Mystery Bus Stop Park 05.10.10
Flickr user Rick Audet captured this quick guerrilla Muni stop parklet on Castro at Market street over the weekend, right outside the Twin Peaks bar. Here are some folks enjoying it:
Rick said that he saw a photographer across the street set up to snap some photos of the pop-up bus stop park, then the parklet was quickly dismantled. More from Rick:
I don’t know how long it was set up, but it was there for the 15 minutes I spent waiting for the next 24 line. It appeared that the people who posed for the photographer across the street were the same people who drove up to this spot and dismantled the parklet, and then the photographer grabbed his gear, crossed the street and hopped into their vehicle too.
Anybody have any idea about what’s going on here? I’m strangely fascinated.
Video diary: The opening of the Twin Peaks tunnel 05.10.10
Riffing of “1930s San Francisco With Hella Streetcars” from last week, Muni rider Don sends us this:
Better than the 1930s video, check out the video of the building and opening of the Twin Peaks tunnel!
Again, no sound in this video, so choose your own music accompaniment. Better yet, if you got the skills, submit an edited version with sound, and let us know about it: muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com.
Weekend Photos: Look both ways 05.07.10
Photo by Flickr user Rick Audet
What a wacky week it was for Muni. How’s that different from any other week on Muni? you ask. Here’s how:
- J-Church derails near Dolores Park; no injuries (Muni Diaries)
- 21-Hayes snarled by fallen tree between Steiner and Fillmore (Examiner)
- The F-Market/Wharves: No Tourist Trap (Los Angeles Times)
- Out-of-control, overturned car hits 6-Parnassus on Market Street (SF Appeal)
- Sup. Chiu prepares to reject MTA budget, service cuts (SF Appeal)
- Window-covering ad deal approved for Muni vehicles (Examiner)
- Fare-evasion down on Muni (Streetsblog SF)
- Supervisors, operators, riders call for rejection of MTA budget (Streetsblog SF)
Here at Muni Diaries, we were delighted to help Greg tell the story of Tammy, a lovely 33-Stanyan driver who’s being moved to the 24-Divisadero. Tammy decorated her bus this week, and gave candy to her passengers. Kinda utterly amazing, huh? Thanks, Tammy!
And lastly, sadly, please don’t forget the systemwide Muni service cuts going into effect tomorrow. SFMTA has an explanation of the changes, and 511 and Google are your best bets for actual schedules and predictions.
Have a great weekend! And check back here Monday for more great Muni stories from your fellow riders.
Photo by Flickr user Jen_Maiser
Photo by Flickr user Sharon Hahn Darlin
Photo by Flickr user our hero
A misfired projectile in Tiffany’s airspace 05.07.10
Photo by christine.ricks
Jesse told a two-minute version of this story at Muni Diaries Live! two Fridays ago, and there was no question that he was the crowd favorite of the evening. People couldn’t get enough of Jesse so we asked him to write his story in full here for you.
I was heading home from work, a task that takes about 45 minutes and one transfer. In the afternoons, I prefer to take the 1-California, as it has consistently proven to be the gentler, cleaner, more Asian cousin of the consistently troubling 38-Geary. Little did I know that this was to be no ordinary ride home. This was a bus ride that, even years later, is still burned into the memory portions of my brain (those are somewhere in the upper middle, right?). When dealing with Muni, I suppose one should always expect the unexpected.
As I approached the bus shelter, I heard a loud, angry voice taking someone to task for being a “Lazy-Assed Cracker.” Soon it was revealed that the man attached to the voice was a tall fellow who would sporadically refer to himself in the third person. His name was Leroy. Leroy seemed to be pushing 60, though I suppose he could have been younger. One thing was for sure; Leroy was not new to the streets. He was crusty in a way that is almost special. It seemed that Leroy had maintained a long and devout abstinence to water, since Y2K was a genuine threat. Leroy’s hands were swollen, coated in years and layers of sedimentary funky junk and it dawned on me that Leroy’s claws have quite possibly touched many of the same public surfaces that mine have over the years (I resolved at once to stop biting my nails). His T-shirt advertised the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and was so timeworn that maintaining its structure must have been accomplished through ancient magic long since forgotten.
