Muni Diaries Live: 6 stories, 2 street birds, and 1 incredible evening
Photo by Justina Wu
Last weekend we experienced what can best be described as a love letter to San Francisco when we saw more than 200 of you pack into the Elbo Room at Muni Diaries Live. I can’t say that we’ve recovered from election results, and perhaps we never will, but it warms my heart just knowing that there are still people who will cheer for your bus line and root for your success in getting a late-night transfer! Let’s count down the many ways that we celebrated getting from point A to point B.
The photo above is one of the surprising and awesome moments from the show: Grand News Stand owner Courtney Riddle shared her dream of becoming a streetcar driver one day. Look closely and you’ll see that she’s embroidered the Muni worm on her cardigan, and her dress is made from fabric that has streetcar prints on it! That’s some serious dedication. When she shared her streetcar dream with her partner, he won the Best Boyfriend awards by writing a rap song in her honor.
Photo by Melvin Wong
I mean…how much more awesome can people get?
Ok, here’s more:
We kicked off the show with San Francisco Examiner reporter Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, who is the best transit news geek you’ll ever know. Joe has been in more transit policy meetings and seen more Muni yards than your average bus rider. At Muni Diaries Live, he shared his story of why it is important to know your local transit issues and how they might impact someone you may know.
Photo by Melvin Wong
Aussie Sarah Hunt moved to San Francisco with her partner and thought she was so lucky when she found a “quiet” apartment right at the 24th Street BART station. The businesses and residents around 24th Street BART formed her new San Francisco family, and we couldn’t be more glad that she calls our city home.
Photo by Melvin Wong
Storyteller Justina Wu is no stranger to spinning a tale: she is the host of Beyond Borders Storytelling, which hosts shows and story workshops in San Francisco. At Muni Diaries Live, Justina regaled the crowd with a story that ended up with a surprising twist: a wayward creature that found its way onto her Muni bus.
Photo by Melvin Wong
Self-described San Francisco political nerds Cynthia and Jeremy Pollock took time out from writing the League of Pissed Off Voters voting guide to join us at Muni Diaries Live. We found Cynthia and Jeremy when they tweeted a photo of Cynthia holding a crow on Muni, and at the show, Cynthia and Jeremy re-enacted just how this photo came about. If you were at the show and caught Cynthia and Jeremy’s street bird, tweet us about it (preferably, on Muni!)
Photo by Justina Wu
For her first ever Muni story, Woo Woo Monroe brought the house down with her story of coming out.
Photo by Justina Wu
Photo by Melvin Wong
Our next show will be on April 15, 2017, but you can satisfy your story craving by checking out our weekly podcast! We publish your Muni and BART stories every day! Help us document what it’s like to live here in San Francisco. Our inboxes are open—just tag @munidiaries on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Speaking of stories, years ago when the Cable Car Barn had an open yard (prior to its 1984 rebuilding), they used to let visitors wander the yard as long as they didn’t disrupt operations. On one day, a car drove through the yard, thinking that it was a shortcut between Jackson and Washington. Well, it got stuck in the open inspection pit that sat between the rails. The car was lying on its side. The driver got out on the high side and was confronted by a worker who said, “You got yourself in a mess. Get yourself out.” The man left and about 5-10 minutes later a tow truck entered the yard to pull the car out of the pit. Now, there was a sign saying “Autos keep out. No thoroughfare,” so the driver was completely in the wrong.