Weekend Photos: Lookin’ at you 09.30.11
Photo by Patrick
Certainly.
Three things to do:
- Transportation-themed art show by Faern. Faern’s cool photography combined with other mediums will be on display in her first solo show. Saturday, Oct. 1, 11 a.m. at Faernworks Art Studio, 3150 18th St #246 (and Treat). Take Muni there: 12, 14, 49, 67.
- Berlin Style Ping Pong Party at The Secret Alley. Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. 180 Capp St. #4. Take Muni there: 12, 14, 33, 47, 49, 76. BART: 16th Street station.
- And of course, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is here this weekend, so watch out for the crowds around Golden Gate Park. Word is that the World Veg Festival is also going on at the park this weekend, but since I am a bacon crack fiend, I wouldn’t know anything about that. All weekend at Golden Gate Park. Check official site for concert schedule. Take Muni there: 5 31, 38, N.
It’s going to be a crowded weekend in San Francisco — in addition to the festivals we mentioned above, Critical Mass is tonight, Oktoberfest celebration is this weekend, and Oracle Open World is at Moscone Center starting Sunday. So check SFMTA.org for commute info.
Enjoy these photos and your weekend!
Photo by riotgirlxo on Instagram
Photo by grahamcrackersf on Instagram
Photo by cmey on Instagram
Photo by Mike Dillon
The 33-Stanyan doesn’t live by anyone’s schedule 09.30.11
Photo by Julian Walker
Take it away, Mike:
Forget cheesy tour buses, let the 33-Stanyan be your guide to a real San Francisco experience. The journey starts at California and Arguello, whenever the bus chooses to grace you with its presence. Don’t bother checking the schedule. The 33 doesn’t live by anyone’s schedule. And whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of walking to Geary to check the NextBus sign. That move only guarantees that a conga-line of at least three 33s will pass you by before you even get to Clement.
I know, you may have heard tales of the mythical between-stops pickup happening on the 33. Unfortunately, current evidence is inconclusive, and do you really want to take that risk? It’s best to just be patient; the 33 is a finicky creature and will only make an appearance when the time is right. When that time comes, your tour begins.
Your friendly guide will take you on a winding route around the corner of Golden Gate Park, followed by a meandering journey through the Upper Haight. You’ll see it all as the bus traverses the neighborhood at just under the speed of walk. Watch the crazies come, watch the crazies go, watch the crazies do their crazy thing all around the bus. Hopefully the other senses are kept to a minimum, because feeling, smelling, or tasting any craziness could really ruin your day.
Feel free to make eye contact, if you please, and you’re sure to be immersed in a bizarre conversation that you’ll be able to regale your friends with later [on Muni Diaries, natch].
By the time the bus arrives at the iconic Haight-Ashbury corner to begin its climb up the hill, most of the crazies have departed, leaving only those in for the long-haul. Those who got off, though, are missing out on the best part. Up here, at the peak of the 33′s route, where Clayton meets Market, this bus has the best view in all of Muni. Take it all in! (Don’t take a deep breath, though: Remember, this isn’t some crisp mountain peak; you’re still on Muni here.)
If you’re lucky, maybe the bus will come off the wires making that sharp corner, or maybe an inbound 33 will be stuck against the wall, giving you a few extra moments to savor the scenery. From here, it’s down the hill, through the Castro and into the Mission, picking up and losing the local denizens of each neighborhood along the way. Already, the crowd has morphed from hippies and crazies to mostly gay, and now you’ll find yourself surrounded by hipsters. Where else do you get to meet such a diverse mix of people on one bus ride?
What happens after the bus leaves the Mission? Well, I can’t give away the ending — you’ll have to ride it yourself and find out! OK, honestly, I’ve never made it past Potrero, but I like to imagine that the unexplored outbound terminus is where all the magic happens on the 33. There are probably unicorns and rainbows and perhaps at least a few leprechauns involved. Or maybe there’s a whole tribe of undiscovered crazies down there. Won’t you take a ride and let us know?
Good idea. Let us and Mike know what those last few blocks of the best tour bus in town are like. Thanks, Mike.
Read about upskirts and more from Thursday’s winner, ArchiJoey, who reviewed the 45-Union. Write your own review of a Muni line on Google Places, and you can win $50 tomorrow!
