Cable Car Confessions: The new cable car and its presidential guests 07.22.09
Presenting the July 2009 edition of Cable Car Confessions. This month, Laura tells us all about the newest addition to the fleet, as well as some of its VIP first riders. Our last president and his family never dared set foot in our little burg, much less hitch a ride on one of our historic treasures.
“Ding ding. All aboard. Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please, show me your tickets please.” I heard about the unveiling of the new #15 San Francisco cable car from a blogger friend, who lives in Arizona. After hearing about this great cable car confession, I immediately talked to some of the conductors to hear their thoughts on the new car and the special guests riders.
Max, a cable car conductor, told me, “Even though so much has happened and changed in San Francisco, our cable cars are still the center of the inner workings of our city. To us San Franciscans, the sounds of the cable car bells chiming day and night are the natural sounds to the city. “
In fact, I must confess to you that when I travel and can’t hear the cable car bells at night, it feels too quiet. I can’t get to sleep! And if you told me this when I first got to San Francisco, I would have never believed you. I now can’t live without hearing passing cars, car alarms, foghorns and the ringing of bells. (more…)
Cable Car Confessions #11: Top 10 Manners 06.29.09
Time for the June 2009 edition of Cable Car Confessions. This month, Laura shares 10 common-sense etiquette rules for the cable car, some of which apply to all Muni vehicles. Pay attention, riders!
Ding ding all aboard. “Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please show me your tickets please.” The locals know the following 10 ten list of manners and etiquette on the cable car. Some I agree with and others I try to remember to follow. Either way, riding the cable car is my favorite method of public transportation. Wouldn’t it be yours if you lived in San Francisco?
I have some questions for the woman I saw applying her mascara the other day, during rush hour on the cable car. Does she know that there are some spoken and unspoken manners and etiquette rules? My cable car confession to you is that I wish I knew some of the items on this list before I started riding the cable car. It was a lot of fun learning them though. (Click here to get all caught up with the other cable car confessions.)
New Cable Car Enters Service 06.23.09
As you guys probably all know from SFGate and the Market Street Railway Blog, Cable Car 15 entered service yesterday, with Gavin Newsom as usual on the front.
Anyway, before I rant, here are some pics from today’s ceremony:
That’s it folks!
Cable Car Confessions:#7 The Conductor’s Daughter 05.21.09
This is our second installment of Cable Car Confessions, originally published on Under the Sheets by Laura. This month, we’re privy to a heart-warming story of a Muni family.
Ding ding all aboard. “Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please show me your tickets please.” This cable car confession happened three days before Christmas. I was taking the cable car home after a very long day at work. I sat quiet trying to unwind from my day. The weather had turned cold for San Francisco so I sat inside to stay as warm as possible. I stared out of the window and fell deep into my thoughts, thinking about what I needed to do to prepare for work and for the upcoming holidays. I stared out onto the sides of the street – there were life sized ornaments in front of the office buildings and each building seemed to be wrapped in a holiday bow with white lights, red ribbons and Christmas trees.
I brought my attention back to what was happening inside of the cable car. I noticed that it wasn’t a full car yet and seemed occupied by mostly locals traveling home. There were two cable car drivers on the car. One man who was driving the front of the cable car had white hair, was short and very tiny. (Let’s call him Slim) The second cable car driver who was in charge of driving the back of the car and collecting tickets was tall and weighed around 250 pounds (Let’s call him Bob). We all had to squeeze in to make room as Bob walked by us. He was also very stern while collecting tickets, maybe even a little forgetful – I noticed that he asked for people to show their tickets again after they had just shown them to him.
A lady who was dressed in professional work clothes got onto the cable car at the next stop. She was a petite Asian woman who looked to be in her twenties. At this point, I was completely people watching or eavesdropping. Whatever you want to call it :) I wondered how Bob was going to treat this woman. To my surprise she was greeted by a huge and warm smile from Slim. Slim called to Bob and asked him if he knew who she was? Immediately Bob’s demeanor changed when he saw the woman. He went to her and instead of asking her for her ticket he hugged her.
