Photo diary: We just missed the bus 07.14.10
Saw these two photos by tofuart on our Muni Photos Flickr pool the other day, and just had to post them. Cute. That’s right, cute. What? (See the other photo by clicking “read more” —->)
Caption: “I tell you, the N-Judah is that way.”
Art diary: Muni fisheye illustration 07.13.10
I found this on Flickr a few weeks ago. Brett L., who posted it there, isn’t sure who drew it or where it was that he photographed it. I love the detail in this drawing.
Anyone happen to know who drew this masterpiece?
Photo gallery: ‘Feet on Muni,’ by Jeremy Brooks 07.13.10
Jeremy Brooks is a man of many talents. Among them, photography. We spied this rather killer photoset of his on his Flickr, and simply had to publish it. Shoes, feet, Muni. You get the picture.
Muni Diaries graphic designer-extraordinaire, Suzanne LaGasa, tells me this gallery fits a photo-phenom known as shoegazing. Who knew? Hell, when I was a kid, “shoegaze” was a music genre. And a damn fine one, if I do say so myself.
All photos by Jeremy Brooks.
Coolest Muni rider ever? 07.12.10
Patricia doesn’t mince words:
I challenge anyone to spot a cooler MF on any Muni vehicle. FYI, this was on the inbound 6-Parnassus at around 7:30am Friday (7/09/2010)
Muni Diaries loves a challenge. And we have to agree: This guy is one cool MF. You’ve seen cooler? Show us!
Beginner’s luck on the Bayshore Express 07.12.10
Photo by thewronski
The summer of 2007: my first time alone on Muni. A family friend showed me how to take the 9X Bayshore Express (now 8X) to get downtown from her neighborhood. I arrived downtown safe and sound and proceeded to go about with my plans for the day.
After I finished my errands, I went back to Third Street and couldn’t find the bus stop to go back to the Portola District. Third Street and Kearny Street were both one-way, so I gave up and decided that taking the 9X towards Fisherman’s Wharf would surely take me back to my neighborhood eventually.
I rode the 9X all the way to the terminal near Pier 39. I stayed on the bus while the bus driver took his break. Some elderly passengers boarded at the terminal with me and then we were on our way. I felt relief knowing the bus was turning back around as we rode on back downtown through familiar territory and then onto the freeway.
While on the freeway, I pulled the bus cord because I thought my stop was coming up after the freeway. But we passed my exit and I began to panic. A man began yelling curses in Cantonese for no particular reason, which caused my nerves to become further and further frazzled. When we finally got off the freeway, I got off the bus and looked up: the bus had changed to 9BX for rush hour.
I didn’t know where I ended up, but I crossed the street to the adjacent bus shelter hoping I’d get home going this direction. Sure enough, the 9X was going inbound and I was able to recognize my stop this time to get back to my family friend’s house in one piece. It was a minor detour, but it certainly introduced me to Muni in an interesting way.
Got a piece of Muni lore to share? Muni Diaries is the place to do it.
No plans for Saturday night? Try the Guardsmen Roundup 07.10.10
Friends of Muni Diaries, The Guardsmen, are throwing one helluva party tonight out at Herbst Pavilion. The Roundup promises “country-western music, SF-style,” according to one of the event’s organizers. Also, booze! More reason to take Muni there and back. Bust out yer snazziest cowboy/cowgirl gear, dust off yer boots, and git!
Here’s what they’ve got lined up for you:
Live music: Elliott Randall & The Deadmen; Bad Influence featuring Monique LeCompte
Open bar! El Tonayense taco truck! Big-ass dance floor!
Doors at 8:30 p.m., event lasts until 1:00 a.m.
Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason
Admission: $50 at the door
Muni: 22, 28, 30, 49,
The Guardsmen is a non-profit organization that raises to send inner-city kids to summer camp. Pretty cool.
