Don’t like Muni? Then don’t ride it

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Muni rider Vira has had enough. She overheard “Startup Douche” (term of affection) dispatching a plea for help from aboard the 38R recently. Her recollection:

“Dear Startup Douche, I overheard your phone conversation on the 38R this morning. Couldn’t help it since you talked so loudly. You how you despise MUNI [sic], how you’re probably going to get a staph infection from holding onto the pole. For some people, MUNI [sic] is the only form of transportation. I’m sure we’d all like to take a private car from A to B. But most of us can’t. I would tell you to take your privilege elsewhere. But since you’re also riding MUNI [sic], you don’t have any. Nice try acting like you’re above us.”

Perhaps Mr. Douche mistook the cardinal rule of being a regular Muni rider: Ride, but complain. Love to hate; hate to love. That, or maybe he has an Android phone and therefore can’t use Leap. Wait a second!

BART plans to halt SF-East Bay service for track work

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Addressing the problem of SOMETHING IS THE MATTER WITH BART OMG, the system plans to cease transbay service later this summer for some long-overdue track work. SFGate has the story:

BART is preparing to halt all train service between San Francisco and the East Bay over the upcoming three-day Labor Day weekend — and the first weekend of August as well — for what is being billed as “critical track maintenance” near the entrance to the system’s Transbay Tube.

“We plan to have a substantial ‘bus bridge’ available for BART passengers traveling between Oakland and San Francisco” during the anticipated five days of service disruptions, BART Assistant General Manager Kerry Hamill said in a memo sent to Bay Area transportation agencies.

Well then. It’s not like we really wanted to go to Oakland or anything*.

Read the full story at SFGate.

JK. Oakland is rad. Hella, even.

Photo by Michael Dunn

The Sounds of Muni

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Nope, not talking about the sounds that the buses make. This is more a symphony that we bring to our commutes. Using headphones to drown out what’s happening right in front of us. Having someone bust into song spontaneously. The good, the bad. You know the drill.

  • Guy on bus says to girl next to me: “let’s pretend I was your next boyfriend.” Headphone volume: up 5 notches.
  • Got on #SFMuni, accidentally made eye contact with old man. He started singing Wizard of Oz at me.
  • While #SFMuni installs a new bus shelter in #NoeValley, I’m blasting out The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” to get in the mood
  • ppl the J is not ur personal office where u can take speakerphone calls during ur ride to work!

This week’s Things on Muni is brought to you by fellow riders @mariazilberman, @mamcart, @karlsf, and @SuperDee75. Be like these folks. Follow Muni Diaries on Twitter and let us know what’s happening in your corner of the transit world.

Photo by Jim Maurer

Look out for a new glass canopy at Powell and Civic Center BART stations

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Powell and Civic Center BART stations are getting a new do’, in the form of new glass canopy entrances along Market Street.

The designers’ rendering of the glass canopy is above, which you might have seen if you were being an A+ San Franciscan and attended the community event back in April. According to BART, Market Street will eventually (as in the next 10 years) have 30 new canopy entrances to product stations and escalators from weather damage and “improve station security and escalator durability.”

Don’t hold you breath yet, though. Construction for the new entrances is slated to begin toward the end of next year.

In other BART news, the San Francisco Chronicle is taking down circulation kiosks at BART stations, according to Mission Local. Oh, it’s the end of an era.

h/t: SFist, San Francisco Chronicle.

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