What I saw in one F-Market ride

Don Chee Way
Photo by Troy Holden

True, there is no “one” Muni experience. But there’s a generalized feeling. I think most people drawn to Muni Diaries know what I’m talking about. I’m not a great writer, but I’ll do my best to describe my ride Tuesday morning, and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

I joined a gaggle of waiting-to-pay F-Market/Wharves riders, calmly queuing as the streetcar pulled up to Market and Main. There was a light sprinkle, but nothing so bad as to make us clamor and push.

I took my place, standing, just inside the row of seats, near the driver. I overheard a passenger boarding behind me ask the driver whether she stopped at “Thirty-third.” “Pier 33, you mean?” driver asked. “Yeah,” the rider said. “Yes, I do.” “How much?” “Two dollars,” driver said. “For disabled?” rider asked. “Oh, no, $0.75.” Coins deposited, we start to move slowly.

The woman in the disabled-designated seat in front of me kindly offered our newest passenger the seat. “Nah, I’m good to stand.” “Are you sure? Please take the seat.” “Okay, thank you.”

I honestly believed I had just witnessed one of those rare, poignant scenes of real-world decency. Everything seemed to be running so smoothly and smiles were appearing on the faces of the crowded passengers.

… until. Read more

Muni/pedestrian accident at Stanyan and Fulton (w/Update)


Update (4:43 p.m.): MTA says that the area of the accident is clear, and the 33-Stanyan has returned to its regular route. The injured pedestrian is in serious condition, according to San Francisco General Hospital.

Original post: Just got this alert from MTA:

As of 2:43 p.m., Muni service on the 33 Stanyan route has been disrupted by an accident involving a bus and a pedestrian on Stanyan near Fulton. Buses are being re-routed around the intersection.

According to the San Francisco Fire Department, the pedestrian has been transported to San Francisco General Hospital with potentially life threatening injuries.

According to initial reports from the San Francisco Police Department, the accident occurred when the southbound 33 Stanyan bus began to pull away from the bus zone. Again according to initial information, a male pedestrian running for the bus in an attempt to board it fell and slid under the bus and was run over by the rear wheel. Initial reports indicate that the pedestrian’s leg was injured.

More details as they become available.

Alternatives to ‘March Against Muni’

whole mess of muni
Photo by Flickr user noremmie

I’ve been thinking about a way to express my misgivings about March Against Muni, a self-described protest/boycott of Muni set to start next Monday. The march is billed as a way to protest a set of proposed service reductions and fare hikes. On its face, yes, fair enough — I hate service cuts and fare hikes too.

But the whole “don’t ride Muni” and “don’t buy a March Fast Pass” slant seems wrong-headed. As Robert Cruickshank points out in his post at Calitics, the problems for SFMTA began when the state cut off all transit funding (in the last three years, SFMTA has lost $179 million it would’ve received from the state, owing to what was simply reduced funding at first, and then, this fiscal year, the total elimination of transit monies.) Taking that fact into consideration, the picture comes into better focus. It should be clear to most people that lack of funding, almost more than any other factor, got MTA to the sucky situation it’s in now.

Okay,

But while most of the “demands” of March Against Muni‘s organizers are valid, none of the demands addresses the real problem: how to bring more money into the system to replace what was taken away by Arnold and friends.

Look, I hate that Nathaniel Ford (or whoever happened to have the job) makes so much money, but the job of director is a nationally competitive one. And to his credit, Ford took a pay cut. I hate that drivers make way more money than I do, too. But like the director, that job is nationally competitive. (Another fact: Unlike Nathaniel Ford, Muni employees, through their union, voted down a package of budget-deficit-reducing concessions just last week.)

I cannot see what a boycott and march will achieve. Our time would be better spent helping to think of creative actual solutions. I don’t have the answers myself, but I think you can do something that’s more useful than holding a sign at the cable car turnaround, such as:

– Educate yourself about what can be done to save Muni; start with this StreetsblogSF story.
– Go to this Friday’s MTA board meeting where the board will be voting on the service cuts and fare hikes (9 a.m. in room 400, City Hall). You can sound off during the public comments section.
– Go old media and write a letter to the editor.
Email the governor yourself.

It’s true that nobody has a silver bullet, but I do think that those of us who ride Muni every day are quite capable of at least trying … instead of sticking it to Muni. Kinda, you know, like Arnold did.

– Jeff

CBS5: Muni Accident at Mission and Santa Rosa (w/update)

Update (12:05 pm): MTA:

At approximately 10:00 a.m., the trolley pole of a 49 Van Ness-Mission bus traveling inbound on Mission at Santa Rosa reportedly became stuck in a support wire for the overhead Muni wires. The trolley pole caused the support wire to vibrate, which reportedly dislodged two streetlights on either side of the street.

One of the streetlights struck a pedestrian, who was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries (according to the San Francisco Fire Department). Another pedestrian was also reportedly struck by the streetlight but refused aid.

Muni service on Mission Street in the Excelsior was disrupted for about 45 minutes.

Original post: We got word from SFist that there are reports of an accident involving a Muni bus and a power pole near Mission and Santa Rosa streets. CBS5 reports that a pedestrian was struck in the head by a falling streetlamp as a result of an accident involving a Muni trolley.

No word from SFMTA yet on the man’s condition, so we will keep you posted as soon as we get more information.

Photo Diary: Metrosexual Rage on the 21-Hayes

21 Hayes
Photos by KayVee.INC

Saw the above gem via @nom_de_guerre this weekend. Indeed.

5 Fulton

And then this screed came into my Google Reader this morning, via Mission Mission. I call it “Pastry Rage on the 5-Fulton.”

I dunno. Looks like slightly different handwriting to us. Check out the difference between the two “ON THE”s. Different N. Different H.

Still, we hope this is the beginning of something new and totally life-altering. Or something.

Weekend Photos: Hey, Look Up

Sound the alarm
Photo by Flickr user Justin.Beck

All that talk about a Muni driver’s proposed fried chicken run made me fantasize about hopping on the 38 straight to Popeye’s. Meanwhile, more important stuff was going on this week:

– Muni missing 80 percent more runs as de facto service cuts set in (Streetsblog SF). Judging from the last four weeks of MTA data, Muni is missing a big chunk of runs mostly due to a freeze in overtime, Streetsblog’s Michael Rhodes reports.

– Muni operators and their union reject concession proposal. Mayor angry! This is putting fare hikes and service cuts back in play in a big way. Operators told Streetsblog SF that the union did not do enough to inform members about the proposal. (SF Examiner, Streetsblog SF)

– Bloody AC Transit fight (SFist). New violent transit obsession? We hope not.

– J-Church Thursday morning collision with an F train was caused by “human error,” SFMTA says. (SFAppeal)

– Muni management study could be delayed by audit of farmers market (SF Appeal). “Everyone knows farmers’ markets are prime places for bureaucratic waste and government graft, and ergo must be investigated thoroughly …”

– Found in our submissions box: March against Muni?

– Let’s end with a little levity: Sirron Norris does Muni, with wings! (MissionMission)

Clicking around on Flickr, I found some cool photos of cable lines from many of you who are not yet in our Muni flickr group. So join up, add your Muni photos to the group pool, and enjoy these photos! Until next week…

Cables
Photo by Flickr user s__i


Photo by Flickr user Vanessa Elise

Cables
Photo by Flickr user danisabella

Cables
Photo by Flickr user karenchu121

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