I Live Here: SF, Muni Edition 11.30.10
All photos by Julie Michelle
“No day I live here is ever the same. It might be the same Muni train, but there are new characters. It might be the same brunch place, but the stories shared always change. The people I hold dear will always be there, but our roles and relationships are always evolving.” – Kimberly
“The San Francisco I grew up in isn’t the one people imagine from watching reruns of Full House. Ingleside is a working class neighborhood served by the K Muni line. While riding the K along Ocean Avenue, I can spot tired people napping in their business suits, young couples saying goodbye at their stops, and parents reining in their rambunctious kids. While some neighborhoods can be easily pinned down with a few stereotypes, I don’t think I can say the same here.” – Anna
“San Francisco is the cool breath of fog, standing on a street corner cursing at Muni, Monday night Guinness in a North Beach pub.” – Jax
“The young dispatcher I worked with on Sunday mornings told me I should consider urban planning as a vocation, and lent me a copy of Jane Jacobs’ The Death & Life of Great American Cities. He’s a Muni driver now, and I see him occasionally on the system around town. There’s never time to thank him for illuminating my purpose, and I keep meaning to return his copy of the book.” – Megan
“Having lived in major cities for the last 10 years, I was surprised at my initial trepidation about riding the Muni. The 19 and the 47 are my lines. Today, I appreciate them because they get me from here to there and everywhere in between with a little bit of flare, if you will, but in those first few rides I distinctly remember my shoulders at my ears and a look of confused horror that was most assuredly ill-masked by my please-don’t-notice-me-I’m-just-sitting-here-minding-my-own-business face. Thanks, Muni, you really make this town feel like a city.” – Nell.
“Undeniably, we’re also a pretty random town. Each slide of the Muni doors is a theatre-like lottery where two bucks can really change your life. People are almost never what they seem.” – Chris
“I love how this city whispers all these sweet forevers to my heart… In this city I have experienced the kindness of Muni drivers who allow me to hop on when I do not have enough money to pay the fare. I always think that they allow me to ride for free because they know that I should not be out in the streets that late at night.” – Mayanin
“Now, when people ask where I live, I can hardly contain my pride, my sense of life, when I say San Francisco. There’s nowhere quite like it on earth. From twisting drives up Highway ‘1’ North, with barely a second without a world-class view, to late nights in the Mission. From evenings in a tub overlooking the bay, to friendly heart-warming conversations with complete strangers on the Muni. From the madness of the never-ending stream of street-parties to the calm of the Botanical Gardens – all just a cycle away.” – Tom
These photos are just some of the more than 180 subjects who are featured in this exhibit, presented with art by Chris Rusak and film from Rick Prelinger. Your last chance to see this exhibit is tonight (Tuesday Nov. 30) — we’ll be celebrating from 5-7 p.m. at SOMArts (934 Brannan Street between 8th and 9th Streets). And yes, you’ll find out who will take home the 30-Stockton bus shelter too. See you there!
A Dispute about air on the 49-Van Ness 11.30.10
Photo by Art Siegel
The bus was steaming up when a young guy standing in front of me with a long braided ponytail reached over to open the window. But just as soon as he opened the window, the big guy next to him reached over to slam the window shut. Without a word, Pony Tail reached over again to open it. Then Big Guy slammed it shut again. Shit was about to go down.
“Hey what’s wrong with you, I just wanna open the window, dude, get some air,” Pony Tail guy said.
Big Guy murmured something testily.
“Whatchu lookin’ at me like that for? What, no, it’s not cold! It’s hot in here! What? You wanna do this?” Pony Tail shoved a finger into Big Guy’s chest. “You wanna do this?”
Big Guy shoves back at Pony Tail. The older woman sitting next to me yells, “You guys, STOP IT!”
Big Guy stepped up closer to Pony Tail and said something we couldn’t hear, then Pony Tail said loudly, “I was just opening the window, and dude here with his hella BAD BREATH is trying to start shit!”
A young woman sitting behind Pony Tail started laughing, and now Pony Tail had an audience.
“You gonna start something with me, over air? You gonna try to send my ass to jail, because I want some air?” Pony Tail said.
The older woman next to me was not amused. “You should go to jail!” she yells.
Pony Tail wasn’t deterred. “Dude, if this was my stop we would both get off here and we would settle this outside!”
Finally audible, Big Guy said that, actually, this WAS his stop, and that they should indeed get off the bus here together.
“But this isn’t my stop, yo?” Pony Tail protests. “I was saying if this was my stop I would settle it with you!”
Big Guy got off the bus and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Pony Tail continued to talk about how he would have caught a cold or the flu if he hadn’t opened the window to get some fresh air, what with so many people being sick and this is the flu season and everything.
Minutes later, a young woman wearing a white sweater boarded the bus and made her way toward us and Pony Tail.
“Heeeeey girl,” Pony Tail said to the young woman, who clearly didn’t know him.
“I like your number! What is it?”
Muni Diaries is built from your stories from life on the bus. Got a Muni story? Whether it’s audio, video, photographs, or just simple prose, you know the place to share it.
