Comments on: A series of bad days on the L-Taraval http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=waiting-for-the-l Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:39:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kristen http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-15297 Kristen Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:36:21 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-15297 Hey - This is Kristen (yup, 'twas I who started this blog) with an update that I hope won't get the diary axed from the site. Sorry I've been away for so long. I moved out of San Francisco in January 2011, although I'm still in the Bay Area. Can you guess what part of my motivation was for the move? Yeah, I still feel your pain, though. I'm thrilled with my new commute involving another county's transit organization and BART! They almost always arrive and depart per their published schedules, so I can easily plan my time (except, of course, for the Monday intervention lately by Anon-amiss and the other lame BART protesters, who seem to believe that inconveniencing thousands of commuters who might otherwise support them is a good thing and who apparently couldn't be satisfied with just emailing the user list they stole to the BART webmaster). Whenever I think my job is hard, I'll just think about the new MUNI chief. Best of luck is all I can say. Hey – This is Kristen (yup, ’twas I who started this blog) with an update that I hope won’t get the diary axed from the site.

Sorry I’ve been away for so long. I moved out of San Francisco in January 2011, although I’m still in the Bay Area.

Can you guess what part of my motivation was for the move? Yeah, I still feel your pain, though.

I’m thrilled with my new commute involving another county’s transit organization and BART! They almost always arrive and depart per their published schedules, so I can easily plan my time (except, of course, for the Monday intervention lately by Anon-amiss and the other lame BART protesters, who seem to believe that inconveniencing thousands of commuters who might otherwise support them is a good thing and who apparently couldn’t be satisfied with just emailing the user list they stole to the BART webmaster).

Whenever I think my job is hard, I’ll just think about the new MUNI chief. Best of luck is all I can say.

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]]> By: another rider http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-12059 another rider Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:00:19 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-12059 Why you only have one train coming and going on rush hour? Have those trains every 5 minutes. By the time you get to Montgomery Station to the Sunset everyone is in a train like sardines. By the time a traing gets to 19th Ave going down town; people won't fit. Why you only have one train coming and going on rush hour? Have those trains every 5 minutes. By the time you get to Montgomery Station to the Sunset everyone is in a train like sardines.

By the time a traing gets to 19th Ave going down town; people won’t fit.

