Thank You, Muni Hero of the 1-California

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Photo by Brandon Doran

Riding on a nearly full 1-California last Thursday afternoon, I opened my eyes from my mini nap when I noticed that the bus wasn’t moving. It appeared that the bus driver was leaning over having a conversation with a passenger who wanted to board the bus.

I heard an older woman’s voice from the opened bus door: “Do you give change?” We all knew the answer.

Then I heard the same woman’s voice: “When’s the next bus coming?”

The bus stop happened to be one without the NextBus display, so nobody really had an answer for her.

Just as I was starting to feel a little bad for her, a young man got up from the first row, leaned over to the open door and said, “Ma’am? I’ll pay for you. Come on in.”

The woman got in the bus — she was a silver-haired lady wearing a blue quilted coat. The young man paid her fare, got up, and gave his seat to her, and we were on our way.

Thank you, young man in the black leather jacket, Levi 514s, black Adidas, and black messenger bag. There’s a big difference between feeling bad for someone and actually doing something about it. Your kindness made me realize we need to cross that line more often.

Saw a Muni model citizen? Give them praise here.

Category: diaries Tags:

Smile in 3, 2, 1: Balloon Animal on Muni

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Rider Anthony sent us this picture of ol’ yellow on a “very crowded 38L.” When you’re ass-to-crotch with strangers during commute hour, it’s the little things that count.

Balloon animals on Muni is my favorite meme, short of actual pets on the bus. (And the even rarer meme of the bus arriving just when I needed it.) I spotted my first balloon animal on a snoozing Muni in October, after which rider Kristin sent us a pic of its twin (or perhaps the same one?) on a 16X. Rider Heather sent us a blue balloon dog from 2010, and, stretching even further back, we’ve got this orange one on the 5-Fulton, via telluomo on Flickr:

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Category: diaries, Photos Tags: , ,

Muni News: New transpo board members, tunnel driver, new streetcar, Muni violence

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Photo by Robert B. Livingston

  • Supervisors Campos, Wiener picked to lead transportation board (City Insider)
  • Man Who Drove Through Muni Tunnel Blew A 0.20 BAC (SFist)
  • Man Who Drove Into Muni Tunnel Last Month Pleads Not Guilty To DUI Charges (SF Appeal)
  • The C-line is back! (Market Street Railway)
  • Fare Hack: Exploiting a Clipper Card Flaw Is Easy (SF Weekly)
  • Another addition to the F-Market fleet (Market Street Railway)
  • Miffed Muni mom mauls fellow passenger for crowding her (SF Examiner)
  • Man Beaten And Robbed While Waiting For Muni (BCN via SF Appeal)
  • BART expansion to Livermore to be studied (SF Examiner)
Category: News

‘You’re Already Dead!’

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Photo by MetaGrrrl

Pull your chairs closer to the campfire, kids. Ariel‘s got a doozy for us.

I’d been on the bus for one stop and already had a lady with face tattoos spit in my face.

The young lady who spat in my face was saying really hateful stuff in another lady’s face, almost making her cry, but nobody was doing anything about it. I had just gotten on and took my ear buds out to hear what she was saying. Just as I did that she spat in the other lady’s face. I put my hand on the tattooed-face lady and said, “Hey!” She spun around and gave me an evil look and said, “You’re already dead!”

I told her to get off the bus and she spat in my face. I tried to keep cool and told her again. She got off and made a big fuss about her bags, then the lady she first spat on had the operator call the cops. Then I saw the spitting lady handcuffed with a mask over her mouth, led into the cop car. We all had to get off the bus, probably so the operator could file a report.

As I told Ariel, the whole “You’re already dead” bit is already giving me nightmares. And I haven’t even gone to sleep. Got a fireside chat to share with your Muni-riding brothers and sisters? Do it here.

Category: diaries Tags:
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