Tara Ramroop has laughed, cried, and commiserated with this amazing community from the start. She's been writing for as long as she can remember and riding Muni for more than a decade.

Visiting couple make lasting connection with Muni driver Tammy

Meet Letizia and Nathan, a couple traveling the world and Instagramming their adventures along the way. A recent leg of their trip brought them to SF, and it sounds like they experienced some of our most striking dualities. The Mission, they observed, was “where families fight to retain their homes, history, community, livelihoods threatened by increased property prices. Soon signs saying established in 1961 will be taken down and replaced by vegan burger bars frequented by lumberjacks who are yet to fell a tree.”

They wrote us on Facebook because they were lucky enough to meet Muni driver Tammy, hands-down one of the best people we’ve met through Muni Diaries. From their IG post:

On the way home, we connect with the bus driver
She had so many questions about why we would travel the world and what prompted us to do this trip.
Between stops she told us her story is one of loss, courage, and strength. Losing her son to a drunk driver, she set up a project to help family’s [sic] facing similar pain. 
Sharing tears and hugs at the end of our ride. What a beautiful, inspiring ‘random’ connection to make!

A beloved driver who threw a party for her passengers on the 33, Tammy took a leave of absence after losing her son, Deante, in a car accident. As she told us in 2011, she didn’t want to put her passengers in danger as she coped with Deante’s death. Quick with a smile, she always leaves an impression on her riders.

We get occasional dispatches about Tammy sightings—always positive—and we’re glad to see she’s still connecting with riders from all over the world.

Pic courtesy postcardsfromourtravels

Contending with the ‘hard R’ of racism on BART

We’ve known for 11 years (more if you count our pre-Muni Diaries days) that damn near anything can happen on public transit. Today’s story, told by Sureni Weerasekera, contrasts the magic of good juju on BART with a distinctly Bay Area brand of racism and othering.

Sureni was born in Sri Lanka, raised in San Diego, and is currently based in SF doing stand-up comedy, writing, and acting. She’s a contributing writer and actor for “Life of Trying” and runs two of Berkeley’s top comedy shows, “Pizza Party” and “Subhumans.” Follow her on Instagram @sureni, and check out her upcoming shows at: https://surenicomedy.com/.

Listen here:

Sureni told this story to our live audience at Muni Diaries Live on April 6—our first in our new home, Rickshaw Stop. Stay tuned for news about our next show in November!

Pic by Right Angle Images

Girls to the front: A women-only train experience

Living in the city in which “Muni humper” incidents polluted our transit experiences not once (the first we were tipped off was in 2009), not twice (2017), but three times (2017 the sequel), I’m more than a little wary of crotch-to-shoulder distance. I’m also more than a little wary, full stop.

Japan, Mexico, and Brazil, among other nations, recognized this pervasive (and disgusting) problem and did something about it with women-only trains. In Osaka recently with girlfriends, I finally got to experience one of these myself—and it’s as good as I thought it would be.

In addition to beholding the wonder of trains running like clockwork, amid a culture that demonstrated an amazing level of public politeness and modesty, I appreciate the acknowledgement that the female experience on public transit —or at work, or in our home lives, or, or, or…—can be different in a bad way. Also them seats were heated and Hello Kitty is on the train car wrapper.

San Francisco ladies have a lot to be proud of in spite of the occasional frotteurism that can taint (as it were) our journeys. One Muni hero looked an attacker right in the eyes in defense of a fellow passenger and an entire set of women formed a literal line of defense between another Muni passenger and her assailant.

Not everyone knows (or believes) it, but Muni Diaries is a lady-driven venture. Join us this Saturday at Muni Diaries Live for IRL stories and merriment. Tickets and details in the link.

Pics by roopisonfire and travel buddy Ericka.

Muni Diaries Live: We do it for the surprise tears

Our pre-show rehearsal is a necessary part of the live storytelling game—but it’s also a nice reminder of why we’re still collecting your stories about San Francisco commute life and, since 2017, of life all over this city we call home. We call the phenomenon surprise tears, where something universally true or poignant hits us all and then the eyes get stingy and we’re rooting around in our purse for tissue.

You’re in for a treat come Saturday. Get tickets today:

Muni Diaries Live (<- tix on Eventbrite)
Sat., April 6
Doors: 5:30 pm
Show: 6:30-8:30 pm

The Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell St (between Van Ness and Franklin)

Also! Today, April 3, is our 11th birthday: Thanks for coming along on the ride, however unpredictable and kooky it may have been, for all these years. We’d love to celebrate with you in our new home.

Pic by Right Angle Images

Commute flair: We need these Muni enamel pins

I love an enamel pin and flair-ing up my denim jackets with reckless abandon. Which is why these enamel pins from Chris Arvin’s online store has me all kinds of transit twitterpated. He’s got cute stickers in the shop, too.

Please hold, I’m just getting my wallet out to buy everything.

As it turns out, Chris is also the creator of these interactive street car maps. I think he deserves an award for being the transit fan of the month?

What are some of your favorite transit gear? Here are some of our past favs.

Hey, we have a live show coming up next Saturday, April 6! Maybe you’ll come and sport these fancy new pins? Muni Diaries Live is back at our new home, Rickshaw Stop in Hayes Valley. Get your tickets today!

Got important news for your fellow riders? Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with your dispatches. Our email inbox, muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com, is always open, too.

Put a lid on it: Urban still-life on Muni

blue chairs Tostitos lid, missing jar

Tostitos apparently trademarked “Get Together Already” (a discussion for a different day), an imperative one Muni rider took to heart. One passenger on a 9-San Bruno was so keen on bringing the party, they left this lid and assorted snack detritus behind. Yes, it’s rude and messy, but this decidedly urban still-life gave me pause and I didn’t hate it.

In some Sliding Doors parallel universe, the lid meets the bowl of milk on Muni (seriously), the discarded durian, and the party is brought for real.

Have an important dispatch for your fellow riders? Muni Diaries only exists because of your stories and submissions, so tag us on FacebookInstagram, or Twitter with your finds or observations. Our email inbox (muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com) is always open, too.

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