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]]> By: Kristen L http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6591 Kristen L Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:37:49 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6591 Monday, 3/15, 8:20 a.m., 46th/Vicente. One-car train even though it's rush hour; by 19th Ave., it's jam-packed SRO. 6:50 p.m., Embarcadero M-J-K-K-L (7 p.m.) All one car trains. Tuesday, 3/16, 8:10 a.m. I manage to catch a two-car inbound amid a series of one-car trains. Nervous because by 32nd it's still fairly empty, so I wonder if they changed the destination display on the outside. Inside it still says SF Zoo. It goes all the way downtown. Twilight Zone Weird. 7 p.m., Embarcadero. Wait is somewhat long; the real frustration, though, is that the actual experience is totally different from next-train system displays/announcements, which initially say L in 11 min. K-J-N/N-N/N-K-N/N-K-N/N-J. It takes 20, and meanwhile system repeatedly announces L as next train but then (apparently) they get changed. At least the two-car L that eventually shows up says Zoo on all its signs and actually goes all the way out. Wednesday, 3/17, 8:00 a.m. (46th/Vicente) and 7:15 p.m. (Montgomerey): I'll celebrate St. Patty's Day by logging a good MUNI day. (Did MUNI celebrate too -- or do its part to help keep drinkers off the road? Or was this a fluke?) EXTRA, EXTRA!!! Two-Car L from Zoo Travels Full Route to Downtown without Delays Two-Car L from Downtown Travels Full Route to Zoo without Delays Thursday, 3/18, 8:15 a.m. 46th/Vicente. One-car train again at rush hour. Says destination Embarcadero. Extremely slow in tunnel, waiting about 5 minutes per station. Get to work 9:15. 8:05 p.m., Embarcadero. 10-minute wait for L single-car train. Wednesday, 3/24 8:15 a.m. Door problem in previous train in tunnel, 15-minute delay during which the operator repeatedly announces that riders blocking doors is the #1 problem in the tunnel. (Really?!?!? Well, maybe they wouldn't need to if MUNI consistently ran two-car trains.) Thursday, 3/25, 6:45 p.m., Embarcadero. L-Zoo OK till Sunset, where they turn it back and put riders on a shuttle bus. I ask the operator why they didn't just put Sunset on the destination display. He just points to the shuttle bus. I see a supervisor near the bus and ask why they bother putting destination displays on the streetcars at all. He also refers me to the sign on the bus. (They're missing the point. Switchbacks are very inefficient; it takes considerable time to switch the tracks, which causes more delays. Also, switchbacks inconvenience riders, who now pay MUNI about twice what we did just 10 years ago... though most of us don't make close to twice what we did 10 years ago.) At Taraval/40th, I get off to go to Walgreens and see a stopped outbound L and a couple of police cars surrounded by a truly impressive number of MUNI personnel and other officials, all milling around talking to each other. I ask one of the MUNI folks what happened, and he says he just got there but from what he understands, a rider getting off the L was hit by a car (clearly, the reason they're running a shuttle). Although the injured person and the errant driver are no longer on the scene, officials are still arriving after the fact -- including police on motorcycles! (*** YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK ***) I would have taken photos, but my phone battery power had run out. >>> Folks: Please use your resources. Use your phone to snap photos of inaccurate MUNI destination displays, incident scenes unnecessarily overrun with MUNI management, switchbacks, etc. Make recordings of responses you get from operators and officials if you can. Send them to munidiaries. (Listen, I refuse to apologize for being the Michael Moore of MUNI blogs. IMHO, the world needs more Michael Moores: more annoying and irritating people who question authority, democratic vs. capitalistic motivation, and things that don't make sense.) Friday, 3/26, 8 a.m. MUNI is replacing some overhead cables at 46th/Vicente (do they have to do this at rush hour?) and is running shuttle buses to West Portal. I take 23/BART. Friday, 4/2 8 a.m. The train I board goes only to West Portal. Since the operator kindly announces this ahead of time, I get off before that point and actually get a seat on the next train. I find myself sitting next to a neighbor, and we talk about the L-line service. He thinks the main reason for all the switchbacks and route changes is lack of funding, which leads to lack of sufficient personnel. (I'm unconvinced that it's funding and not lack of intelligent management, i.e., too many dollars spent on unnecessary management and not enough on actual service. For example, why do they send so many officials to evaluate the scene of a minor incident after those involved are long gone? And why not always run two-car streetcars on full routes at rush hour instead of running multiple one-car trains on partial routes?) >>> Folks: Consider saying thank-you to MUNI operators who do a good job despite being jerked around by MUNi management. Like most of our jobs, theirs isn't a bed of roses. Many of them actually behave in a pleasant, professional, appropriate manner (rather than whining over the intercom about their long hours and crappy benefits or about why riders are the cause of bad service). Operators who do the best they can and manage to maintain a positive outward attitude deserve recognition... not necessarily a KFC run (see related blogs on this site), just a little respect. Monday, 3/15, 8:20 a.m., 46th/Vicente. One-car train even though it’s rush hour; by 19th Ave., it’s jam-packed SRO. 6:50 p.m., Embarcadero M-J-K-K-L (7 p.m.) All one car trains.

Tuesday, 3/16, 8:10 a.m. I manage to catch a two-car inbound amid a series of one-car trains. Nervous because by 32nd it’s still fairly empty, so I wonder if they changed the destination display on the outside. Inside it still says SF Zoo. It goes all the way downtown. Twilight Zone Weird. 7 p.m., Embarcadero. Wait is somewhat long; the real frustration, though, is that the actual experience is totally different from next-train system displays/announcements, which initially say L in 11 min. K-J-N/N-N/N-K-N/N-K-N/N-J. It takes 20, and meanwhile system repeatedly announces L as next train but then (apparently) they get changed. At least the two-car L that eventually shows up says Zoo on all its signs and actually goes all the way out.

Wednesday, 3/17, 8:00 a.m. (46th/Vicente) and 7:15 p.m. (Montgomerey):
I’ll celebrate St. Patty’s Day by logging a good MUNI day.
(Did MUNI celebrate too — or do its part to help keep drinkers off the road? Or was this a fluke?)
EXTRA, EXTRA!!!
Two-Car L from Zoo Travels Full Route to Downtown without Delays
Two-Car L from Downtown Travels Full Route to Zoo without Delays

Thursday, 3/18, 8:15 a.m. 46th/Vicente. One-car train again at rush hour. Says destination Embarcadero. Extremely slow in tunnel, waiting about 5 minutes per station. Get to work 9:15.
8:05 p.m., Embarcadero. 10-minute wait for L single-car train.

Wednesday, 3/24 8:15 a.m. Door problem in previous train in tunnel, 15-minute delay during which the operator repeatedly announces that riders blocking doors is the #1 problem in the tunnel. (Really?!?!? Well, maybe they wouldn’t need to if MUNI consistently ran two-car trains.)

