Obituary: 20-Columbus, an Exclusive Club (2007-2009) 12.03.09
Photo by Jeremy Brooks
Our week continues with obituaries written by you, dear riders, in memory of the Muni lines that are being eliminated this Saturday. Dates for the death of these lines changed several times, giving many of you the chance to really think up a good obituary for your favorite line. Rider Whole Wheat Toast penned this obituary for the 20-Columbus with a note to the line’s history.
The 20-Columbus, also known by its name as the 20-line, died in
OctoberNovember December.The 20-Columbus was born on July 2, 2007, as a result of the disastrous discontinuation of the 15-Third, which rendered indirect connections from Columbus Avenue to the Financial District. Not only did the route serve residents of North Beach, it also served commuters from the Marina, and students at the nearby Galileo High School. While often empty at times, it was a pretty fast way to get from Galileo to the Embarcadero Center whenever a student wanted to take his friends out for shopping after school, or as an alternative to the stuffy 30-Stockton bus.
On
October 15November TK, 2009 December 4, 2009, the 20-Columbus was discontinued with no regard to the residents and people who use the route every day, and was replaced by a rush hour, longer-vehicle service known as the 41-Union, which also had its share of cuts, being reduced from a Presidio-Downtown route to a Pacific Heights-Downtown route.May the 20-Columbus rest in peace.
from Whole Wheat Toast
Here at Muni Diaries, we love stories about Muni experiences that make your day. Rider Andrew sent this recap of how the drivers of the 20-Columbus can brighten a morning:
On no Muni line were the drivers as consistently friendly as 20-Columbus. Smiles, “good morning!”s, and perfect curb-loading stops, year-round. When I once asked why, the driver responded, “Well, all the passengers are nicer on the 20, too.”
And how true that was! Travel options abound from my stop — Hyde and North Beach — to the business district, and the daft among us would snatch whichever was quickest, usually (and, now, forevermore) the 10-Townsend and 30-Stockton.
But we 20-Columbus riders were a self-selected bunch, those with the foresight and experience to avoid the 10-Yuppie and the 30-Pink Bag. Those with the spare four morning minutes to walk from the Transamerica Building — “the outskirts” — to our soulless cubes. Those with some long-buried childhood love of the smile from the driver, the nod from fellow passengers, and the ample legroom.
Oh, the legroom. You see, the 20-Columbus was articulated, and empty, at an unsurpassed rate, which tends to eliminate nearly every major rider complaint. There were no jars of urine, no screaming children. No unbathed patrons. No chatty Cathys, no Muni DJs. No Two-Seat-Takin’, Big-Balls-Havin’ guys, although if there were, no biggie!
So, 20-Columbus, your drivers and passengers will miss you, and we thank you. For your solitary mornings, for your easygoing clientele, and, above all, for showing us that, yes, human decency extends past the curb.
from Andrew
If you’re curious about the history of this short-lived line, check out California Beat’s obituary for the 20-Columbus.
Obituary: Farewell 7-Haight, I hardly knew you. Seriously, like, where were you? 12.02.09
Photo by Flickr user napolifd
Violence on Muni has once again been on our minds lately, seeing this week’s stabbing on the J. As much as we wish these weren’t the stories to remember Muni by, some of the things that happen on Muni are regrettable. Muni rider Gordo sent in this obit for the 7:
I once got punched in my shoulder riding the good ol’ no. 7. It didn’t matter to the random assaulter that I was wearing a sling on that arm after breaking my shoulder two weeks prior. the guy just laughed and then jumped off at the next stop. oh no. 7 I’ll miss you and your unprovoked acts of violence.
And Muni rider Rob Nagle had this to say about the 7:
Today, among other lines, the 7-Haight will no longer be with us. In an effort to save money, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will discontinue the 7-Haight along with seven other lines.
As for the 7-Haight, it’s a good bet no one will notice. I can’t remember the last time I’d even seen a 7-Haight let alone ride one. I live on Haight Street and usually get a 6-Parnassus or 71-Haight-Noriega whenever I need to catch a bus. Even if I’m not riding the bus, the 6 and the 71 are all I usually see when I’m out and about on my block. That is until Sept. 25 when I saw two heading downtown within an hour of each other while I was doing laundry on a Friday night (I know, laundry on a Friday night? = lame). “There goes my angle for the obit,” I thought to myself, regretting the fact I had put it off.
But the truth is the 7-Haight was a rare sight. I’ve definitely ridden one from time to time, but it’s been at least three years since I did. I thought it had already been discontinued. I work at a newspaper that covers Muni all the time and remembered something about service changes to the 7 a while back. As it turns out, it was just a service reduction that I remembered. In September 2005, service on the 7-Haight and two other lines were curtailed, one of which – the 4-Sutter – is also dying.
A search on the rarely spotted 7 reveals two reviews on Yelp, one good and one bad, but one helps explain perhaps why I’ve so rarely seen the 7. “I used to hate the 7-Haight – but now I love the 7-Haight. It only runs at rush hour, they use the big double buses, it’s normally nearly empty in both directions, so there are many seats to choose from, and it’s faster than the 6 Parnassus,” opines one Yelper. If it’s true the 7 only ran during rush hour that would explain why I never saw it. Of course, the night I saw two was after rush hour but this is Muni we’re talking about, so making sense is not necessary.
