Rocking Muni for the Giants 11.02.10
Video by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Watch the 33-Stanyan wade through the thicket of toilet paper and Giants fans in the Castro in the video above.
Fans in the Marina atop a 30-Stockton (photo by @jcsnotes):
More fans in the Marina took over the 2-Clement (photo by SHUN [iamtekn]:
I got a couple of pictures of guys hopping on top of a soon-to-be-stranded 14-Mission, on Mission Street, in (you guessed it) the Mission:
Amy grabbed this short video of that same 14-Mission:
Ariel has a shot of the 22-Fillmore stuck in the Mission:
Giants fans on Muni were burning up Twitter last night too:
“Some guy stepping off the L announced GIANTS 3-0!! Driver repeated it over the PA. No reaction from riders. Me: Really? Giants!” @wallbounce
“people are sitting on 30s here on Chestnut. First Clipper now this. Anarchy!! Let’s go Giants clap x5″ @jcsnotes
“28 driver now leading @SFGiants cheer.” @dalbizo
“I’ve never experienced anything like last night in SF after the win… I just remember running through cloudy MUNI buses #SFGiants” @cementone
Indeed. Indeed.
Congrats to the 2010 San Francisco Giants!
Srsly, why the Clipper card readers by the rear doors? 07.20.10
Photo by Troy Holden
Beth is surely onto something here. Muni buses have the readers in the back, but the agency requires us to board buses in the front (Muni Metro LRVs and F-Market streetcars are different). We called to get a better idea of when, if ever, Muni will do the smart thing and enact back-door boarding. We’ll let you know what they say. Meantime, here’s Beth’s diary …
My family and I visited Zurich not that long ago, where I learned quite a bit about things that make public transit work well, one of which is letting people board at the back or the front, whichever’s quicker. This works well there because a) they pay before they board, and b) the fine for not having your proof of payment on you is something upwards of $300. So there aren’t a lot of fare evaders.
Today, I boarded a 14 going north on Mission. I started to get on at the back doors and a fare inspector waved me to the front. I showed him my Translink card and he shook his head, saying no, I can’t board in the back. Clearly he wasn’t getting the picture.
I said, “I can tag in right there. It’ll be a lot quicker.” I pointed at the transponder.
It was like a light bulb went on over his head. He nodded and let me get on.
Really, I shouldn’t have to explain to a Muni employee how this works. Right?
I get that Muni has problems with fare evasion. If you’re not going to encourage Translink users — which is going to be all of us, pretty soon — to use the transponders at the back of the bus, then why are they even there? Card users could board at the back while cash fares could board at the front. It would be SO much quicker. On-time rates would improve.
Oh well. It’s rare that there’s a fare inspector on the bus, so I’ll keep tagging in at the back whenever I can.
Photo diary: Indiana Jones on the 14-Mission 06.30.10
Rider Steve spotted the action hero/archeologist/heartthrob/same-scar-as-Han Solo-havin’ on the 14-Mission … We’re wondering whether Indy cracked his whip to get that bus movin’.
Mormons in the Mission via Muni 04.23.10
Photo by Thomas Hawk
Ed. note: Okay, lately in the land of Muni news, things really suck, for Muni, for the victims and their friends and family, maybe for you… But we’re a story-telling site after all, and we received this charming story from Muni rider Daishin on Wednesday just before the tragic accident at Mission and Beale. It perfectly encapsulates why the show here must go on. See for yourself.
Occasionally I’m forced to take the 14 into La Mission. The last time I did this BART was having problems from Powell Station to 24th Street so I hopped a 14. At the second stop at Mission and 8th Street a gaggle of Mormon Missionaries boarded the bus. They were fresh-faced boys looking a little out of place with their dark suits, white shirts and ties. They were a little noisy for Mormon kids, laughing and poking each other. Three lovely transgendered ladies dressed to the nines got onto the bus right behind them. For a second I was concerned that maybe there would be some altercation between the two groups, being that the Mormons had just put so much support behind Proposition 8. But instead the trannies plopped themselves down in the middle of the Mormon boys, and started talking with them. Soon the level of the conversation was quite loud and humorous. They were exchanging ipod tunes lists, discussing fashion and make-up secrets. The trannies got off at 16th and Mission said goodbye and hugged all the Mormon boys.
I have to say it was one of the most interesting interactions I’ve experienced on Muni. I guess this is what people mean when they say there’s a lot of diversity in San Francisco.
Got a slice-of-San-Francisco-life story to tell? Tell it here.
Pedestrian dies after being struck by Muni bus (w/updates) 04.21.10
Update (4:19 p.m.): SF Gate has photos from the scene, including a couple of the driver of the bus that struck the victim. The driver looks horribly upset, understandably.
Update (4:00 p.m.): Per commenter JimmyD, SF Gate reports that the victim in today’s accident has died from his injuries.
Update (3:38 p.m.): MTA’s final update:
As of 1:33 p.m., the incident described below has cleared.
Clarification: A pedestrian was involved in the accident, not a bicyclist. The location was Mission Street between Main and Beale streets. Both bus routes rerouted around the scene in both directions using Market Street: from Main Street to Market Street to 4th Street and back to Mission Street.
The pedestrian was transported to SFGH. Both Operators were also injured. The Operator of the 14 Mission was transported to UC Medical Center and the Operator of the 14 Mission Limited was transported to St. Francis.
Both Operators will be tested for drugs and alcohol and placed on non-driving status according to standard procedure.
Video has been provided to SFPD for their investigation
Update (1:41 p.m.): For clarification, we do not know definitely whether the victim was a pedestrian or cyclist. MTA reported that he was a cyclist; multiple eye-witnesses say pedestrian.
