Muni Diaries

Mystery Muni Accordion-Player

July 25, 2012 jeff 6 comments

Update (1:34 p.m.): @clowntraps was kind enough to share the photo above, adding, “the N Judah accordion player from yesterday. Quite good!” So there you have it. Now, audio, anyone?

Original post: You know what they say about three making it a trend, right? Well, here we go.

1. Bummed

Of all the instruments that could serenade me on #muni, it just had to be the accordion, didn't it?

— Tatiana Graf (@MeatMaven) July 23, 2012

2. Joyous

Random guy is playing an accordian on the N-Judah right now. And it is amazing. And I am loving it 🙂 #onlyinsf #muni cc: @munidiaries

— Sejal Dhruva (@SejalDhruva) July 23, 2012

3. Indifferent?
https://twitter.com/lfm0sca/status/227960708481032192

We recently learned of a mysterious full band entertaining/irritating L-Taraval passengers. Won’t someone help unmask the accordion player on the N-Judah? Are the two somehow related?

Here’s another photo, this one showing TWO accordion players, from bananaeggroll:

Category: diaries Tags: N-Judah

No, but thanks for asking

July 25, 2012 jeff One comment

Photo by John ‘K’

Sam had a noteworthy experience on Muni recently. On her Tumblr, she called this “Lady next to me on Muni.” Here’s what happened:

LADY: *something in a different language*
ME: I’m sorry, what?
LADY: *again in different language*
ME: What?
LADY: You don’t speak Ordu?
ME: No, I’m Iranian.
LADY: Oh.. are you Iranian Muslim?
ME: No, I’m not religious
LADY: …..
ME: …..
LADY: ……
she goes and sits somewhere else

Score one for honesty!

Category: diaries, reflection

FTA Awards Muni with $21.4 Million

July 24, 2012 jeff Leave a comment

Photo by THE Holy Hand Grenade!

Streetsblog SF reports that the SFMTA, which runs Muni, has been awarded $21.4 million to upgrade its fleet with new buses, and make improvements to a specific route.

From Streetsblog’s report:

Muni, which has the oldest transit fleet in the nation, will be able to replace 18 twenty-year-old buses with low-floor, biodiesel hybrid buses using the $15 million State of Good Repair grant, according to a news release. Another $6.4 million, which comes from the Livability grant, will be used for these improvements along the 8x Bayshore Express line as part of the 8x Mobility Maximization project:

Coloring of existing dedicated transit lanes;

Transit signal priority;

Pre-payment fare collection;

Information panel and transit arrival prediction signs;

Vehicle branding and enhanced stop identification; and

Cameras on buses to capture vehicles illegally occupying transit-only lanes.

Overall, Bay Area transit agencies fared well, also. In addition to Muni’s take, BART, AC Transit, SamTrans, and the Valley Transportation Authority are set to receive a total of $45.7 million for transit improvements.

Next Stop … A Tribute to NYC’s Miss Subways

July 24, 2012 yarbs Leave a comment

Photo: The first Miss Subways winner, Mona Freeman, via the Miss Subways Facebook Page.

New York City Subway stations have a specific type of beauty: underground urban sensibility mixed with iconic ceramic plaques and tile mosaics. We wouldn’t have thought they’d serve as the backdrop for a beauty contest, but we’re glad to be proven wrong.

For decades beginning in the 1940s, the Subway stations paid tribute to more than 200 winners of the Miss Subways contest. To enter, you just needed to be a lady, a New York City resident, and a Subway rider. The lovely winners’ photos, accomplishments, and aspirations were featured on posters throughout the transit system. New York artist Fiona Gardner and journalist Amy Zimmer tracked down 40 of the former beauty queens, photographed them, and plan to tell their life stories in an upcoming book, Meet Miss Subways. The duo still needs funding to complete their book — here’s more info on the Miss Subways Kickstarter project.

We have to admit, this unbelievably cool project has left us with a little city envy. Can we have a Miss Muni, please?

Category: News Tags: other-cities