Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You(r Muni neighbor) 02.03.12
Jesse was recently, well, bemused on Muni. Here’s why.
Crazy guy and I both went to sit in the sideways seats at the front of the bus. I noticed there were two quarters on his seat just as he sat down on them.
I said to him, “Hey man, you just made 50 cents,” as I pointed to the quarters. Without looking at them, he reached back and grabbed them from practically under his ass and held them in his tightly closed fist. He said “Here, I can tell you the dates on them.” Then he seemed to concentrate for a second, and said “1977…1995.” He opened his hand and we looked. He was right on both accounts. “I can always predict dates on coins,” he explained. That was just the beginning.
Other topics of conversation covered:
- His Superior Court murder case was dismissed.
- He is turning 41 next week.
- Everyone has transistor radios.
- Fuck his dad.
- His family is trying to kill him.
- He can predict the date on coins. (see above)
- His mom died at 57.
- This is his first day without heroin or methadone.
- He only wears Element shoes but doesn’t skate anymore.
- Fuck his dad for ducking him for his whole life.
- This city is pissing him off.
- His last name rhymes with Bolinas.
- The guy sitting across from us might be his dad.
- He’s got to leave this city before he kills someone again.
- His family is everywhere, even in City Hall.
- Theres photography studios everywhere, and that’s how he knows how to find his dad.
- He can tell that he and I are on the same wavelength.
- Oh, and fuck his dad.
There’s a little something for everyone in that story, we think. What’s your Muni story?
San Francisco Engagement Shoots on Muni 02.01.12
Photo: Sarah Dawson Photography
Pictured below are Katie and Shadi, and Bryan and Michelle, respectively.
We curse it to hell during commute hours, but any San Francisco photo shoot just isn’t complete without it. In 2009, Jeff and I couldn’t resist, either. We met in San Francisco and get all marshmallowy over neat stuff on public transit, so there you go.
Photo: Right Angle Images
Photo: Right Angle Images
Snuggle up on Muni (with permission from your snugglee, that is), and send us your photos and stories today. Why’s Muni your backdrop for more than getting to and fro?
In memory of streetcar No. 106 (update) 11.28.11
Update: Over on Market Street Railway’s blog today, they provide more background on streetcar No. 106. Read the MSR post for more.
Original post: You already know that we loves us some tattoos of the Muni worm and Muni vehicles. So this little treat in our submission inbox the other day put a big ol’ smile on our faces. From Alex:
The car in the tattoo and that Alex refers to is No. 106, a Moscovite awaiting restoration by the good folks at Market Street Railway. We hope to see car 106 on the streets of San Francisco someday soon. Thanks, Alex. And, nice tattoo!
Photo Diary: Grocery Liquor 11.17.11
Photo by Kapshure
Look at who coordinated to match in kelly green today.
Got great Muni photos? We’re always hungry for them!
Streetcar Avengers Fighting Crime and Missed Runs 11.09.11
Art by San Francisco-based artist Julian Lozos. Check out his Kickstartr page (goal met!) for more on his calendar project.
Pretty cool. It’s like choosing which of the X-Men you’d want on your side in a fight (JEAN GREY).
I pick #130 for its deadly combo of style and substance. MSR says it was part of a commission to expand service for the Pan-Pacific International Exposition: the event that brought us the Palace of Fine Arts and showed off a rebuilt — on landfill, but still — post-1906-earthquake San Francisco. Plus, it’s done a tour of duty on almost every streetcar line.
My favorite-favorite F coaches, though, have to be the PCC cars. Smoothest, cushiest ride in town if you time it right (PSST not around 9 a.m. or 5 p.m.).
Meander over to Bernalwood to see more local-landmark superheroes.
New Level Seat Etiquette on Muni 10.26.11
Photo by Anna Vignet
Across from me, there were three seats together. In the middle seat, sandwiched between two empties, was a very tall and fit-looking older (late 60s? 70s?) man wearing a retired U.S. Marine Corps basecall cap festooned with pins and a Marine Corps jacket. He had headphones in, and his legs were spread out into the seat space on either side.
Enter wholesome young couple with toddler daughter in a stroller. There was some struggling to move the stroller out of the aisle and get everyone situated. Dad leaned over and asked Mr. Marine if he wouldn’t mind moving so he and his wife could sit together. Mr. Marine, who had not so much as glanced in their direction, kept his steely gaze fixed forward, didn’t turn his head or anything, simply raised his [large] hand and gave Dad the finger. It was awesome. Then Dad muttered something about, “Well, THAT wasn’t very nice.”
I won’t get into the father-daughter interaction that ensued for the rest of the ride, but it was insipid and annoying enough that I wanted to flip him the bird too.
Oh who said San Francisco is not a children-friendly city? What else happened on your Muni ride today? Our inbox is thirsty!
John Waters Muses About Muni 10.24.11
Comedian John Waters was recently at the Jewish Community Center where the host asked him about riding Muni. According to the host, “everyone hates Muni!” I think he means love-hate. Or love to hate. But John Waters actually just loves the ride.
“Sometimes when I have nothing to do, I feel like it’s just like an amusement park ride…I love it, it really makes me happy to ride Muni here.”
Watch the video and find out what he has to say about the F and the J, and hear why his love for Muni is the only controversy he’s ever caused.
Hat tip: rider Shoshannah.
Muni Tattoos Revisited 10.07.11
Photo by SFLocal.net
Some people literally wear love for San Francisco on their sleeves with Muni-related tattoos. There’s everything from an F-Market/Wharves PCC streetcar to a Fast Pass to the Muni worm. The owner of that Muni-worm tattoo, Muni Tattoo Girl, contacted us after that first post and sent us some more pics of her iconic neck piece.
Tattoos being permanent and all (for better or worse), not everyone is willing to make the commitment. Enter temporary Muni tattoos, courtesy of SFLocal.net. The artist celebrated 10 years in our fair city this year.
Fast Pass tattoos above go for $2.25 a pop. Get them — and other SF-related ones — at SFLocal or in the artist’s Etsy store.
Rude Surprise for Tourists on Muni 10.03.11
Photo by Aaron
He said, “This is a crackpipe. Look.” and proceeded to light the thing and smoke the residue on the F-Line.
Lovely.
Needless to say I lost my shit with him. When I did, the man said, “Why are you even talking to me if you don’t have money to give me?”
Whoa. Sassy crack guy. How do you explain this to tourists (or kids, for that matter) on Muni? Comment away, or tell us your Muni story.
Will a Car-Free Market St. Make Muni More than Mediocre? 09.15.11
Photo by: Kevin on Flickr
Can it be?
Whenever it happens — and we’re crossing our fingers that it does — will this make our Market Street Muni run more efficiently? Perhaps there will still be late starts, downed power lines, and pedestrians/bicyclists/transit vehicles moving out of turn. But private cars sharing lanes with transit vehicles is a major piece of the puzzle, from where I stand (and sit, crawling on Van Ness heading home or Market Street on the way to work).
Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think.
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