Eugenia’s out of town this week (Hello, Eugenia!), and it’s now SF Beer Week. Clicky that linky and go drink beer. I like beer. Do you like beer?

Enjoy your beer-filled weekend and these photos!

Photo by deebabyyy

Photo by jeremykeith

Photo by ksullivan52

Photo by someanomaly

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Brooke tweeted this goodie to @munidiaries and BART Diaries dude Ed:

Dressed 2 impress for my first Muni ride EVER!

Congratulations on popping your Muni cherry, Brooke. Impressive, indeed.

Get all snazzed up like Brooke tonight, and tweet us your Friday night debauchery from the bus.

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Over at Muni Time Capsule this morning, we bring video and photos of a scene earlier in the week. Using a two-car Breda LRV, Muni tugged one of its few remaining old Boeing streetcars from Mint Yard (behind Safeway on Market) to Metro Yard (near Balboa Park).

Click on over to Muni Time Capsule to learn more of Muni’s past.

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Ariel (of ‘You’re Already Dead‘ fame) is back with another intriguing tale of life on Muni.

Muni operator asked me why I took a picture of the bus, said he had to write it up for his supervisor. I kept asking him why he needed to know why I took it, he said he was just asking, but also needed to know so he could write it up. I kept asking why he needed to write it up and he finally said “Was there something on the bus that you were taking a picture of?!” I said no and he gave up.

Yeah, file this one in the “Huh?” folder. Also, too: Nice photo, Ariel!

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Muni rider Steven recently told us about Blair Bradshaw‘s rad Fast Pass art. I totally wanna see these in person.

We got in touch with Blair, who had this to say about his artwork:

I’m a huge fan of mass transportation no matter what city I’ve lived in — most of my work deals with systems (periodic table, language, transit, ZIP codes) and Muni is of course no exception. I started collecting Fast Pass cards six years ago (I think like a lot of people) because of their design, also knowing one day they would be obsolete. When I had enough to make a piece, I couldn’t figure out what to do. Nothing seemed great enough to sacrifice them. I decided to just paint the ones I liked the best based on color palette. I’ve done a couple that have been birth days/months of people as well.

Visit Blair’s site for more of his art. And don’t buy all the Fast Passes up before I get a chance.

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Rachel at Fog City Notes runs an important errand for her favorite 22 driver. I’d need something stronger than coffee to pilot a 22-Fillmore, but this guy’s clearly a pro.

This morning my favorite 22-Fillmore driver pulled up to the Geary stop and I climbed on board. “Morning,” I said, and started walking toward the back of the bus.

“Dear,” said the driver, “would you mind getting me a coffee when we get to Starbucks?” He smiled and pressed $20 into my hand.

“Of course,” I said. “How do you take it?”

He stopped the bus in front of Starbucks and I hopped down. “I’ll wait for you across the street,” he said, and pointed to the bus stop up ahead. I bought him his coffee — black with two sugars — pocketed his change and walked back out into the fog to meet the bus.

“Here you go, sir,” I said, handing him his coffee, change, and napkins.

“Thanks, my dear,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” I told him.

It felt strange and routine at the same time, an errand for a friend who’s name I don’t know. A $20 test of trust. I hope the coffee kept him warm and focused on this damp, foggy morning.

If only everyone asked for their coffee this nicely. Hope you enjoyed it, 22 driver. Make like Rachel and tell us all about your commute.

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Update (9:05 p.m.): Mike updated Flickr with a better photo of the situation at Market/Clayton. He says:

The foreground bus seems to have gotten stuck when the driver took the turn way too tight, as evidenced by the fact that thing isn’t anywhere near the line it normally takes (painted on the ground). It was so far off, he couldn’t get it attached to the cables and had to just park it while he waited for help.

It sat there for a bit over half an hour, snarling traffic in both directions of Market and up Clayton. Eventually some help arrived and they managed to connect it back into the grid long enough to get it out of the intersection. Amazingly, through all of that time, most people still sat and patiently waited on the bus.

Thanks, Mike!

Original post:

Mike Dillon suggests, “Betcha you’ve never seen two 33s take this turn at the same time before…” You’re right, Mike. To which I’d add, “Dayum!”

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Photog David L. describes the following scene:

The woman behind me was talking on a cellphone the entire trip (Yapper alert!) with a creepy ventriloquist’s dummy on her lap. Not only was she talking on the phone, but she occasionally was talking in what I assumed was the dummy’s voice as well.

Quelle horreur!

We’d have that look on our face, too, if confronted by such a tragedy. Thanks, David!

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Hey you. Yeah, you. The one making come hither eyes at me across the aisle on the J-Church. Muni Diaries is looking for your tales of love and lust aboard public transit. Aside from instant fame and exhibitionism, you could win a goodie bag from Good Vibrations. Yep. Mhm.

Head over to the Muni Diaries Facebook, like us, and let the e-ink spill. Post your best fatal attraction story there, tell your friends to like your story, then hold your breath.

You have until midnight on Feb. 13 to enter. The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

No related posts.

Riding on a nearly full 1-California last Thursday afternoon, I opened my eyes from my mini nap when I noticed that the bus wasn’t moving. It appeared that the bus driver was leaning over having a conversation with a passenger who wanted to board the bus.

I heard an older woman’s voice from the opened bus door: “Do you give change?” We all knew the answer.

Then I heard the same woman’s voice: “When’s the next bus coming?”

The bus stop happened to be one without the NextBus display, so nobody really had an answer for her.

Just as I was starting to feel a little bad for her, a young man got up from the first row, leaned over to the open door and said, “Ma’am? I’ll pay for you. Come on in.”

The woman got in the bus — she was a silver-haired lady wearing a blue quilted coat. The young man paid her fare, got up, and gave his seat to her, and we were on our way.

Thank you, young man in the black leather jacket, Levi 514s, black Adidas, and black messenger bag. There’s a big difference between feeling bad for someone and actually doing something about it. Your kindness made me realize we need to cross that line more often.

Saw a Muni model citizen? Give them praise here.

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