Author: jeff

Smoke inside an 8X-Bayshore Express (updates)

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Photo by LiveSOMA

Update 10:29 a.m.: LiveSOMA now has photos of the removal of the smoked-out bus (wasn’t that a story at our last live event?).

Update 9:49 a.m.: Eyewitness Brooke has these details:

I was about to walk into Whole Foods on 4th at Harrison when I heard a commotion across the street. I looked over and saw several people running out of long Muni bus, the 8 line. A big purple cloud was coming from the back of the bus. It looked like a very particulate smoke, and people appeared to have some of the smoke powder on them. I stopped to see if I should call 911, if they looked hurt. They were pretty much freaking out and looked scared, but they didn¹t look hurt. Then I saw the driver walking to the back to assess the situation, so I didn¹t think it was necessary to get nvolved. I went into whole foods to buy a couple of things. When I came out of Whole Foods about 5 minutes later, the cloud was gone, but on the sidewalk and street there was a layer of violet-purple stuff on the ground about the length of the back half of the bus. It appeared that several of the people that had been on the bus were still there talking to the bus driver about what had happened.

Original post: @jblebrun reports of smoke inside an 8X:

Whoa.. muni 8x suddenly filled with fine white powder… looked like smoke. Entire bus was covered by white cloud. 4th and Harrison

LiveSOMA has photos and a story:

The bus driver explained how the whole bus filled with white smoke to the point where she couldn’t see and had to stop. Her quick reaction prevented any injuries, although an SFFD Ambulance arrived a few minutes later to double check the situation. Passengers were also asked to fill out ‘comment card’ type sheets that allow Muni to follow up.

Anyone else witness this? Any idea what happened?

Category: News Tags:

A Muni bus filled with ‘Oxford scholars’

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Photo by lorelei

100 Muni Stories

Muni rider Tara K. has a story that goes to show, you never know what kind of colorful character you’ll encounter on Muni:

Okay, today is the day I’ll be early to work…well, on time. I set out in high hopes of catching an early 22-Fillmore bus. I get on the bus and there is actually a seat!

Inevitably, 2 minutes into my ride, the bus breaks down in the middle of Church and Market. The passengers, all grumbles, start to shuffle. The bus driver announces that she will drop everyone off at the next bus stop and wait for assistance. As the bus stops at a stop sign people step down and everyone gets off. The bus driver announces for a second time that she will take people to the next stop but no one seems to understand.

That’s when the magic happens. A older woman, probably in her 80s, dressed in matching red and white from head to toe, turns to the remaining three people on the bus and yells “well, looks like this bus was filled with a bunch of God damned Oxford scholars. I tell ya the City is filled with ‘em!” I glance at another passenger as we suppress a burst of laughter. Then the show begins. The older woman continues on asking, “why the hell are people so stupid? Didn’t they hear that the driver is gonna take us to the next stop. A bunch of cattle, they are.”

As the driver pulls up to the stop the older woman turns to us all once again. She smiles and says, “well, it’s too bad they all missed the extra ride, the idiots, but it was nice ridin’ with y’all.” I catch her eye and say, “it’s really too bad they missed a great comedian!” She looks at me askance (Oh God, was that too cutesy for this lady, now I’m gonna get it), giving me a half smile and guffaw…and whaps me on the leg with her cane while nodding in recognition of her performance!

Note to self: Always ride Muni early cuz the bus will break down and you could be smiling for days.

It either happened to you, or around you. Share your Muni story on Muni Diaries.

Category: 100 Muni Stories, diaries, Funny: Muni LOLs Tags:

The Random Deployment of New Muni Bus Shelters

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The right good folks over at Tenderblog noticed something rather strange about the deployment of Muni’s sleek/appalling bright, shiny new bus shelters. So they wrote a blog post about it. And they published that blog post.

[H]ow on earth are they figuring out the deployment pattern on these things? There’s the really nice new ones at Geary and Leavenworth (this happening corner), but then they go no further up. There’s one at Sutter & Van Ness, but then none the rest of the way down Sutter.

Indeed, what could the plan possibly be? Read the rest of Tenderblog’s thoughtful and observant post here.

Image above copied and pasted from its original resting place on the intertubes.

Category: diaries, reflection

5 injured as car loses control near Muni bus shelter (updates)

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Video courtesy ABC 7/KGO

Update Wednesday 2:33 p.m.: Five victims still in hospital. SUV drive unlicensed, had no insurance. (BCN via SF Appeal)

Update 11:39 a.m.: ABC 7 now reports in more detail:

Investigators said the car shutdown and the driver had no control as she slammed into a group of people waiting for a bus. Because of the heat, the pedestrians were waiting in the shade of an apartment building and not a bus shelter.

“Her vehicle lost power, she lost the ability to brake, to steer the vehicle and as the vehicle was coming down the hill it gained speed and it veered across the street into a group of people that were waiting for a bus at this bus stop. We have five injuries as a result of this accident. Four people were transported with life threatening injuries. One person was transported with non-life threatening injuries,” said Mindy Talmage of the S.F. Fire Department.

Update, 10:58 a.m.: KCBS radio reports that four of those hurt in the crash have sustained life-threatening injuries.

Update, 10:54 a.m.: KGO radio tweets: “KGO traffic reporter Joe Vincent: Driver of the SUV that crashed into the bus shelter told SFPD that she lost power, was unable to steer”

Original post, 10:30 a.m.: ABC 7 reports that five people were injured when a car crashed into a Muni bus shelter on San Bruno and Arleta. We’ll bring you updates as we find them.

Category: News
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