The other reviewer’s sentiments probably help speak to reasons the 7 is no longer with us when he writes “The 7-Haight is a horrible bus line. It probably used to be really important and iconic and old school, but since Muni added the 6-Parnassus, 71-Haight/Noriega and 71L Haight-Noriega Limited, the 7 serves absolutely no purpose.”
So, farewell 7-Haight, according to Yelp, half of the time you were awesome and half of the time you totally sucked, but a .500 record isn’t a terrible thing. Those that actually rode you may miss you, but me, I feel I barely knew you.
Be sure to read California Beat’s obituary for the 7-Haight.
All this week we are running eulogies written by you, dear riders, to honor the Muni lines that are being eliminated this Saturday. Come back tomorrow for more stories in memory of these lines.
Decorate a Muni Streetcar for the Holidays 12.02.09
All photos by Flickr user Telstar
Rider Todd sent us these fantastic photos of Market Street Railway volunteers decorating Muni street cars for the holidays. The volunteers decorated the Milan 1818 and New Orleans 952 streetcars last weekend at the Geneva yard with loads of ornaments, wreaths, and garlands.
The other day when I saw an F train with a little green wreath on its nose, I kind of squealed like a little girl. So thanks, Todd, for the photos!
See the rest of Todd’s photos from last weekend’s Muni holiday decoration party.
Obituary: 89-Laguna Honda 12.01.09
Photo by octoferret
Continuing our tribute to the Muni lines going out of service this Saturday, here’s a shorty-but-sweetie from Inner Richmond rider Adam:
89 Laguna Honda.
Your obituary should be as short as you.
Regular contributor Whole Wheat Toast had this story to tell about the 89:
I just remembered that I happened to ride the 89 one time. Although that would be an unlikely route a young able-bodied person would ride when they can just walk, (and no I don’t volunteer over there), I rode the 89 just for fun.
It was one Sunday afternoon. I learned that there were goats hanging around the Laguna Honda Hospital area. Naturally, I would go and get some pictures of those natural lawn-mowers.
All of a sudden, I saw some of the goats getting rounded up. I wondered where they were going, and by the time I found out what was happening, it was too late.
I ran/walked to Forest Hill Station and boarded the 89 bus. Pretty nice bus route, being the shortest route in the city, and I think there was one or two other people that were elderly on the bus.
So off the bus went. Our first stop was at the hospital entrance. The one or two elderly got off, and I continued up to the parking lot of the hospital. That’s where I got off and looked for a way into the forest to find the goats. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find them, and I had to leave because I didn’t want to get detained for trespassing. Or can’t you?
Anyway, before I realized there was no direct way back to Forest Hill Station other than through Woodside and Idora, I hopped back on the 89. Same driver. Same bus. “You board the wrong bus?” the driver chuckles. I said I was just…erm…goat-hunting?
Well, even though that was my only ride on the 89, it was still a good experience. Well, at least I hardly knew ye, number Eighty-Nine. Rest in peace.
Do these obituaries jog your memory of stories that happened on these lines? Share it here on Muni Diaries.
Obituary: 4-Sutter, You’re the One Who Got Away (1979-2009) 12.01.09
All art from Muni brochure dated Aug. 29, 1979
Ed note: The brochures above came to us via longtime San Francisco resident and transit enthusiast Randy Alfred, who has kept an amazing record of transit documents dating from the early 1970s. He says he kept them around because “ephemera are always interesting to historians and collectors. They illuminate the fine detail of daily life years ago.” Look for more Muni documents from days gone past from Randy’s collection in the coming weeks on Muni Diaries.
All this week we are running eulogies written by you, dear riders, to honor the Muni lines that are being eliminated this Saturday. Here’s my own eulogy for poor 4-Sutter, which runs very close to my apartment. — Eugenia
Bus number 4, remember the smile I’d give you when you’d sidle up to me at the bus stop? You liked to say, “Almost always late, but definitely worth the wait!” I didn’t know how good you were to me until now, when you’re gone from my life. I always think about the times when we’d skip down Sutter street, hand-in-hand, on our way to another shopping spree in Union Square (who else accompanies a girl so willingly to the mall?)
And you’d give me a ride back home after another night out with my girl friends, no matter how many cocktails I’ve had. You never seemed to care that, at that point in the night, I was always too drunk to make conversation with you. Sometimes I’d even put my face right up to the open window to get some air, and you never even said I was weird or anything.
On bus number 4, I never knew how good I had it until you decided to leave. You know what they say? You’re the one who got away.
@Margosita sent us this photo today via Twitter:
12/1 photo: My last ride on the 4
We’re not the only ones with soon-to-be-defunct Muni lines on our minds. California Beat ran an excellent obituary of their own for the 4-Sutter earlier this week. Stay tuned tomorrow for more obituaries from riders who took this opportunity to commemorate these lines.
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