Update (12:55 p.m.): Reader Jimmy sends us a photo of the scene, above.
Update (11:48 a.m.): From MTA:
As of approximately 11 a.m., service on the 14 Mission and the 14 Mission Limited in the outbound (east) direction has been disrupted due to an accident at Mission and Beale streets involving a 14 Mission trolley bus and a 14 Mission Limited bus and a bicyclist.
The 14 Mission route is switching back at 4th Street. The 14 Mission Limited is routing around the scene from Main Street to Market Street to 4th Street and back to its regular route on Mission Street.
SFPD and SFFD are on the scene.
Updates will follow.
Update (11:38 a.m.): SF Appeal has an eyewitness account, along with a photo of the scene.
Update (11:35 a.m.): KGO radio says: “Man trapped under the Muni bus was jaywalking. Taken away via ambulance, witnesses say he wasn’t moving at all.”
Update (11:25 a.m.): KCBS now has a story up on its site. Person still apparently trapped, attempts to jack bus up are under way. Person trapped reportedly a pedestrian.
Update (11:23 a.m.): @TUSK81 has an eye-witness account.
Original post: KCBS News reports that there is a person trapped under a bus at Mission and Beale with life-threatening injuries. No word from MTA yet. KGO radio also has a tweet about the accident. And Twitterer @sbermo confirms. We’ll update as we learn more.
Photo diary: Who needs a window on the 14-Mission? 04.01.10
@mhalligan‘s tweet kinda says it all:
Window just fell off the 14. Go Muni!
And go our little 14-Mission does.
Weekend Photos: Faster, Muni, Faster! 03.19.10
Photo by Flickr user Daniell Lefebvre
I was on the 1-California today, and the driver tried for what seemed like forever to get the passengers to move back in order for a wheelchair passenger to get off the bus. There certainly can be ways to speed up boarding, and Streetsblog SF has a video and great story about some simple ways to improve boarding to make Muni more efficient.
“Muni spends about half of its time on any given run not moving, so the bus is either stopped at a light or the bus is stopped at a bus stop. Speeding up boarding would be hugely important in getting Muni in being more reliable and faster,” Tom Radulovich, executive director of Livable City, said in the video.
In other news, transit funding is nowhere in sight as the bill dies (thanks, Arnie), and the 14-Mission has the dubious award of being the most dangerous line (Examiner).
Watch out this weekend as the J-Church construction impacts traffic and Muni, starting tonight (SFAppeal).
Have a great weekend!
Photo by Flickr user Patrick Boury
Photo by Flickr user Patrick Boury
Photo by Flickr user captin_nod
14-Mission birth control? 02.17.10
Photo by /\/\ichael Patric|{
Yesterday, we read a little piece on SFGate about the worst places in the Bay Area to go into labor. Unsurprisingly, DMV beat all contenders as the least appealing place to bring a new life into the world (we’re pretty sure DMV might clean up at the Least Desirable Awards Show, but that’s another story).
Perhaps also to no real alarm, Muni made the list. No. 2, in fact. And not just any bus or Metro line. No, special disdain is reserved for the 14-Mission like it is for no other line in town. Does that have anything to do with the fact that there’s more (reported) crime on the 14-Mission than any other? Not that we’re scratching our heads at this result.
But it does make us wonder: What are some other dubious Muni awards you can think of? Worst line to make out on. Worst line to take to a fancy date. Worst line to use for grocery shopping. Share your ideas in the comments, please.
Photo diary: That’s not a dead body on top of that bus! 02.04.10
Photo by Julie Michelle of i live here:SF and Caliber SF
It’s a Muni closet.
It only looks like it is… it’s just a random pile of clothes thrown up there, like a rolling closet.
Perplexing Gangsta vs. Elderly Gent 01.22.10
Photo by Flickr user jspad
I boarded the 14 Mission on a rainy Wednesday morning and walked to the back to snag one of the few seats left.
What appeared to be a slouchy young man with mental or developmental issues was talking a mile a minute. Par for the course, until I realized it was a non-stop barrage of threats and abuse directed at an elderly man with a cane.
“Whatthefuckniggawannabeniggawhiteniggacrippledbitchi’llfuckinputyouinawheelchaircausethataintcool-
motherfucker!!”
It went on and on, and everyone was ignoring it, and it was pretty tense because the yeller kept jumping out of the bus seat and lunging toward the senior citizen, to scare him, before sitting down.
Finally, the yeller said in a gruff voice, “Just because I’m a female don’t mean I won’t knock the shit out of you, motherfucker!”
So that was a surprise, kind of like the final scene in The Crying Game.
After establishing herself as a lady, she started threatening to sodomize the old man:
“Yougonnagetabigdickupyourasswhiteboyoldniggaadickupyourasshowyoulikeadickupyourass?!”
All the “whiteboyniggawhiteboynigga” stuff was especially perplexing since it was an elderly Asian fellow.
She keeps berating the poor guy, telling him that if he gets off at her stop, she’ll kill him. Everyone, including the bus driver, is ignoring her. Some passengers are texting madly.
Finally, the senior citizen gets up and starts to exit the bus. The lady snatches his rolling suitcase from his hands. Shit is about to get real, I think.
Instead, she drags it down the steps and sets it on the sidewalk and helps the guy down the steps. He mumbles “thanks” and she says “You should have really apologized. That shit ain’t cool, motherfucker” The old man shuffles off.
The woman plops back down in her seat, crosses her arms and says, indignantly “I’m in a gang but I got respect for my elders!”
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are on sale 
