Muni Diaries

Muni drivers may be ditching their brown uniforms this spring, depending on how they vote on this important decision, reports the Examiner. Voting ends Feb. 8, and right now gray is the leading choice. A little sneak peek about the new look, according to the Examiner:

The newest uniforms include a polo shirt option and new jacket options, according to SFMTA documentation. The Muni logo on the gray shirts would be stitched in red, whereas the logo on the brown uniforms would be stitched in white.

Alison Cant, an archivist and museum manager at the San Francisco Railway Museum, told the Examiner that Muni’s first operators in 1912 wore navy blue uniforms. This lasted until about 1968.

The operator uniforms then went from navy blue to green (with a maroon tie!) to the now familiar brown. Looks aren’t the only factor here. Drivers also told the Examiner that the current uniforms are not comfortable and they’d like to have a more breathable fabric.

This reminds me of that one Project Runway episode where the designers tried to redesign the U.S. Postal Service uniform, and the poor mail carriers ended up with a flowy hooded cape, a fur-lined cap with ear flaps (ok I liked that hat, but still), and pants that unzipped into shorts. I hope Muni drivers end up with something comfortable with a little bit of flair.

H/t our friends at SFist

Oh by the way, here are three times when Muni drivers were being awesome human beings:
Muni driver leaves note about lost work ID

The day my Muni driver stopped the bus

Muni driver’s unexpected kindness warms one rider’s heart

Photo credit: Petrelisfiles