Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Muni rider Ruth recently spotted this fine fellow and his travel companion, a tuba sousaphone. It made me want to gather all the people we’ve featured over the years on Muni with musical instruments (see below). They could have a show on a moving Muni vehicle. Or something.
Previously
A little music to accompany your Muni ride
Strange cargo on Muni: They call me yellow cello
An entertaining commute on the N-Judah
Strummin’ away on Muni
Muni driver toots his horn
Don’t even try to tell me that it’s too late to America. America!
There sure have been a lot of reasons to be proud to be American lately, eh? Let this Muni transfer USA flag join rainbow flags and soccer fans the nation over.
h/t John: “So much America today!” Every day, John. Every. Day.
We saw her in March, traveling through time via Muni. And here she is again a week ago, when another rider spotted this mystery lady dressed in full Victorian (I think? Or let’s just say, old timey) glory. Who is she and where is she going? Muni Diaries HQ wants to know.
Photo by Daniel Johnson.
Tama, the calico “stationmaster cat” who single-handedly single-pawedly brought a Japanese railway line back from the brink of financial collapse, has died.
According to The Telegraph, Tama had climbed the ranks to become president of the Wakayama Electric Railway and was 16 years old at the time of her death. When she was first appointed stationmaster of the rural Kishi Station in Wakayama in 2007, the railway line was struggling and the station had laid off its last human employee.
Tama, who could be spotted walking through the station wearing a tiny railway cap, soon drew crowds, boosting ridership on the line by 55,000 and adding 1.1 billion yen to the local economy.
Railway officials held a shinto-style funeral for Tama at the station over the weekend that drew thousands, notes The Guardian, which says she will be laid to rest at a nearby shrine for cats. Despite the sad news, Kishi station will also continue to have a feline presence. Tama will be succeeded by her apprentice, a calico named Nitana.
Photo by AFP/Getty
This portrait of a dog waiting for the 48-Quintara by local artist Grant Gilliland is super sweet. The dog’s name is Cooper, and his owners live in Noe Valley.
Gilliland also has a handful of other pet portraits that we love, like Timony and Kira below. You can find his work on his portfolio website, TheGrossUncle.com.