Muni News: Pricey Central Subway, dwindling BART protests, CPUC+SFMTA make up 09.30.11
Photo by Erik Wilson
- Central Subway costly even if aborted (SF Examiner)
- Ahoy! Sail the F-Market in Style on Oct. 23 (Market Street Railway)
- BART Protest: Only Three People Showed Up (SF Weekly)
- Supervisors show their support for Central Subway (City Insider)
- BART Police to Get Officer-Mounted Cameras (SFist)
- CPUC, SFMTA move toward settlement over rail spat (SF Examiner) | (SF Public Press)
- Street Artists Block F-Market Stop (SF Weekly)
What You Missed at the Muni Diaries Reunion Show 09.30.11
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Our special guest Anna Conda kicked off the show by reading the winning review on Google Places by PuckPuck (above). PuckPuck’s review was hilarious, even better read by the glamorous Anna! PuckPuck also received a $100 gift certificate to Hog and Rocks.
Rumpus editor and resident hotcake Isaac Fitzgerald returned to the stage to regale us with a tale of why wearing khaki pants doesn’t make you gangster on the metro.
Photo by Lilah Johnson
(See Isaac’s first story at Muni Diaries Live)
Filmmaker and former Muni troublemaker Vero Majano told a story about Jesus bling on the bus, and how fellow riders “repented him off the bus” for violating a very important tenet of Muni etiquette.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Newbie alert! Audience member Rajeev bravely signed up to join us on stage to tell his first Muni story where he tried to convince kids on Muni (and the police) that a terrorist would never carry an L.L. Bean backpack.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Rachel of Fog City Notes, whom you might remember for her delicious Muni cupcakes, returned to the stage with a story about a public peeing incident that shocked even the fare inspectors.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
A little girl tested Joyce Lee’s patience on the bus, and she returned to the Muni Diaries stage to tell us how it ends. If you have problem disciplining your children, we know who you need to call.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
(See Joyce’s first appearance at Muni Diaries Live)
Pam Benjamin, a host of Mutiny Radio, sashayed on the stage to tell a story about having sex (that’s right) at a Muni shelter. Under the bright florescent lights. With people walking by.
Photo by Lilah Johnson
Oh, hey, look, new Muni Diaries storyteller! Audience member Chris told a story about a hiccuping lady on the bus. “I might be drunk, but I am always on point.” You tell ‘em, Chris.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Tara Demoulin, our favorite Muni songstress, came back to the show to sing another Muni-inspired tune, this time to the tune of “My Favorite Things.” You’ll never guess what she rhymed with “bukaki.”
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Plucked straight from the audience of another Muni Diaries Live show, Jesse James returned to the stage, and there was much rejoicing. Jesse told a tale of love and fate that involved a fellow Muni rider who looked a lot like Elijah Wood. I believe that in the photo below, though, Jesse was inviting a certain handsome audience member to see him after the show.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
We had $50 to give away to the newbies that night. With your applause and the help of Ashley from Google Places, Rajeev was the winner of the cash prize. We had several storytellers who volunteered their tales, but we sadly didn’t get to hear all of them due to our limited time on stage. If you know anything about Muni Diaries, you know we’re dying to hear your stories. So if you signed up at the event and didn’t get to tell your story, please email us and let us know!
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
This was our first reunion show/open mic, and again we were totally energized by the great crowd and storytelling at the show. We’ll have videos of some of the performances for you in the next few days, so stay tuned, and keep the stories coming!
Upskirts and Other Muni Adventures on the 45-Union 09.29.11
Photo by Shanan
Today’s winner is “ArchiJoey,” whose review of the 45-Union includes upskirts, frontal (and back) nudity, and Fleet Week pilots. Just another day on the bus, right?
45 Union/Stockton: Gone are my days of trekking from SOMA to the Inner Richmond on an odd combo of buses that varied based on a complicated algorithm I perfected over 5 years. No, for the last two years I’ve been riding in style on the 45 Union Stockton, or as my 88-year-old grandma calls it the E-car (perhaps it was called this in a pre-WWII era). I say “in style” because I’m usually able to get a seat in the lounge area in the back of the bus with the I-Banker frat boys and Tory Burch bedecked Marina girls.
From there we have a good view at the poor souls who get on in North Beach and have to do the seat tango with the Chinatown grandmas. Though sometimes we have more risque amusement in the back lounge. Once I got a good eyeful of some full frontal and backal nudity of dude who stopped to take a poop on Stockton Street in rush hour traffic.
