Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Too hung over to recall what happened Saturday night? Let us recap it for you. Here are the best Halloween costumes we saw on Muni this weekend. I threw one in there that’s not actually Halloween, but just another day on Muni. See if you can guess which one.
In the photo above by @emma_rkg, the zombie apocalypse has hit Muni. As expected, other passengers look pretty indifferent.
Photo from Facebook/Kevin Soriano
Airbnb is apologizing about posting a series of passive-aggressive, totally off-the-mark Muni shelter ads that have been popping up all around town. And in response, San Franciscans have made their own memes with even better sarcasm than one could have ever hoped.
At first these ads seemed too ridiculous to be real (one ad reads, “Dear Public Works, please use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to install more electric vehicle charging stations.” Really? This is the ad you put on a Muni shelter?)
There are some gifts you probably don’t want from another passenger on Muni, and then there’s this sweet little sketch that an artist gave to his subject on the bus. From @merx_c:
He caught me sketching him in the bus. He asked if he could have the sketch. How could I refuse? Too bad the bus turned the picture into a potato.
I think he’s being humble; the sketch actually quite resembles this young man. Putting your artistic abilities to practice on your Muni ride is a good thing. Check out these other masterpieces:
How God sees Muni
Rider portraits
Artful line drawings by CheapGirlDraws
Photo by @merx_c
What can happen on one bus ride to really change your life in San Francisco? Last Saturday, our Muni Diaries Live storytellers told the standing room-only crowd at the Elbo Room all about the surprising interactions on Muni that can change you in small and big ways.
We started the show with Gabe Armstrong (above), who stepped out of the sound booth (he is the audio engineer at the Elbo Room) to tell his own Muni story on stage. Riding public transit can really change your perspective of what you should and shouldn’t be afraid of in life, Gabe says. And how did he learn this? By hauling the remainder of his B2B vehicle on Muni while under the influence of jello shots, of course.
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Every day, you help us document a slice of San Francisco life here on Muni Diaries. And twice a year, we bring your stories live to the stage. Come celebrate all the funny, sweet, and weird things that happen in our city at Muni Diaries Live next Saturday, Oct. 10.
For this show, we’re welcoming back Driver Doug (above), who’ll tell you what Muni drivers really think of us. At the last show, he told us about secret hand signals, tricky fare boxes, and how a Muni driver can tell whether you’re really ready to get on the bus. Get ready for even more behind-the-scenes tales from the driver’s seat.
Doug will be joined by the rest of a great lineup: storytellers Cara Tramontano, Jerry Lee Abram, Kristee Ono, and Gabriel Armstrong. And you just cannot miss a Muni haiku face-off between Baruch Porras-Hernandez and reigning champion Ronn Vigh. Musical guest Satellite High wrote an entire rap album based on Muni stories—you can’t get more San Francisco than this.
Pro tip: Unless you really love standing in hella long lines, advance tickets are the way to go.
Details
Muni Diaries Live
Sat., Oct 10, doors: 6pm, show: 7 p.m. Tickets: $16.
Elbo Room
647 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Take Muni there: J-Church, 12, 14, 22, 33, 49, or BART: 16th or 24th St stations
Save your cab fare and hit a couple of bars tonight on the 38-Geary with your fellow riders and the San Francisco Transit Riders Union. We’ll be there to give away a raffle prize of a pair of tickets to Muni Diaries Live, with seats saved just for the winners. That’s right: no standing in line; just waltz in and say your name at the door!
The 38-Geary Pub Crawl will visit three bars in four hours, with each stop close enough so hopefully you don’t sober up too much under the florescent lighting in the bus.
By the way, did you know the 38-Geary is oldest original Muni line, and the most storied line on Muni Diaries? Seven years of documenting your bus rides don’t lie! Could tonight be the night for the second episode of this Missed Connection Love Story? Or an opportunity for a night time goat sighting? Whatever happens, just don’t be this guy.
From the good folks at SFTRU:
Meet us at any stop along the way from Civic Center to the Inner Richmond, or ride the whole route.
SCHEDULE:
6PM: Edinburgh Castle Pub , 950 Geary St (btw Larkin St & Polk St)7:30PM: The Pig & Whistle, 2801 Geary Blvd (near Masonic btw Collins St & Wood St)
9PM: Richmond Republic Draught House, 642 Clement St (btw 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
Can’t get enough of the 38? For a pretty decent day time trip, we have a 38-Geary Perfect Day Plan for you.
Photo by Muni rider Caroline