Happy riders 05.06.10
Just yesterday, we posted about a bus full of riders made happy all because of their beloved Muni driver, Tammy. Today, Muni rider Vivek sends the photo above, and has this to say:
It seemed like there was partying going in the back of the trolly. I could hear their laughter from across the street.
With this weekend’s service reductions coming up, it’s nice to have some sunshine in the land of Muni tales, right?
Love Seats on the Bus 05.06.10
Photo by Flickr user jovike
Rider Julie pointed us to a post on Copenhagenize.com. Starting this week, more than 100 buses in Copenhagen will have red love seats to encourage flirting. If you’re single and ready to mingle, sit in the love seats and see if magic happens on the bus.
“How about it, Muni?” Julie asks, “I can use some love on the 1AX,” she says.
You and me both, Julie! I absolutely adore the unabashed enthusiasm for flirting — from a transportation firm, of all places.
More from Copenhagenize.com:
The transport firm, Arriva, is following the increasing trend of companies branding themselves as singles-friendly.
Buses on routes 3A, 4A, 150S, 173E and 350S now feature seats that are red, placed next to each other, where according to Arriva flirtacious, sexy glances and cheeky pick-up lines from both sexes are allowed.
“We would like to get people to change their behaviour and flirt and smile more on the bus. Maybe some will find love. Others may just want to try taking the bus because there is a chance to flirt with a good-looking guy”, says Marianne Færch, from Arriva.
Several experts agree that the red seats could very well become the most sought-after on the buses. Single life is no longer a tabboo, it’s an accepted part of modern life.
If these seats were on my line, I think I’d get a kick out of either sitting in them or eavesdropping for some unfortunate pickup lines to unfold …
Photo diary: ‘My Muni’ 05.05.10
Rider Andrew sends this photo, and these words:
Found this parked at Fort Mason today. I don’t believe it’s the case for all Prius drivers, but this particular owner is generating a lot of smug…
I just wonder whether it averages higher than 8.1 mph …
1930s San Francisco With Hella Streetcars 05.05.10
We found this amazing home movie from the 1930s on 10 Times One‘s twitter feed. Part of it (0:23-0:46, roughly) shows a bunch of streetcars and one of those old hubs you hear about every so often. We love this stuff! Maybe one of you can help tell us where (on Market, obv.) this is?
Also, as you’ll notice, the video has no sound. That was once the case with the now-ubiquitous “Trip Down Market Street” video, until some clever hands on You Tube got a hold of it. All good images can be made better with sound. What are you guys waiting for?
A Party on the Delayed 33-Stanyan Outbound 05.05.10
NextMuni.com says my bus arrives in 18 minutes and the next one comes in 32 minutes. Next I check it’s 9 minutes and 23. Then the ETA jumps up to 12/18…then 13/16…and finally 4/4. By the time I get to my stop, both buses are pulling in together. Just another typical morning waiting for the 33 in Upper Haight.
I hop on the first one, frustrated that yet again it would have been faster to drive. The bus driver apologizes, saying the two buses that were supposed to be in front of hers aren’t running today. Then she offers me my choice of wrapped candy from a dish by the fare machine and for the first time I actually look around at bus 2442 driven by Tammy.
As I sit in the bus watching new passengers board, I witness a Muni miracle: a sea of frowns turn into big grins as people enter and see what awaits them. I overhear nearly every newcomer commenting on the scene to either Tammy or their fellow straphangers. “How cool is this,” they ponder aloud. “Is this for Mother’s day?” “Is someone retiring?” “I can’t believe I got candy.” Even the woman on her cell phone discussing how her doctor just found a lump in her breast seemed upbeat, enjoying her Tootsie-Roll lollipop with her lips curled up from ear to ear.
Muni Missed Connections #34* 05.04.10
Photo by Flickr user 0x0000org
We were only on the bus together about 3 or 4 stops, I was sitting, you were standing a bit in front of me…but I could not take my eyes off of you. You’re super super super cute, and if you’re single at all, and into us menfolk, I would love to take you out for dinner or drinks or a show or something.
Wait, the poster doesn’t even say which line this was? Still, cute. Nice touch with that oh-so-SF “into us menfolk” bit. Good luck!
* Okay, not really. More like 7 or 8. We’re not really keeping track.
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