I have also met several interesting men on the 45. There were the pilots one Fleet Week who offered me twenty bucks to lift up my skirt, the drunk tourist from Chicago who violently fell from his seat as the bus started to lurch up Union Street and got to look up my skirt for free, and the perfect guy who was literally going to the airport to move away from the Bay Area.
But perhaps its greatest attribute is the intense feat of strength that the 45 performs numerous times every day. I honestly do not think that there is a bus that is designed to go up the Union Street Hill. I imagine a group of Muni engineers sitting around trying to devise a way to defy the laws of physics and get a bus over the hill and finally saying “F&*$ it, let’s try it out.” And f*$# all, it worked.
Some days it does slow to a tortoise like crawl as it squeaks up the hill and I silently chant “I think I can, I think I can,” and at least once a week it rolls backward a few yards and I think I’m going to die on the corner of Polk Street, but the driver always seems to get us moving upwards in just the nick of time. So 45 Union/Stockton, I thank you for curing me of my fear of hills, introducing me to the fab footwear of the Marina girls, and maybe someday I can thank you for helping me find a guy who I’ll willingly let look up my skirt.
Write your own review of a Muni line on Google Places and you can win $50 tomorrow. Go on, tell us all about your Muni ride.
Downed wires affect service on 22-Fillmore/3-Jackson (updates) 09.28.11
Update (7:32 a.m., Thursday): The SF Examiner reports that the cause of the damage is unknown, and that the disruption affected the 22 and the 41-Union (according to SFMTA), not the 3-Jackson as originally reported here. Reader Matt sent us the photo above.
Original post: Matt sends us this dispatch:
Overhead cable snapped – lines 3&22 in and outbound affected between Sacramento and California. Street blocked off by SFPD & SFFD with caution tapes and vehicles. Happened 15 mins ago at 4:15pm
And @oliviajune tweets:
Major #muni accident on 22 at Fillmore and Sacramento. Whole line exploded and snapped. Injured 1 person. Took down tree and hit cars.
We’ll try to get updates, but we’re also off to get the Reunion/Open Mic set up. If you have info/photos, please comment. Thanks!
For Sale Tonight: Muni Tales, Crack, and Bacon 09.28.11
Come over to the dark side, my dears, we have candy, Muni tales, crack, booze, and bacon.
No, really, we do.
For our open mic tonight at the Elbo Room, Nosh This will be selling his delicious “Bacon Crack” — chocolate-dipped bacon butter toffee with almonds, and a bunch of other devilish treats (balsamic vinegar caramels, anyone?)
You can also get the newest batch of Fast Pass Clipper Card holders made especially for Muni Diaries by Heathered.
All that and you get to hear stories from your favorite past performers and special guest Anna Conda, who’ll be announcing the winner of our Google Places contest, and reading that lucky duck’s Muni review!
See you at the show!
Details:
Muni Diaries Reunion/Open Mic Show
$5, First Drink Free courtesy of Google Places!
Tonight, Wednesday Sept. 28. Signup starts at 6:30 p.m., show 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Elbo Room, 647 Valencia St. (between 17th and 18th Street). J, 12, 14, 22, 33, 49, BART
DERP Muni 09.28.11
Found this on instagram. As shinranshoni says, “Derp muni is right.”
Also, we’re having a Muni Diaries live event tonight at the Elbo Room. You should totally go. Totally.
Starring Tonight: Anna Conda and Your Muni Review 09.27.11
The first place review also gets a $100 gift certificate to Hog and Rocks. Mmm. Delicious ham and oysters. We also have four more $50 cash prizes to give away for your Google Places Muni review, so get to it!
It’s very easy:
1. Go to the SFMTA page on Google Places.
2. Click Write a Review.
3. Write your most entertaining take on a Muni line or on Muni in general. (You can’t select a Muni line on Google Places, so simply write in the review which line you’re referring to).
4. Add the #MuniDiaries hashtag at the end of your review.
5. Click Submit.
There. Fame, oysters, and money may soon be yours.
Muni to test three-car Metro trains 09.27.11
Photo by Danny Howard
As SF Appeal‘s April Siese points out:
It’s unclear from the BC article exactly why hooking up multiple trains would make things go faster — though they report that “delays on just one line can grind the whole system to a halt,” it seems like delays on a big, long, hooked up train will be just as system-clogging.
We’d love to hear what you think of this idea. Will joining trains for their journey underground help to speed up the chronically sluggish Muni Metro system?
Read more at The Bay Citizen and SF Appeal.
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are all on sale 