Bronstein looks into cable car bell-ringing boycott 05.08.09
This just arrived in our inbox from Zoe Stagg:
Good morning,
Phil Bronstein just put up a new story today with an exclusive video [above] and story on Muni operators skipping out on the annual bell ringing competition
after what they think is shoddy treatment of a retiring operator by Muni higher-ups. The story is here in case you’re interested.
Thanks for the tip, Zoe!
If you’ve got Muni or BART news tips, stories, photos, or videos, please email us or use our Diary Submission form.
Cable Car Confessions: The Proposal 05.05.09
Here’s the first installment of Cable Car Confessions, first published in the blog, Under the Sheets by Laura. Her readers have been enjoying these episodes, and we hope you do, too.
Ding ding all aboard. “Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please show me your tickets please.” I have been getting a lot of requests for a new Cable Car Confessions. If you haven’t caught up on the past chapters read them here. This chapter is about the most perfect, romantic cable car proposal I was lucky enough to witness.
I must be honest with you: I have never gotten into the ABC show The Bachelor. Maybe I am too practical to think that after knowing someone for only six weeks you should get engaged on TV and then break up months later out of the public eye. Do I believe in love at first sight? Absolutely, but love at first sight with a camera crew around you, not so much.
So let me share with you what happened to me last week while riding the Powell/Mason cable car line. I got onto the cable car with my arms carrying heavy groceries and a kind man gave up his seat for me to sit down. I was very thankful. The man, who was dressed in a suit and seemed to be a little nervous, stood and put his arm around a woman who was now also standing up on the cable car.
When They Start Serving Tea on the Cable Car 04.24.09
About a week and a half ago, I was riding the California Cable Car, which gets a fair amount of tourists but nothing like its sister on Powell. A man got on around Hyde street with a large black bag. He was sporting, on his head, a dark plain baseball cap. He got in and we began our climb.
The cable car was destined for downtown but with one less passenger. As we got to the top of California street, it naturally got cooler (this is San Francisco). I immediately pulled down my own cap, then looked and saw the wind knock the plain cap off this man’s head and half a block away.
His response to the driver was the most casual thing I’ve heard in a long long time as if the drivers had a special service for this, he said: “Driver, I’ve lost my cap.” The driver stopped the cable car between stops. Then the man said, “Driver, I will be right back.”
The driver explained to the passenger that he needs to keep going. The passenger nodded then exited the bus. The driver began laughing. He looked at me and said, “Can you believe how casual he said that.” “Yeah,” I said. “I was waiting for you to offer him a cup of tea, to go with his assumptions.”
Photo by Flickr user Alkhalifa.imaging
Whether it happened on a cable car, trolley, light-rail, BART train, or at a bus stop, we’re always glad to hear your Muni and BART stories.
Chance meeting on the cable car 11.19.08
Submitted by Muni rider Daniel Seraph
Riding on a cable car going up Powell through Chinatown, the driver waved to an older woman with a toddler who were standing on the street corner. He had a big smile on his face as the woman waved back to him. He was beaming as he wrenched the brakes, throwing his entire body weight into it. He turned around and said to the passenger closest to him:
Did you see that lady back there with that child? Well, years ago when I was driving this same cable car, a woman pushing a baby carriage was riding in my car. She got off the cable car but somehow the cable car started moving with the baby still onboard! She chased after the cable car but she wasn’t fast enough. So she flagged someone down to give her a ride to chase after this cable car. Finally she got me to stop and she was reunited with her child. Well this woman and I became friends, and her baby girl – the one who was left in my cable car – grew up and ended up marrying my son. And that little kid with her just now? That’s my grandchild.
This was one of the most charmed Muni moments in my life. I don’t know how else to explain it. His happiness and pride made me feel like a million dollars.
Pedestrian Hit by Cable Car – Service Disrupted 09.24.08
Boy, it’s not a good week for Muni. Just in time to follow up on the Chronicle’s top story yesterday about Muni accidents, the paper reports that another pedestrian was hit by a cable car on Mason and Broadway this morning. I live near a cable car line and now will look both ways twice before crossing the street…
Cable Car Bell-Ringing Contest Results 06.04.08
SFist has a great cap, including photos, from yesterday’s annual ringing of the bells in Union Square.
Muni Diaries congratulates Leonard Oats on his triumph.
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