Photo diary: Nike rides Muni’s coattails? 06.11.10
We know, we know: Evil corporation mocks evil public agency. Still, from knee-deep in our love of all things Muni, this shirt breaks our awesome-ometer.
mg7107 says, “my husband got me this shirt.” Now that’s a good man.
Photos by mg7107
Tonight at Secession: Creating Graffiti History on Muni 06.11.10
Art By Nate1
Artist Nate1 is one of the many talented folks who will display their work tonight at Secession Gallery, where we are inviting you to see art, graffiti, and clothing, all inspired by Muni, BART, and our great city. Nate is also the owner and designer of New Skool, a kids’ hip-hop clothing line. He was a part of a wave of graffiti mural art that took the Bay Area by storm in the 1980s. To get you warmed up for tonight, I asked Nate to share a little about how he got started and why Muni and San Francisco feature so prominently in his work.
How did you get started in art?
I got my start in design and art through graffiti art as the co-founder of the legendary Master Piece Creators Crew in SF/DC. As a father, business owner, and artist, I try to use my experience with graffiti art to pass on tradition and show young and old what graffiti has contributed to today’s society via art and design and more importantly the mentorship process.
Why graffiti?
I got into graffiti art through hip-hop culture in the 1980s. I always drew as a kid, but not until I was fully aware of the graffiti scene here in the Bay did I really spend a lot of time drawing. The Bay Area graffiti scene was pioneered in the early ’80s by teenagers and I am proud to be one of them.
Muni is in a lot of the SF scenes in your work — why?
When I was a beginner or toy in the scene, like ’85, ’86, I can remember a lot of my peers scrawling their names on the inside of the Muni after school. The tag or signature of the graffiti writer is the bare essence of graffiti, and my mentor, Omen2, was definitely one of those kids that bus-hopped and left his name on the bus. From this, the art form progressed to more elaborate art pieces or murals, and so the seed was planted.
What else about San Francisco inspires you?
San Francisco is such a great city to do what I do. I own a kids’ clothing line and sell art pieces and freelance a little bit. That sounds ridiculous even to me! But in San Francisco this can definitely be considered a feasible formula to make a living. With two kids, 7 and 4, I have all the inspiration I need. Hip-hop music also definitely plays a part in my creation/production process. Lyrics of good MCs like KRSONE or Rakim used to be written on our large graffiti murals to narrate the message we were portraying.
Come see Nate1, Eddie, Duerone, and a great group of artists at Secession tonight. Come prepared with a short Muni tale and you can share it in our story tent. We’ll have our handy Flip there to record your story, to be published later on Muni Diaries!
Outbound at Secession Art and Design
Tonight, Friday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.
3361 Mission St (across from 30th St Safeway)
http://www.secessionsf.com/
Muni routes: 14, 49, J, 27, 24, 48, 67
BART: 24th Street Station
Photo diary: Furry little face 06.10.10
Ed at BART Don’t Lie says:
Ok, technically this was taken on Muni, but as I consider it the slightly troubled sister of my beloved BART I’m going to allow it. Besides, lookit that little guy’s furry little face. Adorable. Also, on this same train … a guy threw down his book in disgust and stomped off the train at the next stop. It was some beat up paperback copy of a sci-fi novel… I wonder what pissed him off so much?
Seen something fun, funny, or furry on Muni? Send it our way, please.
Can’t stop looking at … 06.10.10
Photo by jen_maiser
her hands….. let me back up. I saw my name mentioned on a post by Jeff and decided to finally make an entry.
It’s spring 2001. It just rained like hell the night before and I’m late for work.. as usual. I grab the 1-California from Nob Hill to Fillmore, where I catch the 22 to the Marina.. that’s where I’m working; just behind the Marina Safeway. The buses are filled with cranky, wet, smelly people. I’ve just finished a slew of relationships, and have finally reached the conclusion that I’m just not the type to have a “steady.” I’m a musician and an audio engineer. My work, my life, my schedule (for christ’s sake!) is loopy. I am what I am, and it just doesn’t seem to jive with anybody else. It took a while, but I’m just now feeling OK with it. You know the feeling… SO!
I’m standing on Fillmore at Sac, surrounded by numerous Chinese shoppers on their way back to the Richmond (I say that because I’m over 6 feet…. let’s just say that I’m sticking out) when the 22 arrives… finally. I get on… finally… and see the most amazingly beautiful woman ever… in… my… life! Well, did I forget to mention how late I was? No shower, no coffee… not my best impression. All the lilliputians enter into the bus, there are seats in the back, but, I decide to stand next to her. I’m not thinking clearly yet… so I got nothin’. Big zero. I’m standing there on the lurch-and-puke that is the 1-California, and the woman sitting next to Her gets off…. then – she looks up at me and moves to the inside chair… holy #h&*! What to do?!?! So I sit next to her… “sit next to her idiot!” I tell myself. Well, I don’t want to seem like a fool so I hold my paper out in front of me (turns out that it was upside down). I can’t stop staring at her hands.. they are long and sleek, so beautiful.. plus I can’t just stare directly at her, that would be rude.
