Author: Tara

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.

Eyes open and elbows cocked: Muni ‘humper’ on the 48

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Muni rider Kyle tipped us off to some upsetting news: it appears another Muni humper is on the loose. As Kyle said in his Facebook post:

This disgusting POS was high as a kite and humping the bus, then tried to move onto a couple of women standing next to me. I managed to pull one of the women away. The other was not as lucky, although she did call him out! He exited the bus (48 quintara) at the next stop. Warning: video shows him humping the bus just before he moved over to the first woman.

Kyle’s public post includes the aforementioned video.

Earlier this year, rider/reader Courtney recounted her one-on-one with a Muni frotteur for us—a suspect was arrested shortly thereafter. In 2009, Muni Diaries readers helped SFPD nab another man who was “humping” the shoulders of female riders. That story started as a horrified account from an N-Judah rider; after publication, more readers shared similar experiences that helped point police in the right direction.

Sure, we all giggle like 10-year-olds over the word “humper,” but all transit riders should note that this is a serious, illegal, and absolute bullshit proclivity. We’re sad to see that it’s still happening today.

If you have information for the police, here’s the SFPD tip line.

Category: News, WTF: Weirdness on Muni Tags:

Sergio, a baguette, and a photographer walk into a Muni Metro Station

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A post shared by Muni Diaries (@munidiaries) on

You might have seen this photo, by sharp shooter @kevinkelleherphotography, on our Insta feed last month. We were particularly taken with Sergio, the subject, with his winning smile, jaunty ‘fit, and morning-in-Paris-style baguette over the shoulder.

Kevin was kind enough to give us some surprising back story on his photo:

Please note that Sergio was out and about super casual like NBD at 12:50 a.m…the baguette threw me, as I literally thought I missed a few hours and it was first thing in the morning. He never mentioned where it came from but was out partying!

For serious? Because if I was in the Metro station at 12:50 a.m., I definitely wouldn’t be this photogenic. Or have such seeming command of my faculties. Or have gotten my hands on a baguette, though hypothetical me would probably love a baguette (which would definitely be eaten like a burrito) in this hypothetical situation.

Got other important news for your fellow San Franciscans? We’re expanding our scope to include stories that happen citywide: on or off the rails. So, spin that yarn, tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or feed our always-hungry inbox: muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com. 

Category: Aww: Cute on Muni, San Francisco Diaries

World-weary, wag-worthy pups on Muni

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We stop and drop everything when “distinguished” and “Muni” show up in the subject line. Per sender-inner D:
I was on the 33 on my way to Carnaval when I spotted this little guy. He was so relaxed and regal at the same time. I asked the owner if he was still a puppy and he said, “Oh no he’s a good 5 years old!” I wanted to snap a pic of his owner too since they actually looked alike with their gray (white?) hair but was too shy to ask.
If that doesn’t float your boat (??!) there is always a good old-fashioned dog in a bag, from our good friend Amy at Capp Street Crap.

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

Category: Aww: Cute on Muni Tags: ,

Birds of a feather…end up on the subway

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Subway riders are so hard to impress, especially these New York City folks who happened upon a passenger and his rather exotic bird.

Matthew Hayes (@chayesmatthew) tweets:

Midday on the @NYCTSubway. Guy walks onto a train with this.

A fine peacock in all its majesty, with that unmistakable iridescent tail and looking like it knows it’s prettier than everyone else. But judging from the faces of the fellow passengers, it’s just another Tuesday. What would it take to get their attention? A punk rock cat? Bunny in a bonnet? Yoda? We on the best coast have those and more.

Thanks to Amy Y. at Capp Street Crap for the tip.

Are you a podcast fan? Hear our live stories on the new Muni Diaries podcast! Find us on iTunes and Google Play!

Category: Funny: Muni LOLs Tags:

What it’s like to be the humans of the SFMTA Twittertron

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San Franciscans take their right to complain about Muni very, very seriously. Your colorful commentary runs the gamut between long-form pieces on the state of humanity and a well-timed (or ill-timed, as the case may be) tweet: “Fuck you, Muni!”

We get them all the time at @MuniDiaries, and we feel your pain. But it may soften those sharp edges to know that there are actually three people (not robots!) at the SFMTA whose job is to respond to an often irate public. We tracked down these most-patient humans, got them into our podcast studio, and asked them: What’s it like to be on the receiving end of our ire?

As it turns out, it’s not all terrible. In today’s Muni Diaries podcast, SFMTA’s Schad Dalton and Rick Banchero tell us all about what it’s like to run the @sfmta_muni feed and to respond to your Muni complaints and real-life crisis — everything from violent crimes to a lost scarf.

Sometimes people will tell us we’re incompetent, that we should lose our jobs, that we are a failure, and those are just some of the nicer things. Sometimes it is hard and you feel that they are coming at you. Sometimes people are like, “Hey Muni, F-U!”

But they won’t brush you off:

And you’d to check to see if there was some follow up you might have missed. We do our research: is there more to this thread? And usually it’s somebody who has to vent. A lot of times I’ll message back to see if there is something we can help with.

Listen to the whole interview with SFMTA’s Schad Dalton and Rick Banchero in today’s Muni Diaries podcast:
iTunes
Google Play
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You can find Schad, Rick, and their colleagues at @sfmta_muni.

Photo by @stonymcrock

 

Category: News

Humanity spotted on Muni: She’s a lady(bug)

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Pic by Flickr user chriss

In our early days (oof, more than nine years ago), we focused our storytelling and story-gathering energies on the written word, a story you’d tell to the happy-hour crowd after seeing or hearing god-knows-what on the journey over.

As the times changed and more photos and videos found their way into our inbox — and as our “inbox” expanded to include that social media you kids are always on — we came to appreciate a good written yarn even more than usual. Take it away, Bram.

I was traveling on the 7 bus recently from Haight St. to downtown, which I use almost daily. It is truly a smorgasbord of life, with many overcooked people yelling, shouting and not being particularly civilized. That is OK, but it certainly hardens you.

Across from me was a woman with a backpack on her lap. I noticed she had a company ID in her hand and was trying to encourage an object onto her plastic ID. It was a ladybug.

She pushed, asked and begged until it made its way onto the plastic. She then gently placed the card under a seat, so Lady would not be crushed by feet, and waited until she walked to freedom.

Me, would have flicked it out the window, onto the next seat or aisle and not thought twice about it.

I got off before her. Turned to her and said, thanks for putting my faith back into humanity.

Thanks for sending, @bramgoodwin. Inspired to spill a real-life, so-San Francisco story of your own? Share on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Our email inbox, muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com, is always open.
Category: Aww: Cute on Muni Tags:
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