Author: eugenia

Eugenia Chien has been eavesdropping on the 47, 49, or 1 lines since the mid-90's. She lives by the adage, "Anything can happen on Muni" (and also, "That's not water.")

Weekend Photos — First Week of the New Decade on Muni

5 comments

muni snacking
Photo by Flickr user brandi666

Before we get into this week’s happenings, I have to point your attention to the above photo of a young, impossibly cool Muni rider. God, I couldn’t dream to be that cool at that age. Or now, actually.

We started off the first week of the year, unfortunately, with a Muni crash of the 19-Polk, when both the bus and the truck driver ran the stop sign, as shown in a video released by the SFMTA. Another piece of disturbing news: The SFAppeal reports an assault and robbery on Muni when a person who was texting on the bus was punched and had his/her phone stolen. Hey, can’t we all get along?

In better news, I hope you’re ready rock 2010 on Muni this Sunday at the No Pants ride! Last year we spotted a gentleman wearing no pants and carrying a pineapple for inexplicable reasons. I can’t wait to see who will top that this year.

Enjoy these photos and don’t forget to add your own pics of Muni at our Muni photo pool.

Have a great weekend, everyone.


Photo by Flickr user Daniell Lefebvre

365/236 Montgomery to Castro
Photo by Flicker user Noodles and Beef

DSC_0048
Photo by Flickr user andy54321

Category: diaries, Photos

The Blind Couple and the Boy

11 comments

Abstract
Photo by Flickr user kevindooley

It was a crowded 5-Fulton outbound on a Tuesday commute. Somewhere near the Civic Center, a blind man and his girlfriend (also partially blind) got on the bus and were given seats near the front but not next to one another. Closer to City Hall, a boy around the ages of 7-9 got on the bus with his mother and stood near the front of the bus.

The boy had noticed the blind man’s walking cane and began to talk with him.

Boy: “Sir, what’s that stick for?”
Blind man: “Oh, it’s to help me find my way around because I cannot see.”
Boy: “You can’t see? What do you mean? Can you see me?”
Blind man: “Unfortunately, no, I cannot see you, at least not in this dim light [on the bus].”
Boy: “I wish you could see me. I would give you my eyes so you can see.”
Blind man: “You are so very sweet, thank you.”

The boy’s mother, meanwhile, seemed uncomfortable with her son being overly inquisitive with a stranger. She continued to hush and scold him for asking too many questions throughout the conversation.

Boy: “Do you cook?”
Blind man: “Oh, no way, I don’t. But my girlfriend cooks for me.”

The blind man motions to his girlfriend in the general direction of her voice.

Boy: “Oh, you are his girlfriend?”
Girlfriend: “Yes, I am.”
Boy: “Can you see me?”
Girlfriend: “I also cannot see, but I can see better than my boyfriend.”
Boy: “Why can you both not see? I wish I could give both of you my eyes so you can see me and everyone else here.”
Girlfriend: “That’s so very kind of you, thank you.”

The boy and his mother had to get off the bus around Fillmore. Before he got off the bus, he bid his farewell to the couple.

Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Sir.” He takes the blind man’s hand into his own and shakes it.
Blind man: “It was very nice meeting you, too. Thank you.”
Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Miss.” He hugs the girlfriend.
Girlfriend: “You are so sweet, thank you. You take care of yourself and your mother now.”

The boy and his mother exited, and enough seats freed up between the couple so they could find one another again by the sound of each other’s voices.

Category: diaries, reflection Tags:

A Look Back on a Year of Muni Diaries

Leave a comment

Muni passes, 2009
Photo by Flickr user joshleejosh

In the last year we saw the ups and downs of transit-riding in San Francisco, marked by your Muni tales and pictures. 2009 was also the first calendar year that Muni Diaries was live. We saw major Muni service cuts and fare hikes, an iPhone app controversy, and a stepped-up proof-of-payment game from SFMTA. We also saw disturbing crimes on Muni ranging from iPhone thefts to a body found on the 5-Fulton in the bus yard, and the stabbing of a boy on his first solo Muni ride. And who can forget the infamous Muni humper?

