Jesse, Rosie Perez, and Ron Weasley on a 38-Geary to the Farallons 05.05.11
At last month’s Muni Diaries Live, Jesse shared the story of withering away of innocence when it comes to riding Muni:
I grew up and went to high school in Southern California. I did what everybody else did — I drove a car … I graduated high school and I fled, like crazy. I went to San Francisco State. I didn’t even look at the school — I just knew it was in San Francisco and gay people live there!
And I encountered Muni. I encountered buses, and trains, and trains that did buslike things, and stairs, and all that craziness. I was flabbergasted, to say the least. Riding Muni was like riding a unicorn. It was like, “What??!? I get a transfer? This is so great! $1?” I’m dating myself.
I was that guy on Muni who was so in love with the experience that I was talking to people. I was like, “Oh my god, you shopped today? So did I!”
Watch the video above to hear the rest of Jesse’s gripping tale.
Previously: MissionMission’s Ariel Tells All: First Kiss, on Muni
Barack Obama Decoy on the 38-Geary 04.27.11
My wife accuses me of seeing likenesses where they don’t exist. Which has led me to question my own (uncanny) ability to see likenesses all over the place. I call them “bizarro,” which gets me off the hook as I can point to vague similarities instead.
But @thedrun‘s photo up there is 100 percent, spot-on, so incredibly like what we all think it is, you have to wonder …
Obama on the 38?! Or Fred Armisen? Hmm
Yes, @thedrun, you are right.
Raining dogs and dogs on Muni 04.19.11
Yes, it’s true: We never get tired of seeing adorable doggies on Muni. Muni rider “D” has the details:
So I was on the outbound 38 Geary after the Cherry Blossom Festival. At the following stop another large group of people got on and lo and behold this cute little face was staring back at me!
Everyone who was close enough got to pet him (her?) and the pup was sweet enough to lick everyone’s hands who had just petted him. Everyone was smiling, oohing, and awwing and his little tail wagged with sheer happiness that so many people were enjoying his company.
Alas, being so cute can be tiring so a nap was called for.
Tell us about the beings, four-legged or two-legged, that you saw on Muni today.
Shell Game Guys At It Again On Muni 04.07.11
Rider Jon S. wrote us yesterday:
I just wanted to note that these guys are at it again. They were on the 38 Bus outbound. They got on while it was on Market Street and jumped off at Union Square when I started mouthing off to one of the heavies and went for my phone to call the police.
Good on you, Jon. Last time we posted about this, a rider told us that this game is one of the oldest tricks in the scammers’ handbook, so don’t fall for it!
Seen something that affects your daily ride? Let us know.
No habla español on the 38-Geary 03.29.11
Photo by frankfarm
Ramona reports from the 38-Geary …
Odd people you run into on Muni —
When first getting on the bus, people would smile at him and nod, but then realize he was trying to bring them into his non-stop, illogical, stream-of-consciousness conversation. So they would look away quickly and suddenly get very interested in texting, or what was going on out on the street, or looking for something in their bags. Still, he seemed harmless, though a little unpredictable and overly intrusive.
Near the end of the route, he put his cards away and turned his attention to a man sitting at the other end of the bench who, like everyone else, was trying his best not to get involved in the free-wheeling (if one-sided) conversation.
“So,” he said to the man, “are you one of the resident… Chinese?”
When the man continued to ignore him, he asked, “What, no habla español?!”
(Still no response.)
A couple of minutes later he said to no one in particular, “You know, on Judgment Day, God is going to call your name in Spanish, and all you’ll have to say is, ‘No habla español!’”
Laughing and apparently feeling pleased with his own wit, he exited the bus.
Uh, here’s hoping this man is completely wrong about the end of times.
People I See on Muni — from Tales of Mere Existence 03.15.11
“38 Geary, 6 a.m.: I see this guy on the bus every morning when I used to work at a coffee shop. He’d always sit in the front of the bus, and when I would get on, I would sometimes thumble a bit because I never had an easy time getting my dollar bill to fit into the fare machine. Anyway, this guy would watch me, close his eyes, and shake his head, because clearly I was the biggest moron who everwalked the earth.”
I love his animation and storytelling, so I highly recommend checking out his short clip above. The Rumpus also did an excellent interview with Yilmaz last year.
Hat tip: Milk and Cookies.
Fast Passes are so last November 02.26.11
Samantha passes along a pretty frightening find:
Saw these scattered at the 38 Geary stop at Powell and Geary.
Who in their right mind would discard these gold nuggets so willy-nilly?
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Neo-Vaudeville on the 38-Geary 02.09.11
In his effort to ride all the Muni lines in the city, Gabriel Wheeler of Destination Nowhere asked his friend Audra Wolfmannn to come for a ride on the 38-Geary. Instead, her alter ego Odessa Lil showed up.
Odessa Lil is MC for hire. She hosts many a burlesque show, but does not limit herself to one calling. She will do weddings, divorces , Bar Mitzvahs, funerals, just ask!
Our first stop was Trader Sams where we indulged in some delicious cocktails. Odessa Lil kindly posed for photos with the bar’s patrons, the bartender, and the pinball machine.
Later we found ourselves at the old Transbay Terminal (R.I.P.). It was very sullen and full of homeless residents. It had an air of danger so we did not linger too long, but I snapped some good shots without any incident.
We ended our day at Union Square where Odessa Lil put her riding crop to good use by spanking some willing tourists and posing for more photos. It was an 8-hour adventure I’ll never forget.
I have done about 27 or so of these rides and each one is just as exciting as the last. But so far Odessa Lil has been the most colorful. Check my blog for new updates as I continue to explore San Francisco via Muni.
Thanks, Gabriel!
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No more 2.5-hour wait for the 38 01.24.11
Photo by Thomas Hawk
Through his own vigilant postings, Akit brought attention to the fact that riders were experiencing a 2.5-hour gap in service between the 38L-Geary and regular old 38-Geary out in the Outer Richmond. The last 38L to run on Saturdays left 48th Avenue headed inbound at 5:37 p.m. The next 38-Geary to leave the same location after that was scheduled to leave at 8:02 p.m. Yes, you read those times right.
If you were a passenger there, you were out of luck if you wanted to catch an inbound bus between 5:37-8:02 p.m., unless you were willing and able to walk three long blocks away to either the 31-Balboa or 5-Fulton stops at Cabrillo and La Playa.
But like we said, Akit scored a victory here. Read about Muni’s reaction over at Akit’s Complaint Deparment.
Congrats, Akit and Outer Richmond Muni riders!
When Steven met Vickie, on the 22-Fillmore 01.21.11
Photo by messtiza
At the Muni Time Capsule event back in November, KALW reporter Audrey Dilling spoke with several people who showed up that night to share their Muni stories. One of our favorites was this modern-day transit love story:
Listen to Steven and Vickie’s story
We’ve run a few stories about couples who found love amid the crazytrain that is Muni. Eric’s story of his future-wife’s hands is one of my favorites.
Do you know anyone who found a long-term mate on Muni?
Like Sex, Love, Lust … Muni? Click 
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