Alleged Muni phone thieves caught on video   01.06.12

Via Mission Local, the SFPD has video of alleged phone thieves on Muni. The police are asking for help identifying a group of individuals who have allegedly being committing these crimes aboard the J-Church.

From Mission Local:

The light-rail surveillance camera capture photos of the alleged thieves as they took off with a phone. The video, released by the Mission Police Station, shows a man running out of the bus, presumably after taking someone’s phone.

Anyone with information is asked to Contact SGT Gilmore at (415) 558-5400. For more information, go to the Mission Police Stations website.

Read the full story at Mission Local.

Written by jeff      ( 4 Comments )

A message to ponder on your Muni commute   01.06.12

Via @MonkeyFollowing: “On the commute to work on J Muni. Nice graffiti. Only in SF. Love this place.”

We love it too, Brandon.

Written by jeff      ( 1 Comment )

Muni’s Number-One in My Book, Too   12.16.11


Photo: epugachev

Over at 16th and Church, rider Jayne made a run for the J-Church stopped at a red light. She says that, despite some hand-waving and the presence of two more would-be passengers, the driver ignored them and bailed once the light was green. Try to contain your surprise. But that’s not where this tale ends.

I decided to walk to the Church St. Station to catch the Metro. When [I] arrived at Market/Church, I saw the J streetcar was struck in traffic at Safeway. I proceed to walk down to the subway and catch a train to Van Ness Station. When I arrived at Van Ness…I saw the J-Church that didn’t opened the door for me slowly arriving…so I made my way on the platform to the front and, as the J pulled up, I stood at the side of the driver’s cab and gave him the finger and let it linger there for about 10 seconds or so.

There’s a first time for everything: 30-plus years of ridership, and she says it’s the first time she flipped off a driver.

Well, we’ve all been there: riding the high (“You’re stuck at a red, thank jeebus! Open up, kind sir or madam!”) and the low (“Oh. Walking won’t be so bad, I guess). Literally giving Muni the middle finger could be a bit much, but getting stonewalled is obviously a shit picnic.

What say, Muni riders? Is finger warranted here?

Written by Tara      ( 5 Comments )

Muni in Top Form   12.06.11


Kyle and his friend, whose evening was saved by some very nice people.

On a Sunday evening my date and I were headed to the Van Ness station from the Mission via the J after spending some time in Dolores Park. The train came on time and the ride was as smooth as you can hope for from a Muni ride.

We arrived at Van Ness station and offboarded onto the platform. We had just barely climbed the top of the stairs to the mezzanine level when my date exclaimed “Oh God! My purse!” She had left her purse on the train.

Surely her cash and belongings were now lost in the clutches of the city forever, to be divvied up and forgotten about. I quickly made my way to the station operator booth and told the operator, “She left her purse on the last inbound J train!”

The operator quickly picked up his phone and called the train, told them the situation, nodded his head and put down the receiver. “They have it, wait downstairs on the outbound platform and look for train 1502, should be here in 20 or so minutes, happy holidays!” he said with a warm smile.

We thanked him and made our way to the platform to wait. When train 1502 rolled in, I entered the front car and was greeted by a friendly operator who was laughing and telling us how lucky we were and wishing us well.

It was all a pleasant and smooth experience, the kind you don’t usually expect from a Muni ride, especially when you are starting with a bad situation. I wrote a compliment on the SFMTA website for all the operators involved in the ordeal. Happy Holidays and wish you all the same fortunes on your commute.

Or at least let’s hope we can turn a small misfortune around like Kyle did. Hey, what’s your Muni diary today?

Written by Kyle Sullivan      ( Write a comment )

If and When You Like-Like a Muni Driver   11.01.11


Image: Flickr user jchinn84.

We’ve spotlighted our share of hug-worthy drivers here on Muni Diaries. Tammy, one of our favorites, threw a party for her passengers once. One F-Market/Wharves operator went beyond the call of duty, while another Muni driver handed out Lemon Heads one day! But what if you, you know…like them-like them?

@marisalevinson on Twitter poses a perfectly valid and hypothetical query:

 What do you do if you have a crush on a muni driver…Hypothetical situation…

Rider “Mike” left a missed connection for Muni driver Jackie. But how would you (or did you) go about it? Send us your solutions and shouts out to your uniformed objects of affection.

Written by Tara      ( 7 Comments )

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.

Written by eugenia      ( Write a comment )

The J-Church ‘Got Meat’   07.27.11

Muni rider Jazmin says, “July 7, 2011, the J line had free raw meat up for grabs.”

Not sure about you, but I wouldn’t dare “grab” that hunk of steak.

Other gross things that’ve appeared on Muni Diaries:
Matching condom and cough drops
Rats
Fingernail clipping, ad infinitum
A brownie

Written by Jazmin      ( 1 Comment )

But what else does F stand for?   06.09.11

F-Market
Photo by jon|k

Fun stuff in Twitterlandia @munidiaries: the alphabet according to Muni Metro.

@_mola_mola: #muni driver says: L is for late, M is for missing, T is for tardy.

@Bordash: is the N for never? i can’t come up with anything better.

@Owenchristoff: N: Non-existant. J: joke. K: Knocked-out :)

@simplelife9: And J and K is for Just Kidding, there really is no Muni in 5 minutes lol…

This all reminds us of that silly kerfuffle over T-shirts that mocked Muni routes.

Care to fill in the rest or add some to the list? F and S (Shuttle) are feeling left out of the party.

Written by Tara      ( 5 Comments )

Shoes on the J-Church Send Me on a Flashback   06.01.11

Muni rider Mike waxes nostalgic:

My little trip on San Francisco’s J-Church Muni train last week sent me trip down memory lane. It goes like this: High school, black leather motorcycle jacket covered with punk rock stickers, bleached hair/bangs hanging in face, and Converse high-tops covered in artwork via my hand and a Sharpie, duct tape holding them together, in denial that it was time for them to go. The orange Converse pictured were my ticket to this flashback journey.

Great stuff. Share your Muni stories here on Muni Diaries.

Written by Accidental Bear      ( Write a comment )

Fare Evasion, MacGyver Style   05.16.11

Ok, I know that people who bike really don’t want to ride the bus, but at the risk of your life and limb?

Thanks, Uptown Almanac and Wiggly Giggle.

Written by eugenia      ( 5 Comments )