Bus tourism: The little idea that could

This bus-tourism article from The New York Times Travel section just tickles me. I’m a big proponent of buses (yes, really), especially as a way for visitors to get a quick-and-dirty look at local life. The NYT story claims that by using one of their suggested $7.50-per-day city bus tours – an idea likely borne out of the dismal economy – you can see most of Manhattan in 3.5 hours of bus time, plus a few short walks and/or Subway rides.

Since it takes an hour, roughly, to get between any given Point A and B in San Francisco on Muni, bus tourism is a tragically laughable concept once you translate the idea for our fair city. For comparison’s sake, based on square-footage, Manhattan Island is a little less than one-half the size of San Francisco.

San Francisco has an identity crisis. This manifests itself in a number of ways, including copious, self-conscious references to it being a “world-class” city with “world-class” stuff. You can find such references in everything from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s 2008 inaugural address to his endorsement of a contemporary art museum in the Presidio to just about any time someone official talks about San Francisco International Airport. Sadly, the world-class city with world-class stuff doesn’t have world-class transportation, effectively disqualifying it from consideration to host the 2012 Olympic games.

Read more

penis in public

Submitted by Muni rider plug1:

well, you said gross — so here comes gross.

a friend was over for drinks on sunday evening and mentioned that his girlfriend has experienced a tale of horror on the n judah this past saturday. she was sitting near the back in an aisle seat, listening to her ipod when she felt something tickling her cheek. moments later she realized there was a rock hard penis in her face.

a young man had pulled out his junk and was rubbing on her ear/face. startled, she jumped up and said “what the fuck!?!”. to her surprise none of the other passengers seemed to take issue. the young man continued to wave his wand around in the air near her seat. she shoved her way past him, then walked to the front of the bus, told the driver, and got off at the next stop — in shock.

a daily rider, she has not boarded muni since.

(F)otos

The F-Market/Wharves line is actually really fun during the day. There is still your requisite group of tourists frantically wondering whether they missed the stop for Alcatraz or Pier 39, but it’s much less hurried or crowded around 11 a.m.

That’s not to say it doesn’t come with its share of odd visuals.

First up, we have the back hair that waved at me throughout the entire (thankfully short) journey from Pier 39 to the Ferry Building. I found it pretty remarkable how contained, yet not, this not-so-fashionable statement was. That reminds me, I don’t think I cleaned the lint trap out after my last dryer load (extreme close-up after the jump) …

Read more

Very helpful, Muni

I happened to be at Powell Street station Thursday night trying to get an underground train toward Embarcadero. The hanging signs were not displaying anything, so I trekked over to see what the LCD said.

I was greeted with this:

<img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2949708901_a57235c3e7.jpg” alt=”Muni display” />

If you can’t see it on the smaller image, look at <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/96304466@N00/2949708901/sizes/l/”>the larger one</a>. Yup, that’s a broken-image X. Thanks, guys.

— Beth W.

<i>Beth really wanted to see that red X travel slowly from West Portal to Powell so she could hop on and ride it to goodness-knows-where.</i>

1 59 60 61 62 63 67