Thursday, 3/25, 6:45 p.m., Embarcadero. L-Zoo OK till Sunset, where they turn it back and put riders on a shuttle bus. I ask the operator why they didn’t just put Sunset on the destination display. He just points to the shuttle bus. I see a supervisor near the bus and ask why they bother putting destination displays on the streetcars at all. He also refers me to the sign on the bus. (They’re missing the point. Switchbacks are very inefficient; it takes considerable time to switch the tracks, which causes more delays. Also, switchbacks inconvenience riders, who now pay MUNI about twice what we did just 10 years ago… though most of us don’t make close to twice what we did 10 years ago.) At Taraval/40th, I get off to go to Walgreens and see a stopped outbound L and a couple of police cars surrounded by a truly impressive number of MUNI personnel and other officials, all milling around talking to each other. I ask one of the MUNI folks what happened, and he says he just got there but from what he understands, a rider getting off the L was hit by a car (clearly, the reason they’re running a shuttle). Although the injured person and the errant driver are no longer on the scene, officials are still arriving after the fact — including police on motorcycles! (*** YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK ***) I would have taken photos, but my phone battery power had run out.

>>> Folks: Please use your resources. Use your phone to snap photos of inaccurate MUNI destination displays, incident scenes unnecessarily overrun with MUNI management, switchbacks, etc. Make recordings of responses you get from operators and officials if you can. Send them to munidiaries. (Listen, I refuse to apologize for being the Michael Moore of MUNI blogs. IMHO, the world needs more Michael Moores: more annoying and irritating people who question authority, democratic vs. capitalistic motivation, and things that don’t make sense.)

Friday, 3/26, 8 a.m. MUNI is replacing some overhead cables at 46th/Vicente (do they have to do this at rush hour?) and is running shuttle buses to West Portal. I take 23/BART.

Friday, 4/2 8 a.m. The train I board goes only to West Portal. Since the operator kindly announces this ahead of time, I get off before that point and actually get a seat on the next train. I find myself sitting next to a neighbor, and we talk about the L-line service. He thinks the main reason for all the switchbacks and route changes is lack of funding, which leads to lack of sufficient personnel. (I’m unconvinced that it’s funding and not lack of intelligent management, i.e., too many dollars spent on unnecessary management and not enough on actual service. For example, why do they send so many officials to evaluate the scene of a minor incident after those involved are long gone? And why not always run two-car streetcars on full routes at rush hour instead of running multiple one-car trains on partial routes?)

>>> Folks: Consider saying thank-you to MUNI operators who do a good job despite being jerked around by MUNi management. Like most of our jobs, theirs isn’t a bed of roses. Many of them actually behave in a pleasant, professional, appropriate manner (rather than whining over the intercom about their long hours and crappy benefits or about why riders are the cause of bad service). Operators who do the best they can and manage to maintain a positive outward attitude deserve recognition… not necessarily a KFC run (see related blogs on this site), just a little respect.

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]]> By: Kristen L http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6394 Kristen L Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:23:44 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6394 Thursday, 3/11/10, 5:15 p.m., Embarcadero. Outbound L says destination display says Embarcadero. (Did they forget to change it, or are they being noncommittal?). By 5:30 at Castro, destination display (inside car, anyway) says Zoo. Between Forest Hill and West Portal, the operator says something too muffled to make out but ending in "will be slow." And indeed it is. At 5:45, the operator speaks again, and again it's mostly unintelligible, but it contains the word "traffic." (What does that actually mean, anyway? It's a subway track, not a freaking freeway.) And then, after these delays, the destination changes at West Portal from Zoo to 22nd Ave., and those of us further out must catch the next L. (Pathetic!... I sure miss that operator from years back who would periodically announce, "This is an L-Taraval... theoretically going to the Zoo," in a voice heavy with sardonic undertone. That "theoretically" pretty much said it all -- and it's still just as true today.) Friday, 3/12/10, and Monday, 3/15/10. Morning and evening they send one-car trains at rush hour -- not just on the L line but (at least outbound in p.m.) on other lines too. Cars are jam-packed SRO near middle of L line. People can't even board... (Maybe they're doing maintenance work so they have fewer cars to send? If so, it would help if they could instead do this midday.) Thursday, 3/11/10, 5:15 p.m., Embarcadero. Outbound L says destination display says Embarcadero. (Did they forget to change it, or are they being noncommittal?). By 5:30 at Castro, destination display (inside car, anyway) says Zoo. Between Forest Hill and West Portal, the operator says something too muffled to make out but ending in “will be slow.” And indeed it is. At 5:45, the operator speaks again, and again it’s mostly unintelligible, but it contains the word “traffic.” (What does that actually mean, anyway? It’s a subway track, not a freaking freeway.) And then, after these delays, the destination changes at West Portal from Zoo to 22nd Ave., and those of us further out must catch the next L. (Pathetic!… I sure miss that operator from years back who would periodically announce, “This is an L-Taraval… theoretically going to the Zoo,” in a voice heavy with sardonic undertone. That “theoretically” pretty much said it all — and it’s still just as true today.)

