, a pic of two jays in pursuit of the lead. i like to think they are 50 feet behind, then 35, then 61, then 11.
We’ve been hearing mixed results in our unscientific polling on Muni’s service changes. What do you think?
Obituary: 53-Southern Heights … good bye, old buddy 12.09.09
Photo by Whole Wheat Toast
Yes, the SFMTA’s major service changes have happened. Riders are adjusting, some more successfully than others. But our readers are still sending us Muni obituaries. This remembrance of the 53-Southern Heights by Muni rider Alex is perhaps my favorite of them all:
I spent 52 of my 57 yrs of life ridin’ da old and reliable 53 bus. As I boarded at 16th and Mission St. at 7:40 pm on the night of Dec. 4th, I LITERALLY, took a ride down memory lane. In 1958/59 riding in a White motor coach,then in the ’60′s da Mack buses. The 1970′s rolled in the era of the GMC’s/ Jimmie’s. Community Service…and it did just that.
I defy you to un-awesome that.
Read last week’s eulogy for the 53. And if you’d like to memorialize a vanished bus route (from any time in Muni history), send it to Muni Diaries.
Photo diary: Seasonal bounty of the 44? 12.08.09
Photo by Pavani
We never get tired of photos of random shit left on Muni. Here’s the latest we received, from Muni rider Pavani:
Saw this fruit and vegetable still life in motion on the 44. It was left on the bus when the bus emptied out on California.
Seen strange things left on Muni? By all means, show and tell!
Obit-lette: 38-Geary Ocean Beach 12.08.09
Photo by Flickr user Jeremy Brooks
The 38-Geary Ocean Beach was eliminated over the weekend along with other route segments. Here’s Sara’s obituary for it.
So we took what is probably our last ride on the 38 Geary Ocean Beach line Friday night — even waited a few extra moments in the dark and cold on Geary for it, turning our noses up at an earlier bus so that we could experience that heart-warming turn off at 33rd Avenue one last time. For me and my husband, that turn means we’re going home.
I suspect a lot of Geary riders hardly knew the Ocean Beach branch line existed, or if they did it was just as that annoying occasional bus that would suddenly and inexplicably turn off of Geary, just as they were approaching the end of the line. There was always a confused scramble for the exits just after the turn as riders found themselves suddenly traveling what they obviously thought was the wrong way. And inevitably, one old guy asking plaintively “Hey, does this bus go to the VA Hospital?”
It was my favorite bus line though, because it ran right by my front door on Balboa and carried me to and from all the busy spots on Geary where I needed to be. Also, it effectively doubled the bus service on what will now be a very quiet and poorly served residential stretch of Balboa. That especially matters to me because I work a late shift downtown, and there will now be fewer options and longer waits at midnight on Market street. Standing there under the streetlight with the other late-night stragglers, I always felt like I’d hit the jackpot when I saw the “Ocean Beach” sign on the front of the approaching bus.
Sure there is a Balboa bus, but it’s not terribly frequent. As Muni helpfully points out, I can take the regular Geary bus or the Fulton– only two blocks in either direction from Balboa– but they neglect to mention the fairly daunting hills involved or the size of those blocks. And I guess now they’re offering the rather piss-poor alternative of getting off the Geary at 33rd and waiting for an infrequent 18 bus to show up and take you down Balboa. But change buses to travel 10 blocks, and at midnight no less? No.
I was pleased to see another reader eulogize this line last week, because I figured nobody else cares. I’m well aware that my desire to see it continue is pretty selfish — I was often the only rider left by the time we reached my stop. But nevertheless, I’m going to miss you, 38 Ocean Beach.
Read last week’s eulogy for the 38-Geary Ocean Beach here.
Every dark cloud has a silver (and red) paintjob 12.07.09
Photo by Flickr user ebtmikado
With all the griping, outrage, and unadulterated sorrow making the rounds as we mourn the passing of various routes and legs of routes (and rightly so, I might add), it might be worth it to note the increase in coverage and enhancements on a few of the lines.
I’m curious to know if anyone stands to benefit from any of Saturday morning’s changes. Personally, I’m looking forward to the fact the 5 Fulton now goes downtown in the evenings.
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
