Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
BART rider Lisa asks, “Worst business name ever?” We’re pretty sure that Harry Butts Plumbing ranks higher. But we’ll take this late entry.
Also, are they saying, “Munch on me, Berkeley,” or, “Munch on me Berkeley”? There’s a difference, ya know?
Photo by blarfiejandro
All Photos by Mike Dillon
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into photography.
I’m just your friendly neighborhood microbiologist by day, and that guy who won’t stop taking pictures of everything the rest of the time. Originally from Washington State (the side that no one has ever heard of, where it doesn’t rain), I’ve been in the Bay Area for about five years now because, well, this is kinda the place you go if you’re a microbiologist. Plus, who wouldn’t want to live in San Francisco?
In the last few years, I’ve been itching to find an artistic outlet. I spent some time toying around with photography using a couple cheap point and shoot cameras, but never really got into it. I’m the type of person who, once I commit to something, will go all out on it, but I need to really commit to it first. So one day a bit over a year ago, I finally just went for it and picked up a dSLR and hit the streets with it.
Let’s just say there was a bit of a learning curve: I think I got two to five photos I actually liked out of the first six months. Over the last year or so, I’ve gradually learned the settings and received a ton of inspiration from a number of great local photographers, many of whom have had photos featured on Muni Diaries before me. I’m still new to this with a lot to learn, but I’m working on it by just getting my camera out to take photos every day and doing my best to meet and learn from members of the amazing San Francisco photography community.
Images: Tara Ramroop. Vive le Metro!
My personal favorite is this Victorian Art Nouveau Metro entrance in Montmartre, Paris:
Most recently, we found this from our spotless, polite neighbors to the north: transit-rider etiquette in Vancouver. We have to wonder: does this work up there? Because it’s suspiciously akin to our own unspoken rules, broken day in and day out.
What are your international transit favorites? Wouldn’t it be nice to make it on the transit radar for something undeniably cool, like, oh, free puppies at all odd-numbered line stops?
Update (2:34 p.m.): A reader noted on le Facebook Wall that SF cable cars perhaps count toward our international fame, because those are obviously on plenty of people’s transit radars. Indeedily they are, and we love the Victorian relics of old San Francisco. For this post, I suppose we’re looking for something more today, such as, OH, puppies at every stop or ticket-purchasing via cell phone. (I’m selling it too hard now, right? Now we will never get puppies.)
Photo by Steve Rhodes
Muni Tattoo girl alerts us to this “funny if it weren’t also totally pathetic” story:
I lost my coin purse containing my Clipper and my ID a couple weeks ago, and yesterday I got a call from the SFMTA lost & found saying that someone had turned it in (bless their heart). The woman told me I would need a photo ID to collect my… PHOTO ID.
Say whatever you want about competency. I wanna be present when Muni Tattoo girl and whoever’s running the Lost and Found open up that wormhole.
We got in touch with Aaron Hartline, the Pixar animator who draws, places, and photographs the monsters around town. Here’s what Aaron said:
Muni monsters was inspired by taking a Muni ride across town after the Outside Lands concert this past weekend. I like posting strange lil’ characters looking at people stuck in everyday day life. The idea of these Muni monsters trying to understand these weird humans and their everyday rituals makes me smile.
One more …
More monsters can be found at The Daily Postit and @TheDailyPostit.