Friday, 3/12/10, and Monday, 3/15/10. Morning and evening they send one-car trains at rush hour — not just on the L line but (at least outbound in p.m.) on other lines too. Cars are jam-packed SRO near middle of L line. People can’t even board… (Maybe they’re doing maintenance work so they have fewer cars to send? If so, it would help if they could instead do this midday.)

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]]> By: eugenia http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6268 eugenia Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:01:08 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6268 I find the driver's remarks interesting especially because on the lines (1, 47, 49) I ride, the drivers rarely say anything to anybody. I find the driver’s remarks interesting especially because on the lines (1, 47, 49) I ride, the drivers rarely say anything to anybody.

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]]> By: Alex http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6261 Alex Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:09:03 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6261 Yup. That sounds about right... about why I still have a car. I couldn't afford to spend two hours getting from the Outer Sunset to downtown. On a good day it was faster to take MUNI, but the good days were so few and far between that it almost always made sense to drive to Daly City BART and hop a train there. As one of the drivers pointed out on the RescueMuni list, they like to avoid announcing short runs ahead of time to avoid confrontation with the riders. Ugh. Yup. That sounds about right… about why I still have a car. I couldn’t afford to spend two hours getting from the Outer Sunset to downtown. On a good day it was faster to take MUNI, but the good days were so few and far between that it almost always made sense to drive to Daly City BART and hop a train there.

As one of the drivers pointed out on the RescueMuni list, they like to avoid announcing short runs ahead of time to avoid confrontation with the riders. Ugh.

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]]> By: Kristen L http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6257 Kristen L Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:34:48 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6257 Excellent point. In fact, I am a bicyclist and a huge bicycling advocate. I used to bike to work sometimes. One of the last times I did, a bad driver forced me into an old (unused) streetcar rail, and despite being a skilled rider, I fell; I arrived at work intact but bloody. Now I'm old and cranky, and I don't like to be smelly and sweaty at the office...which I'm sure my co-workers appreciate too. I'm fortunate that I can telecommute part time. Excellent point. In fact, I am a bicyclist and a huge bicycling advocate. I used to bike to work sometimes. One of the last times I did, a bad driver forced me into an old (unused) streetcar rail, and despite being a skilled rider, I fell; I arrived at work intact but bloody. Now I’m old and cranky, and I don’t like to be smelly and sweaty at the office…which I’m sure my co-workers appreciate too. I’m fortunate that I can telecommute part time.

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]]> By: Maureen http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6255 Maureen Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:17:34 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6255 The San Francisco Bike Coalition offers free biking classes for adults. Avoid Muni altogether & save time and money!! For those who are curious, here's the link: http://www.sfbike.org/?edu I took this class and now I'm fit and financially solvent. Viva the SFBC!! The San Francisco Bike Coalition offers free biking classes for adults. Avoid Muni altogether & save time and money!! For those who are curious, here’s the link: http://www.sfbike.org/?edu
I took this class and now I’m fit and financially solvent. Viva the SFBC!!

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]]> By: Kristen L http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6253 Kristen L Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:59:31 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6253 Sure thing, Marcie. I decided late last year I'd start carrying a little notebook and just jot down the details of my experience as they happen every day I ride the L -- or at least every bad day. I usually go inbound from 46th Ave. around 8 a.m. and outbound around 6:30 p.m. It's odd how dramatically it can change from one hour to another, though; for example, Ace had a particularly bad week this week, but I didn't. My last really bad day was in January. But stay tuned. You know we can always count on MUNI for more catastrophe and confusion -- and stories with which to amuse our friends. Sure thing, Marcie. I decided late last year I’d start carrying a little notebook and just jot down the details of my experience as they happen every day I ride the L — or at least every bad day. I usually go inbound from 46th Ave. around 8 a.m. and outbound around 6:30 p.m. It’s odd how dramatically it can change from one hour to another, though; for example, Ace had a particularly bad week this week, but I didn’t. My last really bad day was in January. But stay tuned. You know we can always count on MUNI for more catastrophe and confusion — and stories with which to amuse our friends.

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]]> By: Marcie http://www.munidiaries.com/2010/03/05/waiting-for-the-l/comment-page-1/#comment-6250 Marcie Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:20:15 +0000 http://www.munidiaries.com/?p=7106#comment-6250 I should request all of my complaints to MUNI about the L and 48 and 29 and 71 and turn them into a diary. Thanks for sharing Kirsten! I should request all of my complaints to MUNI about the L and 48 and 29 and 71 and turn them into a diary. Thanks for sharing Kirsten!

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