At the Giants Game: Phyllis’ Grandkids Learn the Stops 09.02.10
So we took this opportunity to ask throngs of Giants fans on Muni about their Muni-riding experiences. As much as the metros were packed, most of the folks we talked to were pretty satisfied with riding Muni to and from the games: “No big problems…yeah it’s crowded but that’s how it is, you know?” Perhaps it’s the non-Giants-watching riders who have more of a beef with the packed trains.
And then we ran into rider Phyllis, who told us how you can tell whether your grandchildren are real Giants fans (see above video; 0:32 if you’re impatient and don’t wanna peep Jeff’s mad video-editing skills).
Also, Jeff would like to add: the Giants totally dogged Denver!
Some Muni Service Restoration Coming This Saturday 09.01.10
Photo by Flickr user Anita Hart
Getting on the 22 in the morning feels like diving into a mosh pit. You just have to hope you don’t get tossed back out and that one of your legs isn’t still sticking out the door. I have never seen it so crowded as its been this week and they just keep packing people on. – Katy
I felt really bad this morning. The 21 was packed because the first bus that gets people to work around 8 didn’t show up…We must have passed over 60 people on the street waiting in crowds for the bus. – Alice E
You can see details about time and frequency changes in this pdf document from SFMTA. SFMTA says that they are working with the mayor and the supervisors to restore all the service cuts, the Examiner reports.
Man Fatally Hit by 47-Van Ness (update) 08.28.10
Photo by Flickr user tbn97
A man was fatally hit by a Muni bus Saturday evening on Market and Van Ness, according to the San Francisco Examiner and reports on Twitter. A witness told the Examiner Bay City News that he saw the victim lunge in front of the bus:
Joe Kimbro, a witness who was riding the bus at the time of the accident, said he saw the man lunge in front of the bus as it drove toward the bus stop on South Van Ness Avenue.
“He meant to do what he did. He dove,” Kimbro said. He was sitting in a disabled seat in the bus when the accident happened
The gruesome accident left a pool of blood on the pavement. Read more at the San Francisco Examiner and also SF Appeal.
Other witnesses say that the man intentionally stepped in front of the bus, reports California Beat. ActionNewsSF also has photos of the scene as police taped off the area.
On Twitter, @BrianVanderpol said:
Just got a glimpse of a victim of a muni accident at Van Ness and Market. The wind blew the blanket off. I’m not ok.
We’ll keep you updated.
Weekend Photos: Pull the Cord 08.27.10
Photo by Flickr user katiemarinascott
When reader Ben sent us the above short email, I had to laugh. We know it’s not all that bad, though. Rachel from Fog City Notes shared a story of hilarity with fare inspectors this week, and we’re still trying to solve the mystery of why people do what they do when they wait for the bus. A big part of our urban existence happens on public transportation, so the next time you say to someone, “So I was on the bus today…” don’t forget to share that story with us.
Meanwhile, in Muni news:
- Yes on Proposition G Headquarters Opens in the Castro — Fix Muni Now Kicks Off (SF Citizen)
- Muni operators onboard, albeit begrudgingly, for service restoration plan (SF Examiner)
- Some historic streetcars could return to the N-Judah line (Market Street Railway Blog)
- Central Subway travel times disputed (SF Examiner)
- Teen Suspect In Muni Gay Bashing Arrested (SF Appeal)
- Muni chief urges riders to support federal transit funding (Examiner’s Under the Dome blog)
- BART board decides not to increase fares (BCN via SF Appeal)
- Protective streetcar shelter at Geneva nears completion (Market Street Railway)
- Pot Ads on Muni? They’re Already on BART — So Why Not? (SF Weekly)
- Dennis Herrera Running for Mayor (SFist)
Enjoy these photos and your weekend!
Photo by Flickr user Roshan Vyas
Photo by Flickr user David Lytle
Photo by Flickr user eviloars
Fun with Fare Inspectors on the 38 08.24.10
Photo by atacklamb
Saturday night Sam (who will be posting reviews of the hotel bars we went to) and I headed downtown for an evening of drinking in hotel lobbies. Trust me, it was both more and less glamorous than you can imagine.
We caught a mostly empty 38 at 6th Ave. and settled in to seats towards the back.
At 3rd Ave., a pair of fare inspectors got on and made their way through the bus, checking people’s Fast Passes, Clipper cards and transfers.
A woman sitting two rows ahead of us did not have any proof of payment. The female fare inspector sat down nearby and told her to go ahead and keep looking for her transfer, and if she couldn’t find it she would get a ticket. It was sweet of her to give the woman a chance. Also, these inspectors were polite and friendly. We liked them immediately.
The male fare inspector moved to the back of the bus, where he kept an eye on the back door.
We watched the inspectors, watched the fare evader woman rifle through her bags over and over again.
At Fillmore the female inspector started to write up the woman’s ticket. She explained how the woman could appeal the ticket if she found her transfer. The woman had some questions, all of which were answered by the inspector.
We got to talking with her. She was very chatty and gave us some tips on how to make sure we don’t get busted for fare evasion:
Tip 1- Always keep your receipt from purchase of a Fast Pass or Clipper refill. In a pinch, the receipt is good proof that you did indeed pay for your pass.
Tip 2- If your Clipper card gets lost or stolen, report it immediately and have it canceled, otherwise someone else can use the Fast Pass or funds on the card.
Her tips were good, common sense really, but I appreciated them anyway.
