Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
I guess Santa is soaking up every minute of shut-eye before his biggest work night of the year.
My friend Beth (@bwinegarner on Instagram) spotted this snoozer on BART recently, and I’m pretty sure this bad Santa gets on the naughty list for such behavior. That goes for the rest of the sleepers on BART, too. Santa knows, children. Santa knows.
Photo by David Lytle
Is it possible that Muni Metro could become faster and *gulp* make more sense? Pinch me, please.
According to Streetsblog SF, SFMTA is set to conduct a final round of double-berth testing on Muni Metro trains this weekend. Double-berthing is when two trains board in the same station at the same time.
From Streetsblog SF:
“[SFMTA Director Ed] Reiskin said Muni officials will demonstrate the feature on Saturday morning for officials at the CA Public Utilities Commission, who must sign off before Muni finally allows two trains at once to board passengers within its underground stations.”
If this weekend’s test is approved, Muni could start regular double-berthing service as soon as December 13.
Progress!
Comparing some BART commuters to salmon, SFGate wrote last weekend about a practice it called “upstreaming,” or riding the train in the opposite direction you’re headed for a few stops during commute hours simply in order to get a seat. You know, those riders who cram near the doors and get off at Civic Center or 16th Street only to cross the platform and board a train going the other way?
The SFGate article reminded @suldrew and @Rusty_Staples of an old Muni campaign to prevent back-riding and crowding at the Embarcadero station.
Although he didn’t recall the campaign, Muni spokesman Paul Rose says it isn’t a problem for Muni these days.
“It hasn’t been a major issue for Muni,” Rose told us in an email. “Our average trip time is generally much shorter than BART and BART has a higher percentage of riders making trips above 30 minutes. So it makes the upstreaming strategy less valuable to our riders.”
Well then. Have you seen rush hour commuters/salmon engaging in this behavior? What are your thoughts on it?
You know him as Muni Diaries Live storyteller extraordinaire and haiku champion, and now you can see him at his own storytelling show this Saturday at the Elbo Room! Jesse James and Hostelling International are hosting an evening of travel stories, celebrating the wonders, annoyances, and oddities inherent in going somewhere new. Wonders, annoyances, and oddities? Sold.
Performers include Muni Diaries Live alums Kay DeMartini, Broke Ass Stuart, Gina Gold, and Tarin Towers, as well as Nate Blanchard and special musical guest Miss Sheldra.
Holiday attire is encouraged, so we’ll see you and your ugly sweaters (or fabulous sequin dresses) there!
Travel Tavern: Home for the Holidays
Hostelling International USA
Tickets
Saturday, December 6, 2014, 7pm to 9pm
Elbo Room
647 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA
Artist Serene Lusano doodles on the bus and has identified the “golden seat” for people like her. This ideal seat is the “least visible to looky-loos” and has “less [sic] chances of ‘elbow disruption’ from fellow public transit riders.”
When I saw where Serene’s “golden seat” is, I realized that that actually is the seat I most prefer. What do you think is the best seat on the bus? (aside from “the one that’s not next to someone with body odor problems?”)
We know Muni inspires some pretty damn good haikus, but we didn’t expect these haikus to be used as bargaining chips on the bus! Muni rider Lisa M. tried to trade her haiku for a ride on the 28, and the Muni operator said no (and rightly so). But another rider, “Larry the football fan,” was charmed enough by Lisa’s impromptu ingenuity that he paid her fare for her. And here’s a photo of her ride-winning haiku, worth at least $2.25.
