The shaved-headed Muni Fare Inspector from hell
Photo by Flickr user Keisuke Omi
This delightful tale came to us from Muni rider Daishin:
I had the interesting and bizarre experience of meeting and engaging with the shaved-headed Muni fare inspector from hell. I would like to use her name but I might get sued by the Muni union.
It was a calm weekday afternoon this summer when I was accosted by this rather heavy-set youngish-looking fare inspector on the escalator coming out of Powell Street Station. She had a shaved head and looked a little like my Kung Fu male instructor. She asked for my proof of purchase, which I showed her. She then made a comment about my appearance. I think she thought I was a terrorist since I have dark hair and eyes. Laughingly I told her I WAS a terrorist and that she was a nazi with her lack of hair and attitude. She screamed at me and started talking into her walkie-talkie. I then told her she was a “cop-wanna-be”, and was insane for calling me a terrorist. I also told her to call a real cop if she wanted to arrest me.
I’ve had other friends who’ve run into this beast from Muni and complain about her surly attitude and disrespectful ways. But of course it does no good. Muni employees can only be fired if they commit murder while on the job, and even then it would be a stretch to get them convicted. Fare inspectors are the scariest bunch of fools in Muni’s employee pool.
Had a noteworthy experience, good or bad, on Muni lately? Let us know: muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com.
I’m not a lawyer, but you should expose the Muni official. They are public officials and accountable for their actions.
Yeah, expose the Muni official. They can’t sue you, once their name’s out, it’s out.
not to discount Daishin’s story, but in my experience the lady with the shaved head always seemed, if not friendly, decent. i remember first seeing her in the system, she was young and naive, but cordial. of course, we could be talking about two different people, or she could’ve just graduated to the ranks of muni fare inspector II, pay grade ass-hat.
Hahahahaha You r talking about Nanni!!! hahahah yea shes crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy!
Even if shes crazy and deserves to be repremanded, Daishin did the totaly wrong thing by telling to to get a “real” cop. MUNI fare inspectors are police (that’s why they can write you tickets) just like BART cops, college cops, and SFPD. I would quickly make the same remark to a security guard, but not a sworn member of a police force…
Muni Fare Inspectors are NOT police. They have no other jurisdiction beyond writing tickets for fare violations.
Aaron, I would ask the question: Why should any of us be careful about what we say to the police or fare inspectors? Are they somehow superior life forms? Why should we respect them if they don’t respect us? Should we be frightened that they will pull out their gun and kill us because we find their activity disgusting and tell them so? I will not cower to these fools.
I’ve seen her at work and she is consistently friendly and decent like gba says….except of course if you didn’t pay or give her a hard time. Sounds like Daishin set that interaction up with his behavior. And I’ve never seen her get personal or seen her calling people names like Daishin clearly admits doing. By the way, Beth, I know exactly who Daishin is talking about and her name is on her uniform…..and it’s not Nanni. Heh heh, I’m not gonna write it here either.
Her last name begins with a R.
Aaron- I do agree with you about Daishin acting very foolishly, but I don’t believe that the Fare Inspectors are sworn police. Far from it. They most definitely do not have the same authority as the SFPD.
There seem to be a lot of shaved headed thugs wander about the Muni POP system… one other comes to mind…
Actually they are peace officers but I think definitely unsworn. They just couldnt give us citations otherwise, it’s just too illegal. BUT sworn peace officers carry guns. And that means that though they have the power to detain and (as Aaron says) the power to write us citations as permitted by the STATE, it is clear to me that they are not permitted by the CITY to enforce any other laws than fare evasion and certainly not allowed to carry guns or use their power to detain. Sad really considering the recent stabbing of the 11 year old boy and the potential help fare inspectors could have been since their jurisdiction is always on the transit lines.
Metroliner- Do you really feel it’s ok to call people thugs? What do people call you when they see you walking down the street or when you’re at work.
Do you think fare inspectors ever gotten anything above a high-school education?
I feel that if fare inspectors are the hired hands of MUNI, then they should take responsibility for the work they do. If they act as thugs, which many do, then they need to take the consequences. I feel no respect for them.
I finally saw her yesterday morning! She came up to help her fellow fare inspector on the N Judah with a difficult drunk guy who apparently “misplaced” his pass. Buzz-cut walked up when she realized her coworker had a “rebel” on her hands, and at first I thought it was a guy. Then I realized it was her! She blocked the way of the drunk guy trying to escape his fare evasion until he shoved past her and she had to radio to the other fare inspectors that they had a “code 387” (or whatever code is for difficult fare evading drunk guys).
I would like to think that they got the guy and made him pay, but he probably just pushed past the inspectors, if any, at the top of the stairs. Perhaps I too could avoiding $55 per month if I just acted drunk every morning on the way to work. I’m pretty sure they have no right to lay a hand on anyone, so I could just walk by them mumbling drunk obscenities and be on my way!
I do want to say that I made formal complaints to MUNI about this particular fare inspector but it did no good. I called the contact officer who originally took my report several times but nothing ever happened. I don’t think MUNI does much of anything about employee misconduct. The MUNI unions are too powerful. Even though I’m pro-union, I feel SF municipal unions are corrupt and need to be controlled by the mayor and the Board of Supervisors.
I think it’s pretty much a given that since 9/11, saying you are a terrorist could have some severe consequences….even if it is said in a laughing matter. It’s like saying “bomb” on a plane, in a laughing matter.
I didn’t say I was a terrorist. The fare inspector TOLD me I was a terrorist. I simply made fun of this crazy woman. If the fare inspectors are insane, what should we do about it? Humor them?
Daishin, there might have been confusion because your original post said, “She then made a comment about my appearance. I think she thought I was a terrorist since I have dark hair and eyes. Laughingly I told her I WAS a terrorist and that she was a nazi with her lack of hair and attitude.” It’s not clear from that whether she actually called you a terrorist or not — thanks for the clarification.
Also, I understand being pissed off. However, calling someone a Nazi for commenting on your appearance trivializes the murder of six million people. When criticizing other people’s language, please consider your own.
Wow, I just read this and I have seen her in action before. She thinks that she is an officer of the law. I sat next to someone she was giving a ticket to and she told the woman that if she did not sign it, she would call the police and they would make her sign or put her in jail. When you see and hear her in action you can tell there is some type of inbalance there.
I haven’t seen any inspectors in the Metro lately either. I saw one one the 14 yesterday so I asked him where have they been? He told me that there are only 35 working because many are on Worker’s Comp and that their schedules have changed. He also said that there are only 8 inspectors throughout the city from 6 AM until Noon. Six hours of “Free Rides.” WOW!
Randall is still at it. Power tripping over $2.