Spotted: Twitter Bird Riding Muni 09.16.10
p.s. Don’t feel left out if you don’t see the new Twitter web page. We don’t either. They’re rolling it out.
Can Kids Use the Adult Fast Pass? 09.15.10
Photo by Frank Farm
As I was leaving Lowell high school as any other day, a half full 29 comes up to the curb. I thought I got lucky that day. That all changed when i got into the bus. I showed the driver an Adult fast pass with BART (being a kid from high school). As I made my way in, I was called back to the front and asked if I was a valid adult. Obvisously I said no.
Then the driver ask me to pay me fare. I argued about the value of a kids fast pass and an adult one (which to my calculations is at least $50 more). He said either pay or I’ll call the cops. Being a nice kid, I paid a dollar and complained about it to customer service. They didn’t really help though. I never got my dollar back.
We’ve contacted SFMTA to clarify the policy around this. Stay tuned.
Oracle OpenWorld Street Closure and Reroutes 09.15.10
Photo by Flickr user Steve Garfield
Affected Muni routes:
- 8X (AX/BX) Bayshore Express
- 12 Folsom
- 16X Noriega
- 27 Bryant
- 30 Stockton
- 38/38L Geary
- 41 Union
- 45 Union-Stockton
- 76 Marin Headlands
- 81X Caltrain Express
Street closure details:
- 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16 through 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 24
Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets - 2 a.m. Saturday, September 18 until 10 a.m. Friday, September 24
Mason Street between Ellis and O’Farrell - 4 a.m., Sunday, September 19 until 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 23
Easterly traffic lane on Taylor between O’Farrell and Eddy and several parking lanes in the area - For those traveling westbound on Howard Street, the detour will direct traffic south on 2nd Street to Harrison Street.
- For those traveling from north of Market on Montgomery, the detour will direct southbound traffic from New Montgomery, westbound on Howard, and south on Hawthorne to either Folsom or Harrison.
- Mason Street traffic will detour west on Geary to south on Jones to east on Eddy and back to Mason.
A Muni Movie? Right in Our Backyard 09.14.10
ON IT – Behind the Scenes – Bus Timelapse from Shadow Angel Films on Vimeo.
So what happens on the bus in this movie? From Heather and Chris:
ON IT is about a relationship under pressure and the complications that get in the way of the couple’s attempts to communicate. Six months into their relationship, Craig and Angela each have something important to tell each other, but can they find the courage to say it? One bus ride changes the course of their relationship forever.
Hmm. Mysterious and intrigue!
Heather told me they rented the bus by working with the San Francisco Film Commission Office and the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency: “There was lots of paperwork to obtain the permit, but both organizations were extremely helpful at pushing it through. We had a great experience with the bus inspector and the MUNI driver on the shoot day too.” You can find out more about the movie and Heather and Chris’s other projects at the Shadow Angel Films website.
A Friendly Muni Trip From the Beach 09.14.10
Photo by Whole Wheat Toast
Hubby and I decided to try our Clipper cards on Muni, being fairly new to the city. It was hot in our apartment on the bay on one of those sunny days last week, so we decided to head to the beach. We took the first train that came into the Embarcadero station–L Taraval, which took us to the zoo entrance, but also Ocean Beach. After wandering around for awhile in the cool, cloudy, breezy weather, we made our way back to the waiting train, and stood on the platform, unsure of where to get on.
After awhile the driver came around the corner, and politely pointed out to us novice Muni riders that we needed to stand at the “bus stop” to be able to board. He also gave us tips on using the Clipper card. Didn’t catch his name, but he was so very nice. I know we hear stories about rude Muni drivers, but I just want to say that we have had good service with our brief experience. I love the idea of a card I can use on all transit.
There’s been some questions about the Clipper cards on our Twitter feed. Seems like time to update our Muni newbie orientation!
Silverman on Muni 09.13.10
@Genejo at HoodscopeSF spotted a familiar face on the bus over the weekend:
The Silver Robot Guy isn’t so robotic anymore after a long day of work.
What did you spot on Muni in our urban jungle? Share it with your fellow Muni riders here. Or drop it in our Flickr pool!
Before You Complain: Jazzy Muni Faregates Instructional Videos 09.13.10
Akit also has a video on how to add fare to your card using the new machines. Check them out.
Weekend Photos: Before you can blink 09.10.10
Photo by Brandon Doran
- SFMTA Responds to Rumors of Muni Sickout, Warns Employees Not to Participate (SFAppeal)
- Muni ‘Sickout” Flier’s Bold Threats (SFWeekly)
- Muni Officials plan for worst, hope for false alarm (SF Examiner) (Full Muni sickout flier at SFist)
- Anonymous fliers prompting concerns of sick out (SF Examiner)
- Report: Muni collision rate has been rising (KGO-TV)
- PERB Denies TWU Request for Injunction Stopping Muni Service Restorations (Streetsblog)
Next week we’ve got stories in the bag, thanks to all of your submissions, which made the first week of steering the Muni Diaries ship on my own not nearly as scary as I would have thought! Oh, and if you’re trying to figure out your plans for tonight, check out the opening party of The Classics, a “defining art exhibit featuring works by the true Bay Area graffiti art pioneers” at 1AM Gallery on Howard and 6th Street. I had a sneak peek of the show last night and saw that Muni makes several guest appearances in this amazingly curated show by Nate1.
Enjoy the t-shirt weather and these photos!
Photo by Bhautik Joshi
Photo by Agent Akit
Photo by Flickr user sxl
Photo by Daniell Lefebvre
Wheelchair Dilemma on N-Judah 09.10.10
Photo by Flickr user clockworkgrue
The poor guy obviously didn’t use Muni often, and was asking passengers how to get to his destination. He was told he needed to alert the driver to get off at a ramp. After a lot of fiddling with the emergency intercom system, trying communicate the issue to the driver, the driver responded that “wheelchairs need to board the front car.”
Well, that’s great. Except, he’s in a wheel chair and can’t get off the train to get to the front car. The driver’s next suggestion was “you need to wait until we get to the next station.” Since the train was at Church and Duboce going outbound, this man would have had to ride the N-Judah to Ocean Beach, remained on the train and rode it back to Van Ness station just to have the privilege of getting off and getting on the correct car.
Finally, some kind of emergency response person came and helped direct the train to the next ramp to help the man deboard and wait for the next train. But not until he was told about eight times that he was in the wrong car, and his worries regarding how to make it to his destination were brushed off.
Is there a better way to inform riders in wheelchairs about where to board?
Muni Photog: Brad Evans 09.09.10
You run into a lot of interesting people on Muni. And it’s a great place to take some snaps from across the aisle. Seeing this photo again after I snapped it a few years ago reminds me that it would be good to spend more time riding and taking pictures on the rail cars and buses.
Here’s another great shot from Brad:
You can see more of Brad’s on his blog, Citysnaps.
If you’ve got great shots in and around Muni, our Flickr pool would love to have you!
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
