Category: News

SFPD is looking for tips on this one. It appears that someone stole a very expensive violin and used Muni as their getaway. The SF Examiner has more.

“Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or Danker at (415) 614-3463.”

Since it’s unfortunately Crime on Muni Week, here are a couple other crime stories you might’ve missed:
A new type of crime on Muni?
Be Mindful When Riding Muni With Your Bike

Photo by Pete Boyd

Amy requests your attention, especially if you transport your bicycle on Muni buses:

When I was getting on the bus, the driver told me they’ve had a rash of bikes being stolen off the front of buses. Since I rarely use Muni to transport my bike I sat near the front to watch it. And of course at 7th and Market I see a guy go to the front of the bus and eye the driver who is busy with cash customers. He then tries to yank my bike from the rack. I started screaming and running to the front of the bus and the driver started to honk. Instead of running off the guy kept trying to get the bike off the rack. Luckily for me the arm that goes over the bike wheel got stuck. But the guy still didn’t give up there. After I was all the way up to him he said “I was just playing” and tried to board the bus for free.

I had my U-lock going frame to wheel but from the way he was trying to pick it up, his intentions were to run off with it, not ride it away.

I’ve heard of bikes being stolen from buses before, but dismissed it as a rumor or rarity. Clearly this is not the case.

The few other times I’ve used Muni to transport my bike I’d watch it but not as closely. If the arm on the bus wasn’t broken it would have been gone in seconds.

Be careful out there, Muni-riding cyclists.

Photo by jen_maiser

Well, that was fun, that April 2011. Muni Diaries is a toddler now, a full-on three-year-old website. The San Francisco Giants season is well under way. The weather has taken a turn for the more-pleasant. And today is the last day to vote for Muni Diaries in SF Weekly‘s poll (Best Blog and/or Best Person to Follow on Twitter would be our choice, but we’re biased).

As this editor is wont to do when the skies are so bright, I implore you to stop reading this. Go out and enjoy this shit. It won’t last long.

Muni news this week:

• Muni Enthusiast Philip Hoffman: An Historic Loss (Market Street Railway)
• Open-door issues on San Francisco Muni not closed (SF Examiner)
• Jerry Lee gets four more years on Muni board (City Insider)
• SFMTA’s Climate Action Strategy Will Require Broad Political Support (Streetsblog SF)
• BART Trains Set to Run Later Friday Nights (The Bay Citizen)
• NTSB: Muni Metro driver disabled controls, blacked out(SFGate)
• University of San Francisco to tackle future of old Muni substation on Fillmore (SF Examiner)

Enjoy these photographs and your weekend!

Photo by lydia chow

Photo by Noodles and Beef

Photo by Generik11

Photo by bmevans80

Well, folks, it looks like we’ve been hornswaggled. We reported back in February that a $2 service fee being charged to some Fast Pass holders who use WageWorks or other commuter services to load their passes to their Clipper card each month was a fluke, a mistake, a one-off. Clipper didn’t authorize the surcharge, and MTC, which oversees Clipper, demanded that the commuter service cease charging pass-holders.

Then last week, friend of Muni Diaries Akit (of Akit’s Complaint Department) informed the public that the fee was, in fact, here to stay. Ever the helpful one, Akit also offers a few ways to get around the fee that are, well, less than environmental.

Muni Diaries Editor and WageWorks user Tara received an incredibly confusing email from WW about the fee. Here’s a particularly juicy excerpt:

In order for you to continue to use [the direct load feature], WageWorks must comply with new terms of the program by making you aware of the new processing fee and requiring that you “opt in” by re-electing the direct load feature and agreeing to the new terms and conditions.

Commenter Jeremy and a few others have confirmed that the charge has showed up on the bill for their May passes, also.

Yeah, it’s just $2. But when the agencies in power make the switch to the cards mandatory, sneak this fee in, tell us it was a mistake, then renege and say (in a whisper) that it’s here to stay … and oh, there’s a small increase ($2) in the price of Fast Passes coming this July … sorta makes you feel nickled and dimed, dunnit it?