Category: reflection

PTSD and the tourists on the F-Market

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F Market 1060
Photo by Keoki Seu

For a locals-driven site, Muni Diaries has an arguably unusual amount of F-Market/Wharves posts and tweets. This is partly because I ride it twice almost every workday. Another reason is that the F is just plain-old cute when you’re not in a hurry. I loves me some retro streetcars.

But on this cute streetcar, less-cute things can happen.

My afternoon F was packed to the gills, as usual. It was a back-boarding streetcar. An elderly man in a baseball cap who boarded before me started talking almost immediately, seemingly to himself at some points, seemingly to the operator at others. “Veteran.” “Berets.” “Fought for this country.” “Bullshit.” The operator laughed him off and shook his head. I zoned out for a few, though his growls got through my head-fog a couple times; including when he started fighting with a woman probably in her twenties.

I have no idea what started it. But I snapped out of the fog to hear him threaten to fight her and her threaten to take him up on his offer. He noted that he “didn’t care about that race shit.” (He was white, she was black.) That’s when the operator told the guy to stop, multiple times, even after the woman stopped responding to him. She continued tapping into her phone and said, “OH LORD where is my stop??” which prompted a couple laughs. She got off, but I’m convinced that the guy was angry enough to beat her up right then and there.

He got off in a huff at the Ferry Building, and some nearby tourists still on the streetcar seemed to feel sorry for “that veteran with PTSD threatening that woman.” They then proceeded to remark at how “it’s a shame to see so many young people here sleeping on the sidewalk” as we rolled past a hidden corner of Justin Herman Plaza.

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Would you let your kids ride Muni alone?

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Photo by Jessica Druck

Last week on Twitter someone remarked, “I would probably never let my 10-year-old ride Muni alone.”

Really?

I am not a parent so I don’t feel that I am an expert on matters of child safety, but I am guessing that a lot of parents don’t have the option to drive their children to school or arrange some other transportation option.

There’s been many reports of violence on the bus, and you may recall the 2009 story about a 11-year-old boy who got stabbed on the bus the first time he rode Muni. So the concern is understandable. On the Muni Diaries Facebook page, a reader asked if the question of letting your child ride Muni alone is the same issue as “would you let your child walk to school alone?”

Granted, at least on the bus, there is a driver who can keep the peace. Parents: Would you let your 10-year-old ride Muni alone?

Category: diaries, reflection

Taking Kids on the Muni Rollercoaster

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Kate Holland Holmes (@k1ate) has a young son who loves the bus, and via Twitter we found her story about her effort to take him on the bus more often, even though the temptation is to either walk or drive. From Kate’s blog, Everything But the Squeal:

My son LOVES buses. Telling him we are going to take a bus ride is like telling him we are going on a rollercoaster. I guess in San Francisco they are somewhat similar.

Once I had a kid, I focused more on walking +car than car+bus. A lot of my errands became closer, local. My pharmacy, my grocery store,the bakery, the green grocer, the book store, are all in walking distance. I know where the potholes are, which side of the street is better for walking. I have watched a mural being painted, Jaime at La Victoria worries if they don’t see me on Monday morning.

But with a toddler or larger packages, I’ve been defaulting to the car. It just seems easier, faster. Of course, it also costs to park, and gas prices just keep going up. Not to mention, we only have one car.

Read the rest of Kate’s diary about making the effort to take the bus with her toddler.

What’s your experience with kids on the bus? Does having children mean eventually requiring a car? Comment or submit your own Muni diary and let us know.

Category: Aww: Cute on Muni, diaries, reflection

Do You Have a Favorite Muni Driver?

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22 Fillmore
Photo by coreythrace

Do you know your Muni driver? Rachel over at Fog City Notes has struck up a friendship with her favorite driver on the 22:

I got on the 22 this morning and the driver, my favorite 22 Fillmore driver, touched my arm and started to say something. I took off my headphones.
“Sweetheart, this is my last week on this route,” he said. “I’ll be driving the bus after this one.”
“Oh no!” I said. I squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll miss you. You’ve been great.”
“Thank you, thanks,” he said.
The end of an era, but hopefully our new driver will be just as friendly and thoughtful.

Rachel documents many of her Muni rides, featuring her favorite drivers and passengers. Check it out on Fog City Notes. We’ve featured many great drivers — including tales from the driver’s seat to another driver who held a party on the bus. What’s your story with your favorite Muni driver?

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Visions of the 26-Valencia

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Andrew of Mission Mission fame penned a ghost-sighting of the dearly departed 26-Valencia the other day.

I stumbled onto this slumbering beast parked on Valencia at the corner of Cesar Chavez.  It was one of those hybrid electric models but was completely shut down and dark, and almost looked to be abandoned.  I shivered as I realized that this used to be the old route of the now defunct, highly controversial Valencia 26 Muni line.  Oh shit, this must be a ghost!

Read the conclusion of this thrilling tale at Mission Mission. And if you miss the 26 as much as we and Andrew do, peruse our Muni obituaries from 2009.

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