Video Diary: London Bus Driver Story

Driving a bus is more than just getting people from point A to point B, and this London bus driver tells you why. Reader Florian sent us this video, which is actually an ad by Siemens for hybrid technology. But it’s one of those ads that makes you forget that you’re watching one.

We’ve heard lots of great driver stories from you, like a driver who stood up for your fare rights, the Muni driver who hands out lollipops, or a driver who decorates his bus for Halloween. Maybe they’d make a great video for SFMTA. I want royalties for this idea. Just saying.

Muni iPhone Theft on the 38-Geary

iPhone on muni on my way to the Apple Store
Photo by Steve Rhodes

Muni rider Matt witnessed yet another blatant phone theft on Muni last week:

A young woman’s iPhone was stolen [last Tuesday] by two young men on the 38L outbound bus. The victim was seated in the third seat on the same side as the door, between the second door and the accordion section. The taller of the two men snatched her iPhone and ran off at the Fillmore stop at approximately 8:15-8:20 pm.

The noted modus operandi seems to be operating in pairs and stake out their victim by standing near or in front of the potential mark near the door with frequent texting on older non-smartphone phones, making frequent eye contacts with each other. They seem to frequently target women who are distracted or using their phone during non-commute hours.

Other passengers soon informed the driver of what happened, but the driver said he could not do anything since the victim is gone. He called central and reported the incident.

Matt described the thieves as two young black men, one overweight with some facial hair and the other tall and lanky, both wearing all black. This was one of the string of phone thefts on Muni, so use common sense and be aware of your environment!

p.s. Here’s some information from SFPD on how to file a police report.

Video: What Not To Do When You See a Muni Cutie

Dating season is off right now, so you have a little time to figure out what to do if you see a cutie on the bus. Whatever you do, don’t write a freaky-ass note to broadcast your love for butts. That’s one thing that you’ll learn from this video that we found via StyleCaster.

Like, don’t do this (a scene from the video).

Come on, New Yorkers. If you must write notes, try it this way (via @LindapopSF‘s blog, Popup Poems).

Much better.

Needles on Muni for the Holiday Season


Photo: Telstar Logistics

Not those needles.

Ever since @sabrinabot tweeted this:

for some, red cups signify the start of holiday season. for me it’s knitters on the muni. saw two today, the holidays can begin!

…we’ve seen our fair share of them, too. With less than two weeks to go, I expect to see even more commuting elves working on handmade projects.

Since we do live in Scarf City, Fogland USA, knitting is a popular transit pastime year-round. Just ask Hooked on Muni (great name), every mischievous devil on International Yarn Bombing Day, and the good citizen who knitted coozies for the shelter seats, pictured above.

How’s your handmade holiday project going? Send us your knitted-on-Muni creations or your pics of the knitting elves. Spin your yarn (HAHA) to muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com.

Gallery: Muni Portraits

a happy couple waiting for the bus

San Francisco is a city of characters and photographer Robert B. Livingston captured many of them in transit in this photo gallery. From clown going home on a slow day at Fisherman’s Wharf to a sweet couple waiting for Muni, every photo seems to be the start of a story — a Muni story, maybe?

More of Robert’s photographs of people on Muni:

Clown going home

urbane young couple on the N Judah

Rebbe Jerome St. Laurence

a cheerful man

Webster on the 45

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