Stuck on Muni in the Sunset Tunnel

100 Muni StoriesAbout 30 feet into the the Sunset Tunnel the in-bound N-Judah stopped. People sat quietly, unsurprised. Then someone in the front of the car exclaimed that the train had come apart and we were left behind. It took a few moments for people to process this before starting to exchange glances, mostly of amused disbelief.

Sure enough, the second car had stopped and for some reason been unattached from the first car, which continued out of the tunnel. I was worried about the chance of another train coming up behind us but it is a short tunnel and you can see light at both ends from the middle and I thought, surely the operator in the first car and muni control noticed the problem, as you can see in the photo I took that shows that a second train had started to enter the tunnel behind us and stopped.

A woman in the front car had dialed 911. She asked if anyone had any medical issues or if anyone was having a panic attack – no. Someone would be on their way to help. After five minutes or so, a Muni employee showed up and hopped on. He tried to start the car but explained it was not getting power. This is why it stopped and uncoupled from the
first car.

Everyone filed off the car and walked back to the tunnel opening to be greeted by fire trucks, police, and curious neighbors. A bus was being brought in to pick up passengers. I had plans to meet someone in the Castro. A quick check of the map and I was on my way up Clayton and down 17th. And that was it.

This was Katie’s day on Muni and her entry for the 100 Days, 100 Muni Stories contest. We all know too well how one little thing can derail your carefully scheduled day. Check out other stories competing for 100 Days, 100 Muni Stories, and send us your own Muni story today. Use the Muni Diaries submission form or tweet @munidiaries and include the hashtag #100MuniStories.

It’s Always Snacktime on Muni


Photo: joshleejosh

100 Muni StoriesReal, honest-to-goodness Muni is found just as easily in 140 characters as it is in 1,400. To whit:

@alleekate418: On the T watching a man eat something out of his shoe.

What kind of shoe, I wonder? And are we talking M&Ms or mashed potatoes?

More Muni experiences await your eyeballs — check out the rest in our “100 Days, 100 Muni Stories Muni” celebration. And we still want to hear from you; send us your stories today, ’cause the best ones will be excerpted on a real-life Muni bus ad.

Is springtime nosepicking season on Muni?


Photo by birdsintheframe

An unusual flurry of Muni tweets were spotted recently mentioning seeing someone on Muni digging for gold:

Friday, April 6: “this lady on the 29 dug for gold up her right [nostril] & wiped it on her toddler’s back.” – @KatmanduHerself
Monday, April 9: “woman on the L drinking beer, picking her nose, wiping mouth with baby bonnet, flipping off an older lady, stickers on glasses” – @Zangelman
Monday, April 9: “Serious nose pickage on the 1BX right now. I thought this was a classier ride…” – @im_crafty

It made us wonder why, all of a sudden, such a phenomenon would unfold. Could it be … allergies? Also: Stop it, people.

Ode to (Not Muni) Transit


Photo: Staś Małolepszy

Muni rider Jessica has had it with Muni. She writes:

I had been a long time Muni commuter until a job took me to Oakland and forced me to start commuting via bicycle/BART. Now I’m back in the city and at the mercy of Muni when it rains. Last week was particularly bad, and inspired me to start rhyming.

This commuter’s frustration culminated in a very Seuss-ian poem, “An Ode to Independent Transportation.”

I do not miss you Muni bus, who squished and threw and jostled us
I do not miss you 45, recycling and chickens (live!)
I do not miss you 41, iPhone in hands of everyone
I do not miss you 19, too, you smell of B.O. and of poo
I do not miss your route through town, drivers wearing tan and brown
I do not miss your speed, a crawl; I do not miss you, not at all!

Send us your Muni musings, rhyming or otherwise, today.

1 … 42 43 44 45 46 … 64