Poll: Do you run for Muni?
Photo by thecourtyard
You know that really lame thing that happens, where sometimes when you’re walking and your ankle randomly buckles under the weight of your body? Yeah, that happened to me. While I was running as fast as I could. Across 19th Avenue.
I bit it hard. Bit it for all the students and people in cars to see. And the Muni operator had the best view.
I got up and hobbled my way up the platform, jeans torn, one ankle out of commission. And, big shock, the Muni operator took off without me.
It was that day that I decided never to run for another bus, streetcar, or LRV ever again. Under no circumstances. No way. I don’t even run for BART.
But what about the rest of you: is it worth it to run to catch your bus? Tell me I’m not the only one.
[poll id=”7″]
I’m a runner. Which is saying something because I can sweat in temps above freezing. But I’ll even run for (non-air conditioned) buses. Running for an AC train? Yup. 10 out of 10 times.
Once I turned 40, I decided it was no longer dignified for me to run to catch Muni. I still do it in a pinch to get the N-Judah since you never know if another one will show up or not. But for buses, never. And as Jeff discovered, rare is the driver who sympathizes and waits for you. More often, they pretend they didn’t see you.
Or worse, they don’t pretend they didn’t see you. Pretty sure in the story above that the operator just looked at me. It’s one of those “special ring of hell” stories, though I laugh about it now.
Nope, not worth running. I face planted outside the library trying to catch the 19. And I vowed to never run after a bus again.
Typical vile, overpaid, entitled unionized muni employee. The entire system needs to be raffled off to private entities………..
overpaid, huh? Tell that to the santa cruz metro operators, who only make a dollar less per hour.
Nope, not no mo’…….Years ago I ran for the J and just as I was sprinting down the sidewalk, WHOOPS!, down I go. Split open knees, palms of my hands, the works. Hurt like the devil, I tell you. No train, bus, etc, is worth that risk for me now, that, and the fact that I look like a goofball giraffe running!
I only run if I know for absolute certainty I will make it (such as people are still boarding the train, and a car is crossing the street so the train can’t move.) The last thing I want to be is that person who’s running and the Muni driver looks at you, and takes off anyway, and all the passengers look at you with pity. If I know I’m not going to make it, I prefer to casually stroll as if I don’t have a care in the world. I won’t let Muni ruin my day by taking off while I’m running for it!
I will take any pity I can get. I’d rather be that guy than the guy who runs, realizes he’s not going to get picked up, and then abruptly tries to stop and act like he never ran in the first instance.
Yeah, same here.
You should never run for the bus, for it is easily startled and will flee.
When I was younger, yes, but as I grew older I decided that the rush wasn’t worth it, there is usually another bus or train so these days I rarely run fir the bus.
My commute to Mtn View every day takes 2 hours door to door on bus, Caltrain, and VTA. Even with the GPS-arrival time monitors, supplemental smartphone apps, and good old-fashioned hustling downhill at race-walker pace, I am always running to catch something. Unfortunately, missing one connection puts me back 20-30 minutes even with rush-hour “frequency,” and these days I use that term loosely. The weakest link: the 47 bus on Van Ness. And obnoxious doesn’t even begin to describe some of the drivers who miss their marks on the schedule. (GPS isn’t always reliable — there are “dead zones” I was told by 311.)
The scarcity of buses and the fact that they don’t cooperate or coordinate with the Caltrain schedule in this “high-tech” day and age is just beyond me. But then again, Caltrain to Silicon Valley DOESN’T EVEN HAVE WiFi, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised at all.
One should never run towards an SF MUNI bus, just as one should not run away from a lion, tiger or bear.
In each case they smell your fear and their natural instincts take over.
When I first moved to the city, I met a fellow transplant who told me that his Muni motto was: “I will not run to catch the bus.” Catchy, and wise! There’s always another one coming. Eventually.
Grandpa always said: “Never chase a bus or a woman. You look stupid doing it and there is always another one coming.”
Yeah, I live on the M further in than SF State. I know better than to let a potential train pass by – sometimes it’s as long as 30 minutes before the next one. If there’s any possible way I could catch it if I run, I try.
I’ve hustled a few times to catch a N train, especially on a Friday when they’re usually aren’t running as frequently. I live out by the Ocean Beach turnaround, so if I don’t catch one, I usually have to wait for another one to show up, sit in the turnaround for 10 mins and then catch it downtown.
I’ve never had a driver be an ass and not wait for me. They usually leave the front door open and smile when I say thanks after I get on the bus.