Weekend Photos: Into the Fog 07.09.10
Photo by chainsmokingbluemonkey
It was a light week in terms of Muni news (wish we could say the same for BART: Mehserle verdict story here):
- Woman could receive $750K from Muni accident claim (Examiner)
- SFMTA Board Votes to Partially Restore Muni Service That Was Cut in May (Streetsblog SF)
- Crime stalling on Muni routes (Examiner)
- Phelan Bus Loop Project, First in Balboa Area Plan, Gets Federal Funding (Streetsblog SF)
- See SFAppeal for weekend traffic details
Here’s wishing you all a great, safe weekend. Enjoy the photos!
Photo by Brandon Doran
Photo by DavidTakesPics
Photo by jeff_munidiaries
Clipper Troubles? Try Calling … Twice 07.09.10
Photo by AgentAkit
Being experienced in the ways of customer service, Geoff decided to call Clipper. Here’s how that call went:
Her: How can I help you?
Me: (i describe my issue with the FastPass not showing up)
Her: In looking at your account, it seems like your Fast Pass for the month isn’t activated. You need to tag your card at a station.
Me: I don’t live near a station, I catch the L out in the Sunset
Her: Sometimes you can tag it on a train. That sometimes works.
Me: You can’t active my card from the screen you’re looking at?
Her: No, I can’t. You need to tag it. Most likely you need to tag it at a station.
Me: What if I tag it, and it still doesn’t work?
Her: You’ll have to call back.(I then go on to ask her about the $2 I was charged for when my card wasn’t activated, and how to get it refunded. She told me that I needed to fill out a form on the website and send it in for the refund.)
Me: You can’t just issue me a refund right now? You obviously can see that I shouldn’t have been charged.
Her: I can, however I still need you to fill out the form.
Me: Ok, Goodbye.(I then go online to see what this form I need to fill out is. The only form I find is to get a refund for my whole Clipper Card, for when you decide to not use it anymore (which I briefly consider). Obviously this isn’t correct. So I decide to call back.)
And … Call No. 2:
Receptionist: Clipper, can you hold?
(I hold, and in a minute get another CS rep.)
Me: (I give the same exact story)
Her: Ok, let me look.Some time passes…
Her: Ok, I have activated your card, it’s good to use. Also, I refunded the $2 charge you incorrectly got.
Me: Thanks!… and I hang up. It’s amazing the difference between two different CS reps. Not sure why the first person couldn’t help me at all. The moral of the story: Call back if you get an answer that is unsatisfying! I just checked, and I still don’t see the refund, but the activation worked!
So there you have it. Moral of the story? When Clipper Customer Service knocks you down, you can pick it up and try again, try again.
Photo Diary: One way out 07.08.10
Photo by Nick.Fisher
Awesome photog and recently discovered coworker Nick Fisher nabbed this awesome photo of the labyrinthian scene across the street from our place of business: The Kirkland Yard. As Nick astutely points out, the guy in the front-center of the photo, between buses, is nowhere near that one way out.
Creative descriptions of eau de Muni 07.08.10
Photo by juicyrai
Here are some of the better Muni smell descriptions we’ve seen in the last month or so:
@holyempressqb: ”shoutout 2 whoever that is that smells like febreeze on muni right now” on June 15.
@kkblabs: ”This woman on the1 rly needs 2close her pits!! Smells like my hot yoga studio but filled w hippies+Mexi food+used diapers! :-x” on June 16.
@nikilips: ”The 22 smells like chocolate raspberry deliciousness. Mmm mmm muni.” on June 16.
@NillaBeans: ”Pro: 38 Limited arrived quickly. Con: It smells like a woodburning stove. The mysteries of Muni will never cease to amaze me.” on June 24.
@coreyr: ”my son upon stepping onto a muni metro train thick with the smell of marijuana: dad, it smells like stinky blueberries.” on June 27.
@cwbayarea: ”Public transportation is not going my way today. This muni smells like rotten hot dogs…” on June 24.
So, now that we’ve brought it up, (I’m totally gonna regret asking, but …) what does Muni smell like to you right now?
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