Our bus approached the Van Ness stop.
A man was standing next to a tree, facing us.
“Is he peeing?” asked the female fare inspector.
He was, of course. Standing next to a spindly tree, a few feet from an idling cab, this guy was taking his sweet time. And we all were treated (punished?) with a full frontal view.
“This is like the third time this week I’ve seen guys doing that in public,” I told Sam.
The female inspector started laughing, and pointing, and even rapped on the window.
Well, you didn’t think we’d give away the ending (it’s not that kind), did you? Mosey over to Fog City Notes to read the rest of the story and find out what else they saw.
How to Fix Muni? More Answers From Supervisor Candidates 08.18.10
Yesterday we gave you a peek of what some of the candidates for District 10 supervisor say about fixing Muni’s ails. Today we bring you more video interviews from Chris Rogers at the San Francisco Young Democrats Supervisor candidates forum last week, where he asked the candidates: What’s wrong with Muni and how would you fix it?
Before fixing the problem, supervisors need more control over the MTA board and a “real transit-first agenda,” candidate Eric Smith says. Smith questions the budget for the Central Subway: “When I think about the hundreds and millions being spent on that, couldn’t we use that to improve Muni?” Smith says he wants to meet with the stakeholders, riders, transit activists to come up with ideas.
Candidate Chris Jackson thinks Muni needs more senior shuttles, and he also wants Muni to explore water transit options (an idea that candidate Kristin Enea also mentioned). Jackson also says that the conversation about Muni should not be about making a profit. (See Chris Jackson’s video response)
One of Muni’s major problems is that “we cannot get a balanced Muni budget,” candidate Dewitt Lacy says. The solution? “Cut out the fat” and examine middle management in the city’s transit agency. (see Dewitt Lacy’s video response)
The supervisor candidates are far from the first to jump into the fray on improving Muni’s various shortcomings –Dave Snyder’s SF Transit Riders Union, Rescue Muni, Fix Muni Now, are just a few of the advocacy groups that come to mind.
Want to know more about what your district supervisor candidates think about public transit? Greg Dewar at the N-Judah Chronicles has launched a resource called the Muni Rider Voter Guide where he has sent all candidates questions about our transit systems.
What do you think of the solutions we heard from District 10?
Video reporting from Chris Rogers. Chris has just started a website called M Ocean View Journal. These videos are in collaboration of the YouTube/ABC7 uReport project, with which Muni Diaries is also a partner. You can read more about the YouTube project in this story by Matt Baume for Poynter.org.
How to Fix Muni? District 10 Supe Candidates Have Some Answers 08.17.10
Candidate Steve Moss wants to see if we can “network together the Bauer buses that take people to Google and the vans that take people to UCSF Mission Bay campus and all the other kinds of the vehicles that are on our streets” to create a “more diverse transportation system.” (see his video response). For background, Streetsblog SF had an excellent story about employee shuttle buses in the city.
And why limit buses to just the streets? “I would like to see Muni explore water transit,” candidate Kristine Enea said.
Then there is candidate Malia Cohen, who wants a “multilingual approach” to running Muni and told us that from the riders’ experience, “poles need to be lowered, we also need to have more accommodations for mothers coming on with strollers.” (see Cohen’s video response)
As you know, District 10 covers the Bayview, Dog Patch, central waterfront, and parts of Potrero. If you live in District 10, what do you think of the candidates’ answers so far?
Check back tomorrow for complete video responses from the District 10 candidates and the story from Chris.
These videos are in collaboration of the YouTube/ABC7 uReport project, with which Muni Diaries is also a partner. You can read more about the YouTube project in this story by Matt Baume for Poynter.org.
Bat Signal on the J Train 08.16.10
Jeff and Tara Tie the Knot! 08.14.10
Illustration by David Tracy.
Right at this very moment, Muni Diaries sweeties Jeff and Tara are getting hitched in San Francisco! You know Jeff as Muni Diaries editor and Twitter-master, and Tara as our reporter and contributor. Together they are the most delightful, intelligent, and down-to-earth people you can ever hope for in a colleague or a friend.
So, please excuse this non-Muni moment while we get dressed up and drink to Jeff and Tara!
See you Monday!
Weekend Photos: Grey Like This 08.13.10
Photo by Justin Beck
- Clock error leads to Muni ticketing mistake, 510 tickets will be refunded (ABC7)
- Muni fare sweeps returning (SF Examiner)
- Brazen Diaper Theft on Bus (SF Weekly)
- N-Judah Chronicles launches the Muni Rider Voter Guide
- BART Sees $4 Million Budget Surplus at End of This Fiscal Year (StreetsblogSF)
- Transbay Terminal Groundbreaking (SF Citizen)
- Weekend traffic advisory — third street stop moves, Outside Lands, and Nihonmachi Street Fair (SFAppeal)
By now complaints about our freezing grey summer probably sounds like a broken record. You know what might chase the cold away, though? A fun night at Edinburgh Castle, hosted by The Tenderblog. The Tenderbloggers are hosting their first TenderNight next Wednesday at 8 p.m. as an ode to their ’hood. It’s an open-mic competition so if you’ve got stories to tell (especially ones involving the bus, for my obvious selfish reasons), make sure you go prepared!
Enjoy your weekend and these photos.
Photo by Flickr user telmo32
Photo by Flickr user Kanaka Menehune
Photo by Flickr user Paul Sullivan
