Muni Book Club, Chapter 2

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Riders James, Katie, and friends have been stalking your books on Muni on their site, Between the Lines. On their quest to document who’s reading what on public transit in our literary city, they’ve reported the sighting of a rare and obscure novel and the continued epidemic of Eat, Pray, Love. This week, Between the Lines caught rider Sierra reading a fascinating hardcover despite the onslaught of commuters. Here’s a peek at what she’s reading. Maybe you’ll see James and Katie soon on your line so you can share your discerning book choices.

So what are you reading there?

Open, by Andre Agassi. It’s really good actually. I was originally interested because a friend recommended it and I play tennis. But there’s a lot of stuff in here you wouldn’t expect. It’s not just about tennis. It’s also about how much he hated tennis. And meth and how much balding sucks.

Would you recommend it?

Absolutely! It’s a little unwieldy because it’s a hard cover. I usually ride my bike to work, but I look forward to rainy days, because then I get to ride Muni and actually read on my commute. I try to read before bed, but don’t usually make it too far before falling asleep. I got this from my friend at the Sonoma State library. It’s actually impossible to get at the SF library right now. All the copies are out.

Thanks Sierra (cute scarf, by the way). It’s been a while since I heard someone looking forward to riding Muni. I’ve been wondering lately if there was such a thing as good readable sports nonfiction. If there is one, Agassi would probably provide one of the most engaging real-life characters. At first I wasn’t sure what you meant about the book being impossible to get at the library, given my naivete on the subject, but a trip to the SF Public Library site proved that Sierra was right: 131 copies are out and the first one returned already has two people waiting for it!

(You can also find a copy of Open by Andre Agassi at Books Inc.)

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J-Church derails between 20th and 22nd Sts (w/updates)

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Update (10:54 a.m., Sunday): I guess SFMTA (5:09 p.m.) and KTVU (5:43 p.m.) don’t have Muni Diaries in their RSS feeds. Wait, do those folks have RSS feeds?

Update (4:38 p.m.): Shuttles are available between 16th and 30th Streets. (511)

Original post: Suzanne sent us the photos (above and below), and had this to say:

I waited on Market Street from 1:55 until 2:35 for the J Church to arrive to go to Bernal Heights. Then, just past 20th Street, past the park, in that narrow rail road channel the train derailed. It was a two car train packed with people and old people. The driver waited about 3 minutes without any communication then just told people to get off the train. There was nowere to go in that narrow passage way. Some people walked down, others walked up. Another muni train came up behind and it told people to get off the tracks and to walk away because it was a dangerous place to be. So people walked two blocks up the passage way.

There’s no word from MTA about this incident. We’ll do our best to keep you posted.

More photos after the jump.

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Weekend Photos: Here’s Lookin’ At You

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MUNI Ballons
Photo by Flickr user chainsmokingbluemonkey

This week’s rainy weather netted us some lovely photos, and also a scary hit-and-run crash. In other news:

– Sweeping Changes Await Muni (Examiner)
– Fort Mason Streetcar Extension: Questions Answered (Market Street Railway)
– Woman waiting for bus injured at 21-Hayes stop (investigation continues – SFAppeal)
– Muni Chief Argues Upcoming Service Frequency Cut is Targeted (Streetsblog)
– F-Market and Wharves extension to Fort Mason gets put on back burner (Curbed, Examiner)
– SF police adds patrols following attacks on Asians at transit stops (San Jose Mercury)
– Muni Gets $7 Million from TA for Budget Balancing Act — With Conditions (Streetsblog)
– The Geary BRT Citizens Advisory Committee needs more folks (SFCTA)

We’re celebrating some milestones here at Muni Diaries this week — we’ve just published our 1,000th post, and we’ve got a spiffy new look for the site coming to you in the next couple of weeks. You know what else really made my week? This photo below from the third Muni Diaries Live! event last Friday at the Make-Out Room. Lookin’ good, everyone.

Enjoy the rest of the photos and come back for more stories on Monday!


Photo by Troy Holden


Photo by Diana Wong

MUNI Bends 1
Photo by Flickr user chainsmokingbluemonkey

triple trouble at the transbay terminal
Photo by Flickr user Captin_nod

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My Love Affair With San Francisco Cable Cars

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Image by Omar Lee

Ed. note: To read this story with a prettier layout, please visit it on The Bold Italic. BTW, pure coincidence, but this guy, featured a few weeks ago here on Muni Diaries, makes an appearance in this story (his name is Freeman).

I was born and bred in the Bay Area, which means I grew up ignoring San Francisco’s cable cars. I don’t even remember my first and only time on the trolley. Even though riding the carousel at Pier 39 is an indelible childhood memory, the cable car is not. That’s right: Pier 39 trumps the cable car for as long as I can remember. Ouch.

And I’m not the only local who feels this way. We can rattle off bus lines, poppin’ neighborhoods, and new restaurants and bars in the blink of an eye. But ask us where the Powell-Hyde cable car goes, exactly, and you’re likely to get a blank stare and a raised eyebrow in response. We’ll ride the cable cars when friends or family visit, sure. But it doesn’t stop us from dramatically sighing and complaining for weeks about the northeast part of town.

It’s sad, really. But admittedly, there are some very good reasons for this. Cable cars are limited in where they go and also in the diversity of its riders. They’re arguably kitschy, something urban people hate unless it comes with a heaping dose of irony. The cars’ relative slowness could shame even the pokiest crosstown bus line and, to add insult to injury, it’s $5 a pop if you don’t have a pass.

But that doesn’t have to be the case. I took my first memorable ride in 2008, the first year I had my own Fast Pass and therefore got “free” rides on the world’s only operating cable car system. I rode one because, well, why not?

Immediately, I was hooked, but no one else seemed to understand. These charming transit vehicles are too good for tourists’ use only. This story is my attempt to shed some light on the most misunderstood of SF icons, the trolley.

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Love is too much in the air

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Rider Joey sent in this warm and fuzzy picture:

I really think PDA should be banned at bus stops. It’s not like I can wait somewhere else.

Ah, young love. I mean, I’m all for happiness and everything.

Actually, bus stop PDA is not on my list of PDA Don’ts: babytalking is at the top. You know what I mean, Schmoopykissypoo?

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Good Cheer Delivered at Fillmore and O’Farrell

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Photo by prawnpie

100 Muni StoriesEd. Note: This is the 1,000th post on Muni Diaries! Hooray! We’re working on a brand-new look for the site in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! And keep sending us your stories, photos, videos, and comments, because your life on Muni makes the site what it is. Now, without further interruption, here’s Rachel’s story.

I was on an early morning 22-Fillmore, the same bus and same driver I have most days. This driver is usually quiet and serious, barely acknowledging passengers (regulars and otherwise). This guy is infamous for not stopping at the Fillmore and Geary stop to take on passengers, and all the regulars would tell you the same thing, as we’ve all been passed by at least once or twice.

Our bus stopped at O’Farrell and a woman got on. She had several bags with her, and she handed them one by one to the driver. Then she leaned over the plexiglass partition and gave him a hug and a kiss.

“You have a good day now,” she told him.

“All right, you too, see you later,” he replied.

She got off the bus and stood on the sidewalk, waved to him, then crossed the street.

I don’t know what was in the bags but I like to think they were full of snacks for him to enjoy throughout the day, and some bottles of water or juice, and a thermos of coffee, maybe some magazines or the newspaper for him to read on his break. I hope the visit by his wife (or girlfriend) made his day.

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