Clipper Card Woes: Overcharges and Cable Car Fail? 08.13.10
Photo by Steve Rhodes
August 7th, Saturday afternoon. At about 3:45 p.m. my friend and I are at 15th and Castro. We’re waiting for the 24 Divisadero to take us on one of two buses to the Upper Haight, with punch bowls from Hobson’s on our minds. We both tag our respective Clipper/Translink cards on the 24 at about 3:50. We get off at Haight and Divisadero and catch a 6 (Sassy Parnassy, as we like to call it) five minutes later towards our final destination. Once we tag our cards on the 6, the machine takes another two dollars off our accounts in addition to the initial tagging on the 24, making our two-buses-within-20-minutes trip a total of $4 dollars.
I’m broke, on summer break from school and unemployed so I had the time and energy to look into this. My transaction history shows my first tag on the 24 at 6:20 a.m. instead of something closer to 4 p.m.. My thought was obviously that the time on the 24′s Clipper machine was off (I was definitely NOT up at 6:20 a.m. on a Saturday). After spending a good hour on the phone with a personable woman from Clipper, I have the possibility of a refund after an “investigation” given my “report.” So until I hear back from Clipper, I’m stocking up on quarters and giving my card a rest.
I’m curious if this has happened to anyone else? Maybe if your accounts seem lower than it should, you should keep an eye on your balances after tagging your card.
Rider Mary reports another Clipper card reader malfunction on the cable car:
This morning I was on the cable car on my regular commute coming down Powell St. to Market turnaround. The conductor asked for my card, apparently scanned it, and incorrectly told me that my Clipper (Translink) card, which has the August Muni Fast Pass loaded on it, was invalid. I told the conductor that the card did indeed have a valid Fast Pass loaded on it and that so far this month it has worked on Muni cable cars, buses, etc. He said that he would let me ride this time but not again.
Clipper had gotten off to a rocky star this month with Wageworks issues, and we know Muni has had clock error issues (reported by KGO about the cameras on the bus). Have you been overcharged when you use your Clipper card? Let us know.
Fast Pass Time Travel 08.12.10
I’m not gonna lie: 1988 was a terrific year. My friends and I permed our hair and fell in love with Tom Hanks in Big. Ah, good times.
You know what else was totally rad? This great photo by Octoferret of Fast Passes from 1987 and 1988, found in our Flickr pool.
On Muni, the Camera is Mightier Than… 08.12.10
Photo by Flickr user Jessie Johnson
Here’s what happened, from Julie’s blog:
I sat in the back … the middle seat was then taken by a young man with a large duffel bag. He found a way to really wedge himself between me and the other woman, touching our sides more than I am used to even on a crowded bus. He did not look at either of us. Did not apologize for sitting on my coat, the little niceties that people make when crammed together because that is the nature of public transportation.
He spread the long, flat, dirty canvas tote bag across his lap. … So I looked down, and under the duffle bag I could see that he was masturbating. That was the wiggling. That was why he flattened the bag and flattened himself against us. I don’t think the girl [next to him] knew what was going on. I looked straight ahead.
At the next stop, several people got off the bus and I moved to the seat perpendicular to him.
I took his photo.
He pretended not to see me and kept on with his activities.
I took another photo of him: zooming in on his face, his hand in his pants–and this time he looked at me.
I took another photo of him.
He got off the bus at the next stop.
When I asked Julie about the incident later, she said, “I have never pointed my camera at someone with the intent to make that person uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable doing it, just as I would have been if I would have shouted or drawn attention to him verbally. I don’t know if this person was mentally ill or what, and I am certain I didn’t stop his future behavior, but perhaps I gave him pause in turning the tables just a bit.”
We’ve documented more than a few instances of bad behavior on the bus, and technically the bus is a public space, so what Julie did didn’t seem so out of line to me. But everyone has a different opinion on photography on the bus. What would you do if you had to confront someone who’s behaving badly on the bus?
Vintage Tokyo Subway Manners 08.11.10
"Space Invader", March, 1979
Isami-ashi: Wait behind the white line (May 1979)
You know the big-balls-having, seat-taking guy y’all have complained about? He should see this:
The Seat Monopolizer (July 1976)
There are loads more of these posters so meander over to Pink Tentacle to check them out.
Surprise Box on the 38-Geary, Saturday Night 08.11.10
Saturday nights are designed for a fun night out with friends. You got to sleep in that morning and you don’t have work the next day. It’s party time! The only thing that can put a damper on this fun night out is the ride home on Muni, especially if you live out by Ocean Beach. During the regular commute hours the 38-Geary is filled with silent workers on their favorite smartphone, headphones in, of course! But once night falls this grand ‘ol bus turns into a circus filled with college clowns, drunken acrobats (a.k.a. drunks girls in heels falling all over themselves), and freak shows (bums who think they are god).
I’ve spent many a drunken night on the always-a-madhouse 38, but I like to keep to myself and just watch the action around me. This most recent Saturday evening I found myself in my normal position of inebriation on the back of the bus, but this particular night was a special one. No crazies? Am I on the right bus? Luckily I was, so I thought to myself, “I guess I should be the crazy one!”
I suddenly shouted out, “I’m hungry!!!”
This is the part where beautiful music started, a bright light descended onto the palms of my hands, and an angel came to my hunger pangs. The man next to me, wearing a full chef’s outfit (which I didn’t notice before my hunger declaration), placed a white box in my hands and said “Here ya go, young one.”
