Wanted: Muni advice for an out-of-towner

DOUBLE DECKER MUNI BUS
Photo by Lulu Vision*

British dude James sent us the most charming email the other day asking about standard procedures and etiquette on Muni. Oh, how we wish some of our fellow riders would be as considerate about etiquette as James. Here are some of James’s questions:

  • Do we pay when we get on? Or do we need to have pre-paid passes or something?
  • When we’re at a bus stop, do we need to put our hand out to catch it or does it always stop at every stop?
  • Is there a bell you ring to get off the bus?
  • What do I say to the driver when I get on? What’s the little phrase that people use? (for example, here in the UK, it’s usually “one to town, please” or something like that).
  • Do I get given a ticket? Do I need to keep hold of it?

A few things have changed since we did a “newbie orientation” last year. The SFMTA has a new customer guide, which addresses some of these questions in more detail but doesn’t really go into my favorite question from James: what you say to the driver when you get on?

We thought it more fitting to turn his inquiry over to you, the Muni-riding community. So whadaya say? Help a guy out.

* Pictured is one of the short-lived Muni double-decker buses, which, you know, is so … British.

What happened on the L-Taraval the other day?

L Taraval
Photo by Christina B Castro

Rachael has a bizarre story that we’d love to get more info on.

At about 3:20 the other day, I was on the 29-inbound at Sunset/Taraval when I saw a woman chasing after a man. It took me a second to realize that the woman was in Muni driver browns and that she was the operator of the then-stalled L-Taraval. I figured so many other people had their cellphones out that I didn’t need to bother calling 311.

The driver, who was wearing only one shoe by this time — possibly after having lost the shoe as she was sprinting across the street — was screaming at the man and tried several times to spit on him while also trying to kick/punch. She’d go into a little fighting stance here and there before finally swearing and running off back towards her train. The guy she was after tried to board the 29, but the driver didn’t seem to want to take him on.

Rachael says she doesn’t know what prompted the altercation. We’re sure it was quite the scene. Were you there? Can you shed any light on what caused this riffraff? If you’re a Muni driver, have you heard anything about this?

Muni News: Fares and Passes Go Up Tomorrow, ‘If I Ruled Muni,’ Clipper refunds

Yeah, right.
Photo by blarfiejandro

  • BART Reaches $1.3 Million Settlement With Mother Of Oscar Grant (SF Appeal)
  • Muni approves $233M contract for Central Subway tunneling project in SF (SF Examiner)
  • New Muni contract: Supervisor demands accountability (SFGate)
  • Will Muni deal lead to savings? (SFGate)
  • Clipper Could be Overcharging You for Using Transfers (UPDATE: Clipper Admits Error, Refunds to be Issued) (Akit’s Complaint Department)
  • Transit Fares, Bridge Tolls Go Up Friday (BCN via SF Appeal)
  • If I Ruled Muni… (SF Weekly‘s Joe Eskanazi)
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