Story Archive – Page 428

Arguments between the old San Franciscans…

July 24, 2009 eugenia Leave a comment

From the Muni Diaries submissions inbox:

Friday, July 25, 2008

A scene on the bus today after work–

Old man: “People have no right to be cruel to the bus driver. The bus drivers work very hard. You need to show some respect to them.”
Old lady: “Uh huh, okay, okay…” (not really listening)
Old man: “That’s right, people shouldn’t flag down the bus driver and expect for him or her to wait for them; show some respect. Some people are so rude.”
Old lady: “Okay…” (shakes her head “no” and waves the guy down to make him stop talking)
Old man: “Oh yeah? Well same to you! It’s people like you who are not natives to San Francisco that make the city bad!”
Old lady: “Oh, YEAH? Well, I’VE LIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR 50 YEARS NOW, I am not an immigrant!”
Old man: “Well I’ve lived here for 75 years, so you shut your trap. All these immigrants need to just go home.”

You people and your newspapers and your sense of entitlement…

July 23, 2009 Tara 9 comments

Photo by Flickr user messtiza

I’m going to get a lot of hate mail for this one, especially since I’m also the person who hates disabled people with casts, as well as small, innocent children on field trips.

It’s really kind of funny. Twenty-somethin’ gal with her BlackBerry and her text messaging and her internets. Older gentleman with his morning newspaper. Odd-couple comedy in the making!

So this man gets on the bus and grabs a seat next to me in a disabled section crowded with fellow commuters. I check to make sure there aren’t other older or pregnant folks trying to nab a seat, then get back to my internets. The gent opens his newspaper (the San Francisco Examiner, which I used to write for) and extends one side of it and his arm far into my seat/space. I politely say, “Excuse me,” and, thinking the issue is over, am actually surprised when he, clearly affronted, wants to know what I was excusing-me for.

Hmm, OK. I note as politely and even-voicedly (though also kind of flustered and surprised) as I can that his newspaper is in my space, and that if he could just fold up a bit more, that would be great. As easy as it could be to tell him he needed to back the F up, I first incorrectly said (who knew I’d actually have to explain it) his paper was touching me. OK (calm vibes), I guess it’s not exactly touching me, but it’s hovering over my lap, and I’m personally folded up as much as I can be, you know? I happen to agree with the fine etiquette ladies at Muni Manners, who noted in a post about this very phenomenon that folding your newspaper to lessen your impact, but still get your news, is the safe and courteous thing to do for all. Read more

Category: Funny: Muni LOLs, Story Archive Tags: 10-Townsend, 26-Valencia, muni-etiquette

Cable Car Confessions: The new cable car and its presidential guests

July 22, 2009 jeff Leave a comment

Presenting the July 2009 edition of Cable Car Confessions. This month, Laura tells us all about the newest addition to the fleet, as well as some of its VIP first riders. Our last president and his family never dared set foot in our little burg, much less hitch a ride on one of our historic treasures.

“Ding ding. All aboard. Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please, show me your tickets please.” I heard about the unveiling of the new #15 San Francisco cable car from a blogger friend, who lives in Arizona. After hearing about this great cable car confession, I immediately talked to some of the conductors to hear their thoughts on the new car and the special guests riders.

Max, a cable car conductor, told me, “Even though so much has happened and changed in San Francisco, our cable cars are still the center of the inner workings of our city. To us San Franciscans, the sounds of the cable car bells chiming day and night are the natural sounds to the city. “

In fact, I must confess to you that when I travel and can’t hear the cable car bells at night, it feels too quiet. I can’t get to sleep! And if you told me this when I first got to San Francisco, I would have never believed you. I now can’t live without hearing passing cars, car alarms, foghorns and the ringing of bells. Read more

Category: From MD Editors, Story Archive Tags: cable cars

Ew de Muni: Fried chicken and formaldehyde

July 21, 2009 jeff One comment

Photo by Flickr user adotjdotsmith

This olfactory delight by Mary Stream arrived in our inbox the other day:

Here’s a smell vignette from last night’s (July 14) 71L ride home:

At Fillmore and Haight, a senior Asian man gets on with two large containers of Popeye’s chicken. The chicken smell fills the bus causing one man in the back to yell “Hey, who’s serving chicken up front. Remember us back here.”

When the bus turns on Lincoln by UCSF Medical Center, an intern (name tag so indicated) got on and sat beside me. He smelled of formaldehyde.

What a great combination of smells (gag): Fried chicken and formaldehyde!

Got a story to tell? Funny, gross, gripe? Send it our way.

Category: Funny: Muni LOLs, Story Archive, WTF: Weirdness on Muni Tags: 71L-Haight/Noriega Limited, etiquette, gross, smells

Weekend Photo Diary: Deeper Concentration

July 17, 2009 jeff Leave a comment

Photo by Troy Holden

Dude, Plug 1 just won’t let up, will he? He’s all over, everywhere, all the time, taking amazing photos, dropping them into various group pools on Flickr, and even doing us the favor of sending us Muni-related news tips. We swear, he must be two or three people, or be able to bend the time/space continuum curve to be able to do as much as he does.

This photo is so cool, so real, we almost feel like we’re on the train with this guy, not our day-job desks putting together a Weekend Photo Diary.

Alas …

Weather this weekend should continue to feel not-quite-like-July-in-San-Francisco, meaning warm weather and mostly clear skies. Weather Underground sees highs in the upper-60s, while our mobile app tells us low-70s. You can interpret both to mean: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND HAVE SOME OUTSIDE FUN, PEOPLE!

Cheerio!

xoxo

Muni Diaries

Category: Photos, Story Archive

Not the good kind of nudity

July 17, 2009 eugenia Leave a comment

Photo submitted by author

In high school, we were broke. So we had to find cheap ways to entertain ourselves, and one of those ways was to take the 38 in from the Richmond and take the now-defunct 42 Downtown Loop to the old Tower Records and the Wharf.

One fateful day, my friend Bob and I were on the 42, sitting in the second-to-back row on the driver’s side. It was fairly crowded, but not uncomfortably so. We were minding our own business, talking about Man of La Mancha or whatever the hell it is we talked about in high school.

Eventually, we noticed some kind of commotion near the front of the bus, and a handful of people getting off. We tried to see what was going on, but there were too many people. Eventually, more people got off and we saw a totally naked middle-aged woman ambling around the front of the bus.