Muni Fails Miserably for Bay to Breakers

My own experience* aside, here’s a great analysis from the good folks at SFist of Muni’s utterly botched handling of yesterday’s street race in the city.

* So we didn’t make it quite to the ocean. More like Clayton and Fell, where we dropped off at a friend’s place to use the alternative bathroom (the Panhandle-turned-toilet was overrun with revelers).

After some much-needed rest and snacking, we headed over to Clayton and Fulton, where, we were promised by Next Bus, we’d be able to get an outbound 5-Fulton in five minutes. When we arrived at the stop, sure enough, we looked east and saw a bus at what we guessed was Masonic and Fulton. After a long day of drinking and walking, it was like seeing an oasis in the desert.

There was a couple at the stop before us, and they told us that the same bus had been parked where we saw it for at least 10 minutes. We sat and waited at least another 10, hailing every passengered cab that drove by, to no avail.

Then, the parked bus finally pulled out into traffic, and we were relieved. We waited by the curb, even stepping out into the street in anticipation. Fulton and Clayton is a T intersection, and our side was a solid curb, with no obstructions. As the bus approached, it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t stopping. A split-second thought of, Maybe, maybe it doesn’t see us, crossed my mind. But really, there’s no way.

The bus had, I’d guess, seven passengers. There’s no viable reason for it to have passed us. And there’s no way it didn’t see us. As it approached, we edged out further into the street and were, three of us, flailing, waving our arms, crying out for help.

But the beast passed us by.

Way to go, Muni. Way to step up service on a day when the city needs you. Oh, that’s right. What was I thinking? The city needs you every day, but that clearly doesn’t mean anything.

5 comments

  • tara

    I would like to add that since we got mega-dissed by the near-empty 5-Fulton, we had to walk to Geary and catch the 38, one of my least favorite lines. Thanks indeed, Muni. My Mun-emisis.

  • I was in no way involved with B2B except that I live off 10th near the park. Despite NextMuni predictions of inbound 5’s, there were NO 5’s and none of the B2B buses would stop. I ended up having to walk, which I don’t mind, but that’s not the point. The point is that obviously a million people are going to be getting on towards the beginning of the line and the buses will get full pretty quickly. Why not have some buses start around 6th so the lines aren’t so backed up? It seems like there are a lot of other options Muni should be thinking about for events like B2B. But will they? No.

  • tara

    I can see SF government saying more B2B buses would encourage the debauchery that was apparently worse this year. SF has to be the worst at handling major events, despite its desire to attract major, world-class events! Oh, the irony.

  • Hailing passengered cabs is usually a waste of time. Hailing unpassengered cabs is generally more effective. Just sayin.

  • Jessica

    They run a 5 express on b2b. Check the website for stops – guessing Masonic was one while clayton was not. But they should post that at the stops, you’d think. But FYI for you for this year.

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