But thanks to your submissions, we saw that riding the bus can also be a shared activity that makes us smile. I really couldn’t help but say “aaaw” when we received this photo of two very sleepy passengers leaning on a reluctant and awake third. Julie Michelle’s picture of kids playing a handheld game on Muni and the surprising waterfall at the Van Ness station are still some of my favorite posts.

At Muni Diaries, sometimes we get photos that really just need no caption, like one of Jeff’s favorite posts, Muni Say What? by Steve. From Jeff: “This photo perfectly illustrates what many riders (and readers) feel Muni thinks of them. It’s also just hilarious. You’re not allowed to disagree.”

As we’ve always said, Muni Diaries lives on your transit stories. Jeff pointed out a memorable diary titled, Muni driver going the opposite of rogue. From Jeff: “Now, from a literal standpoint, what the driver did was more aberrant than roguish. Never mind that. I just like the post because the driver shows that he’s human, a fact we forget all too often. Sometimes, rightly so.”

We ran some numbers on the site and here are the top posts that you viewed in 2009:

1. Muni Fisticuffs

2. Angry Oompa Loompa

3. Anyone got change for a five?

4. Interview with the woman who broke up the Muni fight

5. Hump and Run on the N-Judah

6. F-line crash on Market

Because Muni Diaries is all about your life on Muni — be it public transit issues or the random, sometimes poignant, more often than not annoying things that happen on Muni — we want to remind you to keep the stories coming! Whether it’s sharing your Muni soundtrack, pics of odd finds on the bus, or opinions on Muni news, we want to know.

We also want to know what your most memorable 2009 stories on Muni Diaries were. Let us know in comments.

We hope you enjoyed reading and submitting the stories as much as we did publishing them. And here’s to an even more thrilling roller coaster ride in 2010!

Category: diaries

New Year Recovery

Leave a comment


Photo by Whole Wheat Toast

How’s 2010 on Muni treating you? Contributor Whole Wheat Toast sent us an account of his Muni ride on New Year’s Eve, and we’ve also received some…interesting NYE outfits spotted on Muni.

Whole Wheat Toast spotted a presidential-look-alike on his New Year’s Eve Muni ride and even met a Muni virgin. More from Whole Wheat Toast:

Happy New Year for everyone at the Muni Diaries! Firstly, may 2010 bring you no Muni Fails and utter fortune on the Muni! But, before that happens, of course there are some fails to talk about, right?

So, anyway, after the fireworks ended, I made my way towards the 1 bus stop at Drumm. However, by the time I got there, the bus was already leaving as it arrived. The driver didn’t want to take any chances on a break because traffic was already so bad. In fact, traffic was so bad that it took us twelve minutes to make it from the terminal down to Drumm and Sacramento.

After we made a right onto Sacramento, the operator had accidentally dropped the wires on the bus. So we were maneuvering pretty slowly, but faster than being stuck in traffic. The bus was already a bit half-full when we almost pulled over to Davis. That’s when a mob – literally – started to rush towards the bus. But the driver didn’t let anyone on, and some of us on the bus were cheering that we would be continuing on. However, the driver opened the back door, and the mob already on the bus groaned.

As the mob rushed up the back door, the driver attempted to make his way out the front door. For some reason, the door jammed, despite everyone heading towards the back, and it took him about a minute to force it open. He finally forced it open, and made his way towards the back of the bus to fix the wires. While he was doing that, the bus started to fill up even more! When he finally came back and turned on the power, the back door wouldn’t close because the bus was already so full someone had to step on the back door steps! But, eventually, the door closed miraculously despite having people still stepping on the back door. The mob on the bus cheered and we were on our way…

Read more of his account here.

Got any more tales and pics from the new year? Let us know!

Rider Joseph spotted some revealing fashion on the N on New Year’s Eve. Photo after the jump.

Read more

Category: diaries, Funny: Muni LOLs, WTF: Weirdness on Muni Tags: , ,
1 … 269 270 271 272 273 … 303