Muni rider falls, injures herself on the bus floor

30 muni by analogskirt
Photo by analogskirt

Muni rider Chandra saw a rider fall so badly that she was knocked unconscious. Here’s Chandra’s story.

“It happened this Tuesday on the 1-California Muni line at about 2:30 p.m. The bus was headed up Sacramento Street toward Divisadero in the medical neighborhood. I was on my way to a medical appointment on this sunny day, dreaming and enjoying watching the street. A seat was empty next to the left of me. Maybe she was about to sit down. The bus was stopped at about midway between the Embarcadero and Divisadero, as I was gazing out the window on my right.

“Then the bus lurched forward, simultaneously I sensed a shadow fly faster than a bat. CRACK! I heard as the shadow shot faster than a bullet, a heavy, sickeningly fast BAM!

“At first I couldn’t look. I heard someone close to my feet say, ‘She has a pulse, but just barely. She cracked her head bad.’

“Two medics arrived in turquoise scrubs. She looked like she was trying to gain consciousness, maybe seizing, hopefully not dying. She was Asian, perhaps 50, well-dressed. I asked if anyone had called 911 emergency. At first, everyone in shock, no one answered. The bus driver said, ‘I’m handling it, I’m calling Central Headquarters.’ I asked again if anyone had called 911. Finally a lady behind me said her husband had called emergency, and that help was on the way. I thanked the medics at my feet. I began to cry, quietly. Then the bus-driver told us all to get off the bus. I begged the medics to stay by the woman’s side until the ambulance came.

“I wonder: Why weren’t we kept there as witnesses to an accident? Why did we all comply, getting off the bus, when the driver responsible for the accident was the one ordering us away? Did she live? How much damage was there?”

Do you know anything about terrible-sounding incident? We of course hope the woman is okay. Careful out there, you guys!

Transit News: Muni funding, BART funding, Muni sues Muni

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Photo by Mobilus In Mobili

Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or something stronger) and get caught up on your Bay Area transit news …

  • Why Muni Omitted Surnames of Safe Driver Honorees from Ads (Petrelis Files)
  • Supervisor Wiener has backup plan for Muni funding (SFGate)
  • Increased advertising on Muni buses approved despite criticism (SF Examiner)
  • BART Agrees to Pay $175,000 to Men Detained With Oscar Grant (SF Appeal)
  • BART could consider ballot measure for funds, director says (The Alamedan)
  • BART delays progress on wheelchair access in Fleet of the Future (SF Bay Guardian)
  • Trip to Oakland airport via new tram could cost $6 (ABC 7)
  • No Free Rides: Finally, Inevitably: Muni Is Suing Muni (SF Weekly)

No one ever said ‘No Cooking on Muni’

toast

And there you have it, folks. Someone straight making some goddam toast on a Muni LRV. Never mind that SFMTA says it’s dangerous.

This is just the latest chapter in the saga of people’s creative use of Muni’s electrical outlets:

Muni shelter electrical outlet begs you to charge your phone
Pop-Up Barber Shop at the Muni Stop

Be careful out there, you guys!

h/t Muni rider Kat: “Mobile toaster!! Oh wait, nope… No.”

The Muni Life

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Photo by Muni rider Jaush

You love it. You know you do. All the whacky stuff that happens on your commute. Life wouldn’t be the same without it.

Just a few examples:

  • Guy boom-boxin’ “My Girl” on 38L, slightly disappointed that people weren’t singing along. #sfmuni
  • Drunk brodude on #sfmuni is at that point where he is either going to start hugging people or throwing punches
  • Grammar argument OH on #SFMuni bus: “I don’t give a fuck if shrimp is plural already. Shrimps, bitch.”
  • On the #sfmuni #21Hayes seated in front of a woman with the speaking voice of an out-of-tune #kazoo
  • Someone just told me their phone number was 867-5309 (niiinnnnneeeee) #funny #80sthrowback #munidiaries

This week’s shades of Muni is brought to you by fellow riders @danmasq, @deathandfood, @AkiraNiji, @QuismOreoCookie, and @HannahStahulak. Follow @munidiaries, because crazy shit on Muni is actually more reliable than Muni itself.

Muni: You aren’t responsible to pay when a Clipper card reader is broken

This week, SFGate reported on a phenomenon that many Muni riders know all too well: when the Clipper card reader is broken and you don’t have a Fast Pass on your card, you might get a citation from fare inspectors. But yesterday, we were informed by the SFMTA again that you shouldn’t be cited in this situation.

In 2010, we asked SFMTA about the policy for fares when the Clipper card reader is broken. They told us that when the machines are broken, drivers are not supposed to make cardholders pay, regardless of whether the rider has a monthly Fast Pass loaded on the card. We even got the document SFMTA says they sent to operators notifying them of this change in procedure in 2010 (see above).

Has Muni’s fare policy changed since our 2010 story?

SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose told us yesterday, “The policy has not changed. We are not going to hold passengers accountable if there is no way to tag your card.”

According to the SFGate story, about 55,000 people have been cited since July. And:

Since July, 8,700 Muni riders have complained they were wrongly cited for not paying the fare, many times because of broken scanners, according to appeal records. Roughly 175 of the riders succeeded in getting their ticket dismissed.

So there you go, folks. Whether the inspectors and drivers were misinformed, now you have the word (and the memo) to protest your tickets.

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