Controversial “Jihad” Ads Are Back on Muni

Controversial “Jihad” ads are back on Muni again, but city officials want you to know that they don’t like it. The ads feature quotes by Osama bin Laden, the alleged Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hassan, and other Muslims, reports KQED. KQED also reports that the ads were purchased by Pamela Geller and the American Freedom Defense Initiative, who also put ads critical of Islam on Muni buses in 2012.

From SFWeekly:

Readers may have noticed the Osama bin Bus motoring around the city this week and stridently pro-Israel ads on buses last year. Muni claims it must take these paid ads from anti-Muslim extremists or end up on the losing side of a First Amendment case — as New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority did last year.

SFWeekly says that the ads appear on the 16X, 31BX, 52, and 108 lines.

You might remember that last year, Muni decided to donate the proceeds from the ads. Supervisor David Chiu is again proposing a resolution that the proceeds from this round of advertisement be donated to fund a study on the impact of post 9-11 hate and discrimination on Arab and Muslim communities, reports KQED.

Have you seen these ads and what do you think the SFMTA should do with the ad proceeds?

Your Weekend Transit Advisory: Parades, Sunday Streets, and Daylight Savings Time!

Ruth Jackson Family Day Parade and Festival
On Saturday the 14th annual Ruth Jackson Family, Friends and Community Day Festival will take place.

Beginning at 10:45 a.m. parade participants will gather at Santos Street and Velasco Avenue. At 11:30 a.m. the parade will move north on Santos Street, east on Sunnydale Avenue, north on Peabody Street, west on Leland Avenue, south on Cora Street, then west on Visitation Avenue to Hahn Street. The parade will end at approximately 1:30 p.m. at Herz Playground.

The following Muni routes will be affected by the parade as early as 10 a.m.:

· 8X San Bruno Express
· 9 San Bruno
· 56 Rutland

Little League Parade
On Saturday San Francisco Little League Baseball will open the 2013 season with a parade from the Presidio to Marina Middle School.

Beginning at 10 a.m. the parade will leave the Presidio Main Post through the Gorgas Gate, turn south on Lyon Street and proceed east on Union Street to Laguna Street, north to Chestnut Street, west to Divisadero, through the neighborhood and back to Bay Street to disband in the school parking lot.

The following Muni routes will be affected:

· 22 Fillmore
· 28 19th Avenue
· 30 Stockton
· 43 Masonic
· 45 Union

Sunday Streets
The first Sunday Streets events will be held this Sunday along the northbound Embarcadero from King Street to Fisherman’s Wharf and down 3rd Street to Mission Bay. The 3.3-mile route will be available to pedestrians and bicyclists for recreational activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. These events are free to all participants.

The headquarters for the event will be located at Harry Bridges Plaza in front of the Ferry Building, where participants can get details about activities along the event route as well as free bike rentals and maintenance. Other key locations are Fisherman’s Wharf, East Park (south of Pier 39), Rincon Park, South Beach Park and Mission Bay Park (near Pier 52). For further event details, please visit www.sundaystreetssf.com.

The following Muni lines and routes will be affected:

· Powell-Hyde Cable Car
· Powell-Mason Cable Car
· F Market and Fisherman’s Wharf
· T Third
· 1 California
· 2 Clement
· 5 Fulton
· 6 Parnassus
· 8X Bayshore Express
· 9 San Bruno
· 10 Townsend
· 12 Folsom-Pacific
· 14 Mission
· 14L Mission Ltd.
· 21 Hayes
· 30 Stockton
· 31 Balboa
· 38 Geary
· 38L Geary Ltd.
· 39 Coit
· 45 Union-Stockton
· 47 Van Ness
· 71 Haight-Noriega
· 76 Marin Headlands
· 108 Treasure Island

Participants can take the following Muni routes and lines for easy access to Sunday Streets fun:
· F Market
· Metro Lines (J, K, L, M, N, T)
· 10 Townsend
· 22 Fillmore
· 30 Stockton
· 45 Union-Stockton

Start of Daylight Saving Time
On Sunday daylight saving time will commence at 2 a.m., requiring clocks to be set forward one hour.

All Muni service will continue to operate on standard time through the end of Owl service. Muni schedules will adjust to daylight saving time with the start of regular service on Sunday.

Welcome Muni’s thrill-ridden boring machines: Big Alma and Mom Chung

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Mom Chung, one of the Central Subway’s two tunnel boring machines. Photo courtesy The Robbins Company

We’re not quite sure why these earth-moving beasts deserve names, either. But we like the fun.

From SFMTA’s press release:

The first of the machines, Mom Chung, is expected to arrive in San Francisco in April. The 300-foot-long machine will be assembled within an excavation on 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets and will start building the tunnel for southbound trains about two months later. Big Alma will arrive soon after Mom Chung to construct the northbound tunnel.

Perhaps most importantly, follow the tunnel-boring machines on Twitter at @BigAlmatheTBM and @MomChungtheTBM (curiously, Mom Chung has more followers as of this writing).

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Ghost riding of sorts on the M-Ocean View

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Muni rider Annette sees the upside to an otherwise Muni fail.

“On the M coming from SF State and we’re stopped at Castro Station. The Muni driver is hollering for people to stand back and let the doors close. Except no one was standing in the doorway, it wasn’t at all crowded. I see the driver walking down past our car to the next to inspect the doors. A few minutes later we’re rocking again full speed ahead through the tunnel. We get to Church Station and once again the doors aren’t closing. The guy next to me is curious about what’s happening and goes outside to investigate. Turns out that squeaky door from the car behind me FELL OFF THE HINGES during the tunnel. Gone. Vanished. No mas! Needless to say, the train went out of service. Another Muni fail for on time departures, but a win for entertainment!”

Pretty sure she’s describing this story, via SFGate. We’re glad everyone is safe!

Heroes, Idiots, and a Rice-a-Roni Sing-Along. It’s Muni Diaries Live!

Muni Diaries Live 9 Lucky Jesus 2
Photo by Elton Sin

Where else would you erupt into an impromptu Rice-a-Roni sing-along? At Muni Diaries Live, of course! This time we packed in a queercore band, a great lineup of storytellers, plus a rematch of the Muni Haiku Battle. Here’s how it all went down.

Queercore band Lucky Jesus jump-started the show with a cover of Berlin’s “The Metro,” rewritten to fit San Francisco’s own crazy transit.

Muni Diaries Live 9 Lucky Jesus
Photo by Elton Sin

Additional photos of Lucky Jesus by Tara Lohan can be found here.

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Transit News: Muni tunnels, BART fare hikes, free Muni for youth, strollers on Muni

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Photo by chris.chabot

  • Muni tunnels still have no cell service (SFGate)
  • Muni’s “Garbage Bag Bus” Breaks Down (SF Weekly)
  • Central Subway: Muni’s Drilling Plan Strains Credulity (SF Weekly)
  • Free Muni for San Francisco youths kicks off today (SF Examiner)
  • BART Board dedicates inflation-based fare increases to new trains; OKs demand-based parking (BART.gov)
  • Muni Train Door Ripped From Hinges; No Passengers Hurt (CBS Bay Area)
  • Babies in strollers allowed on Muni buses starting today (SFGate)
  • New D4 Supervisor Katy Tang: Curbing Muni Switchbacks a Top Priority (Streetsblog SF)
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