Time for Muni Driver Calendar?


Photo by Jeremy W.

Rider Jeremy W. holds the fate of this driver’s fame in his hands…

So I thought I’d share a funny exchange I had with an F-line operator the other night. I was out enjoying the great weather that day and was working on my night photography shots.

I captured this shot of streetcar 1075 turning the corner onto Market Street and then got on at the next stop. I’ve seen this operator out a lot, and he’s seen me with my camera…

The first thing he said was “so you’re taking all these pictures of everyone else, when are you going to get one of me into the Market Street Railway Calendar?”

I had to explain to him that not for lack of effort (that’s why he’s seem me out a lot!) I haven’t gotten one in yet, but I am working hard on my submissions for the 2012 calendar 🙂

He laughed and said, well, keep trying!

The calendar Jeremy’s talking about is open to submissions from anyone. See submission details here.

That’s What We Call No Strings Attached

NOW THAT'S FUNNY
Photo by Lulu Vision

So there’s this new movie, No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, two of the most perfect-looking human specimens ever. The movie asks the probing question: can sex friends stay best friends? I’m sorry, in what reality do you find yourself with someone who looks like Natalie Portman or Ashton Kutcher and you say, hey, no strings attached, let’s keep it light!

Here in San Francisco, someone corrected the movie’s advertisement on a Muni shelter to reflect a more accurate reality in which Natalie is like, “No strings attached, ok?” and dude is like, “I just did it with Natalie Portman!”

(Thanks for the photo, Lulu Vision!)

Not-Too-Loud American Seeks French Disciplinarian

BUS ETIQUETTE
Photo by Flickr user Lulu Vision

Allie has a strange missed connection of sorts. Read on.

One of my friends and I have seen the same woman riding the 31 and 5 off and on since we moved to San Francisco five years ago to attend USF. We call her the French Woman. She has a French accent, seriously dislikes cell phones, and will tell you off if you are speaking or laughing too loud (by too loud, I mean louder than a whisper). Like… seriously tell you off.

Regardless of the day of the week, she will exclaim across the bus, “It is Sunday, a day of rest! Do not talk so loud!”

We hadn’t seen her in a long time until last week when we were disembarking from the 5 at Baker and she was waiting at the stop… Let’s just say I got a very stern look and lots of hand motions which insinuated that I was being loud and obnoxious. But I was outside and laughing (soberly and not super loud) around noon on a Saturday. Has anyone else run into this librarian-like French woman?

Spotless Spotted on the 49 (not sarcastic)

My 49-Van Ness/Mission stories aren’t usually gross. The bus is often loud, grungy, full, and kept at varying degrees of warm and musty. But not every evening commute comes with a possible urine river in close proximity.

But, for the first time in nearly three years, I found a spotless 49. Sort of. See the photo I snapped above.

This is the only picture I shot. But every panel within view was just as clean.

A lot of, if not all, of these window-panel thingies was clearly new. Sitting next to one was almost like using a brand-new shopping cart. Or using the new gym shower.

Important note: the rest of the bus was not spotless. There was still some crap on the floor. Poles bestickered, as usual.  The windows themselves were clearly not new. It being an articulated 49, the bus was obviously not new, either.

But the panels, folks. Spotless! One step at a time.

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