Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Just yesterday, we posted about a bus full of riders made happy all because of their beloved Muni driver, Tammy. Today, Muni rider Vivek sends the photo above, and has this to say:
It seemed like there was partying going in the back of the trolly. I could hear their laughter from across the street.
With this weekend’s service reductions coming up, it’s nice to have some sunshine in the land of Muni tales, right?
Photo by Flickr user sebastiansuk.de // pitlanepics.de
BART rider Anya has this diary to share:
So BART had some serious rush-hour delays this morning. So when I got to Civic Center there was a mass of people waiting, already looking frustrated. The Pittsburg/Bay Point train pulls up LOADED with people. Naturally, when the door opens, it’s a typical battle to wrestle yourself into the train. Everyone is even more agitated and pissed.
Once we get to Powell, before the doors open, the train conductor says something to the extent of “sorry to have to start your day this way folks but look on the bright side — it’s a beautiful day outside. Forget about us and have a good rest of your day.” Everyone immediately lit up in smiles (as jam-packed as we were) and a few people chuckled.
Moral of the story: even the smallest gesture goes a long way on days like that. Thank you to that train conductor for being so positive! And to the other drivers — please try to stay positive and cheerful on the crappy days…. your words go a long way to make everyone else snap out of their angry commuter modes.
Got a BART story to share? Do it here at BART Diaries.
Photo by Flickr user 0x0000org
We were only on the bus together about 3 or 4 stops, I was sitting, you were standing a bit in front of me…but I could not take my eyes off of you. You’re super super super cute, and if you’re single at all, and into us menfolk, I would love to take you out for dinner or drinks or a show or something.
Wait, the poster doesn’t even say which line this was? Still, cute. Nice touch with that oh-so-SF “into us menfolk” bit. Good luck!
* Okay, not really. More like 7 or 8. We’re not really keeping track.
Photo by prawnpie
Ed. Note: This is the 1,000th post on Muni Diaries! Hooray! We’re working on a brand-new look for the site in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! And keep sending us your stories, photos, videos, and comments, because your life on Muni makes the site what it is. Now, without further interruption, here’s Rachel’s story.
I was on an early morning 22-Fillmore, the same bus and same driver I have most days. This driver is usually quiet and serious, barely acknowledging passengers (regulars and otherwise). This guy is infamous for not stopping at the Fillmore and Geary stop to take on passengers, and all the regulars would tell you the same thing, as we’ve all been passed by at least once or twice.
Our bus stopped at O’Farrell and a woman got on. She had several bags with her, and she handed them one by one to the driver. Then she leaned over the plexiglass partition and gave him a hug and a kiss.
“You have a good day now,” she told him.
“All right, you too, see you later,” he replied.
She got off the bus and stood on the sidewalk, waved to him, then crossed the street.
I don’t know what was in the bags but I like to think they were full of snacks for him to enjoy throughout the day, and some bottles of water or juice, and a thermos of coffee, maybe some magazines or the newspaper for him to read on his break. I hope the visit by his wife (or girlfriend) made his day.
Rider Andi sends us this sweet photo and says:
I took the attached picture of two ladies sharing an umbrella on the 16x. This was taken Tuesday (4/20) at 7:45ish.If only the Muni buses didn’t leak in the rain….
And there are those damned blue seats again.
Stay dry, and share your Muni stories on Muni Diaries.
Photographer, poet, and model Kristen Holden‘s pictures of Muni riders have caught our eye for a while. We found her on Flickr as “SFLoveStory” and tracked her down to find out what makes Muni such a great subject. Holden grew up in Chicago and has lived in San Francisco for almost seven years. She lives in Russian Hill with her musician boyfriend and their “talentless dog.”
What is it about Muni that inspires you to take photos there?
This simple answer is: I ride a lot and I shoot my surroundings more than I do anything else. But what makes Muni rife for photographic capture is that the exterior environment is always changing around the same structure or, like, bones of the scene. There are endless characters to make up stories about.
What’s it like taking pictures on Muni?
I think people generally assume I’m a tourist. Once in a while someone will ask me about my camera and why I shoot film (I’m currently shooting with a second-hand Canon EOS Elan II SLR with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens.)
Got a favorite Muni line?
I ride the 45 and 30 to get from Russian Hill, where I live, to downtown and vice versa. I take the 47 and 49 quite a bit. Oh, and I’m one of those weird people who actually rides the 19…it gets the closest to the film-processing center I go to in SoMa. I love the cable cars and streetcars too. The mint-green colored streetcar from Brooklyn (Car 1059?) is my favorite.
You can see more of Holden’s photographs on her website, Kristen-Holden.com.