Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Photo by Flickr user justinbeck
Indulge us briefly in a “this is why we love interneting” moment.
Last week, we posted a video from BART rider Mac showing a lovely creature of such regal proportions riding BART. Lo and behold, commenter Justin chimed in with the above photo: the same lovely lad, spotted and recorded (and beautifully, we might add) in San Francisco Chinatown.
The internet is about 17 people big.
Photo by @DavidWilton
No Pants seems to have come and gone without much hoo-ha. There was talk in the days leading up to the annual public prank of authorities citing and even arresting participants. We’re glad no one was left to dry … especially without their pants to keep them warm in the slammer.
Photo by @craigmd
Photo from Mission Mission
S.F. neighborhood blog Mission Mission last week featured quite the find: a taqueria in Brisbane, Australia, that uses Mission street names instead of numbers for customers to take to their tables.
Awesome site that it is, a few days later, Mission Mission was back with photos of said placards. We couldn’t help but notice that one of these things was not like the others. See the BART sign above.
Happy dining!
Photo by Flickr user brandi666
Before we get into this week’s happenings, I have to point your attention to the above photo of a young, impossibly cool Muni rider. God, I couldn’t dream to be that cool at that age. Or now, actually.
We started off the first week of the year, unfortunately, with a Muni crash of the 19-Polk, when both the bus and the truck driver ran the stop sign, as shown in a video released by the SFMTA. Another piece of disturbing news: The SFAppeal reports an assault and robbery on Muni when a person who was texting on the bus was punched and had his/her phone stolen. Hey, can’t we all get along?
In better news, I hope you’re ready rock 2010 on Muni this Sunday at the No Pants ride! Last year we spotted a gentleman wearing no pants and carrying a pineapple for inexplicable reasons. I can’t wait to see who will top that this year.
Enjoy these photos and don’t forget to add your own pics of Muni at our Muni photo pool.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Photo by Flickr user Daniell Lefebvre
Photo by Flicker user Noodles and Beef
Photo by Flickr user andy54321
Photo by Flickr user LeeFlicksPhotos
It’s a new year. Posting has been spotty here at BART Diaries, half owing to our respective vacations, and half owing to, well, a lack of content. That means you, dear reader: It’s time to spread the word about BART Diaries. Tell your friends, your families … hell, tell your fellow BART passengers how fun it is to share and read BART stories. Remember: This site is nothing without your submissions.
In BART-related news, the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle got under way this week in Southern California. There were protests outside the courtroom, natch. It ain’t gonna be purty. Mehserle is being tried for the Jan. 1, 2009, murder of BART passenger Oscar Grant. If you didn’t know that, now it’s safe to come out from under that rock.
BART also began issuing passes to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans on active leave. Very nice of the agency, wethinks.
And now, for more BART photos. Don’t forget: Another great way to tell it like it is on BART is by joining and contributing to our BART Photos Flickr group, from which we get so much of the beautiful art that adorns the posts on this site.
Happy weekend!
Photo by schlachet
Photo by echoes71
Photo by grimreynard
Photo by Flickr user kevindooley
It was a crowded 5-Fulton outbound on a Tuesday commute. Somewhere near the Civic Center, a blind man and his girlfriend (also partially blind) got on the bus and were given seats near the front but not next to one another. Closer to City Hall, a boy around the ages of 7-9 got on the bus with his mother and stood near the front of the bus.
The boy had noticed the blind man’s walking cane and began to talk with him.
Boy: “Sir, what’s that stick for?”
Blind man: “Oh, it’s to help me find my way around because I cannot see.”
Boy: “You can’t see? What do you mean? Can you see me?”
Blind man: “Unfortunately, no, I cannot see you, at least not in this dim light [on the bus].”
Boy: “I wish you could see me. I would give you my eyes so you can see.”
Blind man: “You are so very sweet, thank you.”
The boy’s mother, meanwhile, seemed uncomfortable with her son being overly inquisitive with a stranger. She continued to hush and scold him for asking too many questions throughout the conversation.
Boy: “Do you cook?”
Blind man: “Oh, no way, I don’t. But my girlfriend cooks for me.”
The blind man motions to his girlfriend in the general direction of her voice.
Boy: “Oh, you are his girlfriend?”
Girlfriend: “Yes, I am.”
Boy: “Can you see me?”
Girlfriend: “I also cannot see, but I can see better than my boyfriend.”
Boy: “Why can you both not see? I wish I could give both of you my eyes so you can see me and everyone else here.”
Girlfriend: “That’s so very kind of you, thank you.”
The boy and his mother had to get off the bus around Fillmore. Before he got off the bus, he bid his farewell to the couple.
Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Sir.” He takes the blind man’s hand into his own and shakes it.
Blind man: “It was very nice meeting you, too. Thank you.”
Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Miss.” He hugs the girlfriend.
Girlfriend: “You are so sweet, thank you. You take care of yourself and your mother now.”
The boy and his mother exited, and enough seats freed up between the couple so they could find one another again by the sound of each other’s voices.