Memorial for Jimmy the Civic Center Busker

We may have lost another busker whose music served as a staple for our commute hours. Reader Laura and her young child often enjoyed Jimmy’s music when he played at Civic Center station. But, one morning last week, her husband found this poster, put up by Jimmy’s friend, noting the busker’s passing.

My husband Darryl took this picture in the southeast corner of Civic Center station on last Thursday morning, of a poster apparently put up in Jimmy’s honor. Later that day the poster was removed when he’d brought flowers to put under it. Jimmy was just a gentle-seeming person with kind eyes who played guitar most mornings in the southeast corner of Civic Center station.

We gave him money sometimes, and our four-year-old son sometimes danced to his music if we had time to stop for a few minutes on the way to preschool. We didn’t know anything else about him – even his name, until last week – but were shocked and saddened to see the poster (also shocked and saddened that the poster came down so fast.) We would love to make a donation in his honor at a social service provider if we could find out which one might have been helping him. Otherwise we’ll just pick one…

Last year, we saw an amazing outpouring of support for beloved busker Jesse Morris. If you have more information about Jimmy, or memories of seeing him play at Civic Center, please comment and let us know.

Muni Driver and Parking Officer Have a Moment


Photo by Aaron Bialick

Aaron at Streetsblog last week posted this about a Muni driver thanking a parking control officer issuing a ticket to a car blocking a bus stop:

This week, I stumbled upon a heartwarming moment for the folks out on the streets every day working to keep things moving along.

A 44-O’haughnessy driver pulled up to a bus stop blocked by a scofflaw driver just as a parking control officer (PCO) was issuing a ticket. In a pleasant show of camaraderie, the driver took a moment to thank the officer for her work.

Read the rest at Streetsblog SF.

Muni inspires new U.S. Postal Service stamps?

Muni rider Charles passed this one along. SF resident Eli Noyes drew some stamps for the Postal Service’s “Go Green” stamp series.

Noyes says he let life in San Francisco inspire his work on the stamps. Naturally, there’s a stamp with a bus on it. Muni looks good in green, no?

Read about Noyes and the stamps at SFGate.

And yes, we see the irony of the Postal Service’s message, “Go green” with “by using dead-tree mail” implied. Still!

This Only Happens to Muni-Riding Book Lovers


Photo by Steve Rhodes

While stumbling on Tumblr I found this great anecdote of connection from one book lover to the other, from It’s More Than Pillowtalk.

I was engulfed in Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eyes” when an older gentleman sat down next to me. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him glancing in my direction. At some point, he takes off his headphones to read past my shoulder. Somewhat afraid, I turn my book in the opposite direction. Being on the 14 Mission, you never know who’s crazy enough to act out.

When I close my book to gaze out the window, he takes off his headphones again and points at the cover. With a sweet spanish accent, he asks me what year did the book receive a Nobel Prize. Unsure, I open the book to find out. As I do so, he admiringly starts pouring out some of the greatest writers of all time. Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Don Quixote, along with Spanish writers and stories that I wish I could ask him more about.

When I ask him if he’s read Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist,” he sadly shakes his head to tell me no. This older gentleman experienced a stroke 4 years ago that has created problems for him when he reads.

Read the rest of the story on It’s More Than Pillowtalk.

Books, public transit, stories…everything we love here at Muni Diaries. If you’re a local book geek, you should check out People Reading in Public Places and Between the Lines.

Got your own Muni story to share? Tell me.

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