Santa Claus is … already in town, waiting for the bus 11.30.10
@ohdottie shared this delightful slice of San Francisco life. And here we thought decorated streetcars heralded the holiday season …
Muni Tales from Andrew Lam 11.29.10
Andrew will be reading from his new book, East Eats West, at the Book Passage in the Ferry building in San Francisco on Dec. 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
From the Great Muni Shelter: One bus, one book 11.29.10
Photo by Tenderblog
Here’s one:
“One rainy night I was on my way home on the N-Judah. The train was nearly empty and I was reading Fahreinheit 451. A young man came and sat next to me, which I thought was strange as there were plenty of open seats. He asked me what I was reading and said that he didn’t read a lot but remembered that he liked this book when he was a kid. He said he didn’t have much money for books. So I gave him my book and told him to enjoy it — and to give it to someone else when he was done. He agreed and then it was my stop so I got off and went home.” – Julie
Come to Julie’s closing night party tomorrow, Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and find out who gets to take the bus shelter home. SOMArts is located at 934 Brannan Street. And don’t forget: voting ends at midnight tonight! Vote here, unless you already have.
First Day in SF 11.27.10
Photo by Tenderblog
“On my first week in San Francisco, I took the Muni F line from downtown Market Street toward the Castro. I was inside the Italian car — the one that’s made completely out of wood. There was no sitting space so I stood in the back by the “bay window,” and damn, everything was so beautiful and people were smiling. I thought that I had just moved to heaven.
p.s. I don’t believe in any dieties.”
- Haiete
We also have cartoons that you can caption (see above) from Michael Capozzola, who draws “Surveillance Caricatures” in the San Francisco Chronicle’s 96 Hours section. Another story:
“I was sitting on line 9 next to this handsome young man. For the next 15 minutes I was trying to make a compliment of his style. However, we didn’t make any eye contact. In the last minute before I get off the bus, I typed [on my phone], “You’re very good looking. Have a nice day!” with a friendly smile I show my message in front of his face and got off the bus. My heart was singing. How difficult to compliment someone!”
- June.
Tuesday, Nov. 30, is the only day left to see the exhibit, with Julie Michelle’s photos, art by Chris Rusak, and last year’s Lost Landscapes from Rick Prelinger. Closing reception is from 5 – 7 p.m.
Shop Transit Goods 11.26.10
Our Muni Diaries Fast Pass shirts, modeled by Tara on the top left, is on sale for 20% off this weekend! The same design on baby onesies are also available at Secession Art and Design on Mission and 30th Street.
Nate1 of NewSkool, also an in-house artist at Secession, has this adorable brown Muni onesie (top right) and a bunch of other designs for your mini transit riders.
Headline Shirts pays homage to the 22 in this 22-Fillmore t-shirt (bottom right) with instructions on how to ride Muni if you’re new in town.
And what’s always on the sidewalk in San Francisco? Muni transfers and pigeons, of course. We found this super limited edition Pigeon Book (bottom left) from Joscelyn Nicole on Etsy. She only has one left!
Want more? Here we go:
Another crafty crafter made these Market Street transit token cuff links. These ones were issued from 1921 to 1944.
Market Street Railway has made these Information Gladly Given t-shirts that can come really handy at a bar or a company meeting:
BART maps also make for cool buttons:
You’ve probably seen Amos Goldbaum‘s curbside shop near the Ferry Building. He’s got a cool drawing of an old LRV, available on tees and the San Francisco uniform, a hoodie sweatshirt:
You might know them as the Muni Manners Ladies, but they’re authors now too. Julie Hayes and Angelie Agarwal have written a book called Muni Manners: An Etiquette Guide for the Mass Transit Savvy. Next time you see poor manners on the bus, you can pull out the book on them:
Has the N failed you or saved you? Greg has these N Judah mousepads for you to remember your ride by:
Walter Koning has lots of shirts with Muni lines, but I am partial to this design that he calls “Timeless 14 Mission“:
Last year we also did a merchandise roundup, so if you spot any more Muni-inspired items, let us know!
The Great Muni Shelter Giveaway Poll (Update) 11.25.10
Ed. Note: The bus stop we’re giving away served the 30 Stockton, which has seen colorful stories like a Giants fans takeover, a short angry lesson on taxes, and an incident involving a nylon Excalibur. Ever since the bus shelter’s arrival at SOMArts, visitors have covered the it with their own stories and memories. What’s your Muni story? We want to know.
Original post:
Ever since the SFMTA generously gave us the go-ahead, this 30-Stockton Muni shelter has been sittin’ pretty at Julie Michelle’s awesome I Live Here:SF exhibit at SOMArts. And now it needs a home.
We were overwhelmed by the amazing responses after we posted about the Great Muni Shelter Giveaway. In honor of our user-generated tradition, we thought it appropriate that you get to decide who gets to take the Muni shelter home. The following brave folks want this bus stop, and you can help them make it happen.
Poll closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 29. The candidate with the most vote wins. We will announce the winner at the closing night reception of Julie Michelle’s I Live Here:SF exhibit at SOMArts on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 5-7 p.m. 934 Brannan Street. Good luck to all!
Holiday Photos: On the night train 11.24.10
Photo by FlickeringAbility
Meanwhile, it’s been a slow half-week in the world of Muni news:
- S.F. solves funding quandary for Central Subway (SFGate)
- But! Subway funding plan not firm (says the hella slow-loading, new-look SF Examiner site)
By the time this post goes live, many of you will be well on your way to wherever you’re going. We wish you well, and hope to see you back next week, if not sooner. Stay safe, unfrozen, happy, and humble. And enjoy these rad photos.
Photo by Brandon Doran
Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch
Photo by angryf
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
