Hey, a camera on Muni shelters?

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Muni rider “D” sent us a photo of what looks like a camera on one of the new “wave” Muni shelters: “Just noticed these cameras at the shelters with the large “video” ads. Kind of Orwellian don’t you think?”

What is that thing? We asked SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose, and it turns out that the camera isn’t watching you, specifically.

“This is a camera, but it is not a surveillance or video camera. Clear Channel uses it to monitor vandalism/graffiti on the digital advertising panels. Only the shelters with digital advertising have them (about 90 right now). The camera takes a photo of the panel every 8 seconds or so and transmits it back to Clear Channel —- it does not take photos of people.”

There you have it. As most riders know, you may be filmed inside the bus, but not in the Muni shelters.

Category: diaries, Photos

BART Plans to Order New Cars in May

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Byebye, gross cloth seats and BART cars that smell like…you name it.

Last summer we told you about the proposed new BART cars and seats. Today SFGate reports that BART plans to order the first batch of these cars in May.

BART plans to buy a slick new ride – 260 new rail cars – for about $1 billion in May. The cars will sport a sleek modern look, cleaner seats, digital information displays, even air conditioning that works on hot days. And if transit officials are pleased, and can come up with another $2 billion or so, they’ll buy another 515 cars.

Don’t get too excited, though. After BART orders the new cars and the contract is awarded, the first of the test batch of new cars may arrive at the beginning of 2015.

Read the rest of the report.

Category: BART, News

‘Sorry Baby, My Tomato’

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Photo by Jason Tester

Beware of all fluids on the bus. As Kristee tells us:

I was riding a 24-Divisadero around 8 a.m. It was crowded and I was on one of the center facing-front seats reading a book. It was an embarrassing old-lady romance novel that I didn’t want anyone to see the cover of so I had it flat in my lap. At one point, a droplet fell from above me onto the page. It was too red to be water, but too diluted to be blood. Startled, I look up and there on the hand railing was a gnarled old fist tightly gripping a half-eaten ripe tomato. I loudly cleared my throat to express my irritation. In the smoothest Isaac Hayes voice, he calmly said, ‘Awww… sorry baby, my tomato,’ and casually stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans.

Head’s up?

Category: WTF: Weirdness on Muni

Muni News: Church Station repairs, Muni money, BART to San Jose

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Photo by Aaron

  • Second Rewired PCC Accepted by Muni (Market Street Railway)
  • Church Station Escalator Maintenance Through March (SFMTA)
  • Muni communications system could receive funding boost next week (SF Examiner)
  • SFMTA identifies $24 billion in long-term project needs (SF Examiner)
  • BART to San Jose appears set to get federal OK (AP via SFGate)
  • BART plans to order test batch of new cars in May (SFGate)
  • BART’s Fleet of the Future: Update on key features for new train cars (BART.gov)
Category: News
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