Ok, maybe it didn’t go exactly like that. He placed the box in my hands and headed toward the exit without a word. I opened the box to find every cookie and yummy pastry known to man! As my angel chef walked off the bus, I yelled “I love you!!!” and he looked back with a smile. I shared my gift from heaven with the not-so-inebriated and quiet people around me. It was the most joyous bus ride of my life, and I will never forget it. Mostly because I’m surprised I woke up the next morning. Those things could have been poisoned! My mom told me never to take treats from a stranger and I failed her. My mom and I thank you, nice Muni chef man, for not killing me.
Are those cupcakes and Mexican wedding cookies in the box? Casi, you lucky you! Got another story of random wonderful strange encounter on Muni? I bet you do.
Unbelievably Crafty: Embroidered Muni Transfer 08.10.10
Flickr user tweetsweet dropped off a photo of the Muni transfer she embroidered last October. Because I can barely cut straight or mend a button, I am doubly impressed with her skills.
Has Muni inspired you to create something crafty? Show it off here!
Vigilante operator’s assistant on the 8X 08.10.10
Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch
Frequent Muni Diaries contributor and wunderkind Whole Wheat Toast shares this diary:
But instead of the usual “show the driver the pass and go in,” I was greeted by a male, probably the same age as me, maybe older, that said very loudly, “PLEASE MOVE TO THE REAR OF THE BUS!” I thought he could be somebody hired by Muni, but then again, I couldn’t find a Muni badge on him.
As the bus pulled away from the bus stop, he kept yelling repeatedly for people to move behind the yellow line. People kept telling him that there was no room to move.
The bus enters the highway. Shortly after the bus merges onto the freeway, the person catches another guy, telling him, “CAN YOU PLEASE MOVE BACK BECAUSE THE DRIVER NEEDS TO SEE THE MIRROR!” That’s when I noticed he was in front of the yellow line.
But, that’s not all he does. As the bus neared the exit to Silver Avenue, he startled me as he called out the stop. “SILVER! SAN BRUNO AND FELTON!”
Alas, it gets more interesting. As the bus approaches Felton, he heads to the front door. As soon as the driver opened the door, he jumped down the stairs, and stopped everyone who wanted to get on from getting on. “STOP! LET THE PEOPLE OFF!” Everyone that was getting off at the stop got off at the back, and because he blocked off the entrance of the bus, the people that wanted to get on got on through the back.
He eventually got off the next stop, at Bacon. After he got off, a sigh of relief by the passengers on the front of the bus.
Then again, I’m glad this guy was dedicated to doing something the driver was unwilling to do; we need more Muni drivers like him. But then again, I kinda feel sorry for the driver for having to deal with this guy.
Where in the Muni? 08.09.10
Last week, I posted a photo by bhautik joshi and asked you guys to weigh on where in San Francisco you thought the photo was taken. True to your form, you guys rocked the photo-locator. Hulka was first, but many of you correctly identified it as the Muni yard over on Presidio at Post.
So, over the weekend, I found myself in a pretty obscure location, by my standards at least. I spotted what to me was a random-ass Muni stop. I snapped a couple of photos, and decided to try this again.
So, where is the photo (above and below)?
Muni Photog Brandon Doran: Capturing the Grit of SF 08.09.10
Photo by Brandon Doran, taken in front of the Transbay Terminal
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into photography.
I got into photography about 6 months ago when I bought a DSLR for the birth of my daughter. The idea of photography always sounded interesting to me but I never took the step to research the gear or learn basic techniques. Since then I have become obsessed with photography and I rarely go anywhere without my camera. I find I am more observant now, always looking for something that would make an interesting photo. San Francisco is an amazing place to shoot. It’s really a photographers paradise.
What is it about Muni that inspires you to take photos there?
San Francisco has so many postcard shots but there’s also a lot of grit. Both are great to photograph. Muni encompasses both the grit, with lines like the 38 and 14 and the postcard, with the cable cars and street cars. I like to find interesting photos in the common everyday situations and Muni is a great example of that.
Got a favorite Muni line?
My favorite Muni line would have to be the 38/38L. This is my daily commute. It’s never a dull ride. An incident that stands out in my mind occurred on the 38 when a homeless man decided he wanted off and proceeded to climb out of one of the top, side windows of the moving bus.
Photo by Brandon Doran, taken at the Transbay Terminal.
Photo by Brandon Doran
You can see more of Brandon’s photos on his Flickr page. Want more interviews of photographers whose images of Muni inspire us? Check out our interviews of Brian Brooks and Kristen Holden. And don’t forget to add your Muni photos to our Muni Flickr pool.
Signaling Problems Disrupted Underground Service Sunday 08.09.10
Photo by Flickr user koopa
Reader Daishin sent in this tip on Sunday:
Muni underground was not running this afternoon (sunday) because of signaling problems. The system has been shut down.
Indeed. The service was disrupted for more than three hours “due to malfunctioning electronic signals at the Church Street Station,” reports Bay City News via SFAppeal.
Most of the cars were running above ground, SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose tol the SF Examiner, but did not enter the tunnels. Service was restored by early afternoon.
Thanks, Daishin, for the tip.
Have other Muni news tips? Email us at muni.diaries.sf [at] gmail.com!
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