No, I haven’t said a word yet.
Photo diary: Cleanup on aisle 24-Divisadero 06.09.10
Paper Muni Fast Pass Ends This October 06.09.10
Photo by Steve Rhodes
Rumors of “no more paper Fast Passes” have been flying around on Twitter. We knew it was coming (thanks to SFAppeal’s Chris Roberts) but we hadn’t heard about any official date from SFMTA until this week, when we found an announcement on SFMTA’s purchasing page:
The SFMTA is moving to TransLink! Online sales of monthly paper passes will end after June 22, 2010 (July pass sales period)
June 22, as in, less than two weeks from now?
We emailed SFMTA and talked to spokesperson Murray Bond. Here’s the skinny:
The last day to purchase monthly paper Fast Passes online at sfmta.com is June 22. They can also be purchased online at Translink.org through June 16 and thereafter at Clippercard.com. The paper passes will be phased out in October and customers must load them on a Clipper card beginning November 1.
You’ll need a Translink/Clipper card before November 1. To get one, see SFMTA’s site for a list of TransLink/Clipper card giveaways. If you don’t get the card at one of these giveaways, the cards are $5 (unless you choose the Autoload option).
If you use Wage Works, CommuterCheck, or some other employer-benefit system to buy your pass, you’ll need to tell your employer-benefit system to start loading your Fast Pass onto your Clipper Card before November 1.
Translink is changing its name to Clipper on June 16.
So, there it is. There will be no more paper Fast Passes after October 2010. A long, colorful era will come to an end.
More questions? Translink’s FAQ has some good answers. We’re sure many Muni Diaries readers will offer further nuggets of advice here, so have at it in comments, please.
Here’s a look at Fast Passes through the years (photos after the jump).
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Muni Photographer Brian Brooks: Full of Stories 06.08.10
Photo by Brian Brooks
Photographer Brian Brooks has been a regular contributor to Muni Diaries almost since the beginning. We love his black and white photos like this glimmering F car we featured in a weekend photo post. We caught up with him to talk about what inspires him to photograph public transit.
How did you get into photography?
I’m a transplant(circa 1994) from New Jersey and loved photography from an early age. My first job was at a 1-hour lab. A great way to learn about photography is through trial and error, working a lab where resources are unlimited is very helpful. I’m mostly self-taught with a few college classes here and there. I shoot about 40 percent analog and 60 percent digital.
What is it about Muni that inspires you to take photos there?
It’s where most San Franciscans can be seen. It’s also great because people are standing still, which gives you more time to focus on them. One of the most memorable moments was when a fare inspector ripped a transfer from my wife’s hand and I shot a photo of the interaction. It had expired while waiting on the platform for a late train.
How do you get a good picture on the bus?
I almost never ask people if I can take their photograph.) The few times I’ve asked while riding Muni they’ve always said, “No.” I can still see those photographs in my head. If you’re in the public space, you’re fair game.
What’s your line?
I’m more of a train person so the N-Judah is my line. Every time I ride Muni I can tell a story about it.
Check out more of Brian’s Muni photos on Flickr. Got Muni photos yourself? Join our Muni Photos Flickr pool.
Muni driver Tammy in YouTube documentary 06.08.10
Rider Carlos sent us a documentary he found on YouTube about a Muni driver. It was none other than Tammy, who held a great party on the 33-Stanyan for her riders (see Greg’s post about Tammy in May).
“The Front Seat — A documentary about San Francisco Muni Bus Drivers” was made by Sara Biegelsen at Digital Video Workshops. In it, Tammy talks about why she takes her job so seriously: “All these people on my bus, I’m responsible. Their lives are in my hands. You can’t put a price on that.” She also explains how drivers sometimes have to adjust their mood based on the line they’re driving.
Thanks, Carlos, for the tip. And thank you, Tammy, for your amazing attitude. It’s great to see you in motion.
That old Muni fare box is still for sale 06.07.10
Photo by Nick.Fisher
We first alerted you to the prospect of owning your very own Muni fare box last October. Today, its current owner has reposted it on Craigslist.
Just think: You could carry it with you and insist on paying only $0.60. Just be sure to carry plenty of dimes.
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
