Snakes on the 9! 06.24.09
This actually happened in 2001, but this I just heard about this site today so….
New years eve 2001/2002, I decided to go to one of those giant raves they used to have at the Cow Palace. I lived downtown, so took the 9 out to the Cow Palace. The trip there and the party were uneventful, but ride home was surreal.
A few stops down the line a guy gets on and sits down near me. He was a big ripped dude, probably 6’6″ 250lbs. He was wearing what looked like a prisoner jumpsuit, and had a cast on his arm. He was sweating like crazy and his eyes were bugging out of his skull.
He was sitting across from me near the back of the bus. He kept twitching and muttering under his breath, standing up then sitting right back down. The only word i could make out was “snakes”. Before long he started asking people if they have seen the snakes on the bus. Of course, nobody had, and this just starts to agitate him.
A series of Owl-fortunate events 04.19.09
Note: The title is supposed to emphasize “Unfortunate,” not riding on the Owl being fortunate.
Happy 1906 anniversary people, as you all know, people gathered at 3rd and Market remembering those who died. Eventually the crowd went onto Church and 20th to spraypaint the gold hydrant. But, I’m pretty sure most of you guys got lucky — the Owl was working for you and you guys got on a fake cable car and headed there with ease — mine was different.
So, anyway, I started out at Van Ness and Jackson, heading on the 90-Owl hoping to time-transfer with the 91-Owl at Van Ness and Chestnut. Unfortunately, as I got to Van Ness and Chestnut I saw the NextMuni display and it said “91-Owl: 22 minutes & 37 minutes.” So I ran as fast as I could to catch the 90-Owl, hoping to catch the 38. Unfortunately, some guys got on at Union and tried to get a free ride. “I gave you a free ride yesterday,” the driver said, but he still got on and asked people around for a dollar. Nobody gave him one, so he began this long talk with the driver which lasted three minutes or so, and the bus was heading slowly up Van Ness. The bus let the guys off at Pine, and continued slowly.
Abusive Operator on the 9 (Also, a 30-minute Wait for the 19?)? 03.15.09
Normally when I head home from Potrero Hill I would take the 19. It’s a thirty-minute, roller coaster ride from the start of the ride, but that wasn’t the case today, mainly because of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations (Happy Early St. Patty’s Day too!)
So, I decided to use an alternative, which would mean I would take the 9 in hopes of catching the 47. I got on the 9, but missed the 47.
Anyway, I got on the 9 at SF General. When I got to 16th, two guys got on the second rear door. After that, the driver, who was a she, called Central Control, and we were idling there for FIVE MINUTES. Two minutes into when she was making the call, this guy went up to her and started screaming at her. She starting screaming back at him, saying,
“You can’t tell me what I can or can’t do!”
He got off, occasionally returning to the bus to scream her off. After that, her wife, or girlfriend. Or friend. Or whatever, went up and yelled at her. She returned fire by calling her a “bitch”, and some other nasty stuff I didn’t hear because I was in the back.
And all this during a call to Central Control!
So here’s the lesson for these folks: Don’t mess with Muni operators otherwise they may resort to committing dumb acts by cussing you out!
A Truck That Can Tow Mountains 10.23.08
Here we are on Powell just south of North Point on a Wednesday afternoon; I think we’re looking at a 9 or a 9x. And yes, it’s definitely getting towed.
So, what? Dead engine? Run out of gas? Flat tire(s)? Kind of embarrassing if any of those is the case, because a Muni hotel (parking lot/servicing spot) is less than a block from here. Also, this is the third or fourth stop from the start of the line. I think I speak for everyone when I say, “WTF?”
Obvious questions include: why’s it getting towed? Were people on this bus? Did a bus come to save the day? (SuperBus wasn’t that one in the background, if you were wondering). And was this a freak mechanical/electrical uh-oh or does this happen fairly regularly? Where’s Judson True when you need him?
– Tara
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are on sale 
