Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
*deep breath*
It’s finally here. Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters tonight (official opening is Friday, but why wait?). This has to be, like, theeeeee most anticipated movie since … the last round of Star Wars movies. Those went well, right*?
What better way to celebrate the new movie in our bright little corner of the Internet than to revisit those times that Star Wars has show up on Muni? We can’t think of one, either.
This is how you ride the Bart Train! #realsunglasscat #1inamillioncats @petco @meowmix @PetSmart #cats #christmas pic.twitter.com/S02WRRnPiT
— SUNGLASS CAT (@RealSunglassCat) December 11, 2015
Sunglass Cat is a “special needs” cat with a medical condition that requires wearing shades at almost all times, including riding BART. In case you think that its Person also dresses up the poor cat in silly undignified costumes, this is actually necessary to keep him warm! According to Sunglass Cat’s Facebook page, he can’t regular his body temperature so in the winter, Sunglass Cat needs many cozy outfits for his outings. Get ready for an express train to Feeladelphia when you watch the video above of the kitty wearing Christmas gear and bedazzle shades on the train.
The kids, they are brazen. Good thing BART knows this. The transit agency has instituted a new permit program for passengers who intend to bring their moving toys on the train. Per BART.gov:
BART has a policy governing the use of Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMDs) within the system. The policy covers all battery-powered, self-balancing, two-wheeled transporters, including the Segway Personal Transporter.
You must apply for and receive a permit in order to bring an EPAMD on BART. To apply for a permit, read the policy governing EPAMDs (.pdf), download the application for a general permit (.pdf) or a permit for persons with disabilities (.pdf) and follow the application instructions.
So, now you know what to do.
In separate incidents last week, two Muni trolley buses caught on fire, prompting the agency to pull 298 buses into yards for inspection.
SFMTA’s Director of Transit Operations, John Haley, spoke to the SF Examiner:
“The connector of the pole is what burned through,” he said. Haley had a burned connector pole in his pocket, just to help recount what went wrong on the bus to anyone who may need an explanation.
Haley pulled 298 buses into “divisions” (what SFMTA calls its repair yards) for inspection. The buses which caught fire, he said, were nearly 15 years old, and are a similar configuration to many buses in the Muni fleet.
The inspections “found about 45 buses in need of repair.” SFMTA made necessary repairs so as to impact commutes as little as possible. A longer-term solution hasn’t been announced. “These coaches are ready to be replaced,” [Haley] said, “but given the delivery schedule (of new buses), most will remain in service for another two years.”
Read the full story at SFExaminer.com.
Photo by Todd Lappin
At Muni Diaries Live in October, Jerry Lee Abram shared tales of days past, when Muni shelters were domed and … and just worked, you know? One Dyke March, Jerry and his friends climbed up on one said shelter and took it all in. Watch the video above to get that double-entendre.
Twice a year, we bring your uncanny tales to the stage at Muni Diaries Live at the Elbo Room. We’re pleased to announce that Elbo Room recently renewed its lease through January 2018. We all breathed sighs of relief upon hearing that news. The next Muni Diaries Live will be in spring 2016. We’ll announce the date as soon as we’ve booked it.
Featured image by brunosuras
