14-Mission birth control?

14-Mission in Daly City, December 7, 2008
Photo by /\/\ichael Patric|{

Yesterday, we read a little piece on SFGate about the worst places in the Bay Area to go into labor. Unsurprisingly, DMV beat all contenders as the least appealing place to bring a new life into the world (we’re pretty sure DMV might clean up at the Least Desirable Awards Show, but that’s another story).

Perhaps also to no real alarm, Muni made the list. No. 2, in fact. And not just any bus or Metro line. No, special disdain is reserved for the 14-Mission like it is for no other line in town. Does that have anything to do with the fact that there’s more (reported) crime on the 14-Mission than any other? Not that we’re scratching our heads at this result.

But it does make us wonder: What are some other dubious Muni awards you can think of? Worst line to make out on. Worst line to take to a fancy date. Worst line to use for grocery shopping. Share your ideas in the comments, please.

Love and Hate in the Time of NextBus

IMG_3723.JPG
Photo by tantek

Kirk at Murfins and Burglars recently chronicled an emotional roller coaster he went through regarding NextBus. His first post spoke about the Muni-arrival tool with some contempt:

I’ve begun to notice that having that knowledge divides up my day into ten-to-fifteen minute chunks (the average length of time between buses), and that knowing when a bus is coming but being powerless to change that arrival time can be as stressful as it is convenient. …

It’s a little thing, but it is also constant, and starts to add up.

Sure, it was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it got the attention of Michael Smith (whom Muni Diaries once interviewed), director of engineering at NextBus. Which made our Kirk feel a bit bad. So he posted again on Monday about all the wonderful, life-altering things NextBus does for him:

I thought I’d list the ways in which NextBus makes my life way better. They are as varied as they are numerous.

Please read Kirk’s site, Murfins and Burglars, for the rest of the story. And share your feelings about NextBus (you’ve got some; we know you do) here in the comments.

Weekend photos: Damn Muni can’t drive itself

At 20th - The 22 - #463
Photo by eviloars

Here we are, another Friday afternoon. That can mean only one thing: Time to revisit some of the more important goings-on of the week that ends in three, two, one …

  • We never did hear a follow-up, so we assume the woman hit by a 9-San Bruno on Tuesday is okay. She was sent to the hospital where she was treated and put in critical condition. Video of the incident was released a few days later.
  • On the lighter side of things, after some frivolous twitter-twatter (heehee), SFist went public with a contest to get a new slogan for Muni. If you haven’t weighed in yet, now’s your chance.
  • We did our best to get a report out on this week’s MTA townhall meetings to discuss upcoming service cuts and fare hikes. The next day, Streetsblog SF brought up a great point many people seemingly forgot about: bus stop consolidation.
  • Thursday evening’s commute on Muni Metro got interesting when the pantograph on an L-Taraval busted way out at 36th and Taraval, knocking over the dominoes that crippled the entire Metro system. It wudn’t purty.
  • MTA announced that it is rescheduling its next board meeting (to consider the latest budget proposal) from Feb. 16 to Feb. 26. Mark that date, and come let the board know how you feel the service cuts and fare hikes will affect you.

Okay, take a deep breath, let the magic take over and whisk you away to a more Zen-like weekend. See you Monday er, Tuesday. Which reminds us: Muni will run on a Saturday schedule on Monday, aka, tall, dead white guys’ day.

F Streetcar
Photo by tbridge

#1076 rolling down Market
Photo by brad.coy

The Watchers
Photo by Nick.Fisher

Video diary: Catching the Z train


Video by Flickr user Mike Monteiro

We asked a few weeks ago for a show of hands: Who’s fallen asleep on Muni? It’s not like a major confession or anything. Amid the racket and ruckus that often defines our public transit system, some of us (I’d bet a lot more than would admit) doze off from time to time.

Like the fella in the video above. I really love his rocking motion. Even as adults, we’re basically infants. Sweet dreams, merry F passenger.

Recap: MTA Town Hall Meetings

Muni Buses For Scrap
Photo by Whole Wheat Toast

Last Saturday and this last Tuesday, SFMTA held “town hall” meetings to inform the public of upcoming proposed service cuts and fare hikes, as well as to offer the public a chance to give MTA feedback on the cuts and hikes. Here’s a recap of the meetings from the vantage of everyday transit riders who attended:

At Saturday’s meeting:

Julianne Nigro, 22, worried that her commute from Treasure Island, where she works at the nonprofit drug treatment center Walden House, to her home in Potrero Hill would take hours. (Via The Examiner‘s report on the meeting)

and:

Howard Woo, 79, pointed out that while the price of his Muni Fast Pass increases, his social security benefits stay the same.
“Does the director of Muni ever take Muni himself?” Woo asked. “Do they know what we need as a rider? I don’t think so.”

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