Muni’s new insurance policy — too late to cover this weekend’s West Portal crash? (update)

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Trainwreck4 copy
Photo by 2girls1queen

Update (August 6, 2:17 p.m.): SF Appeal helps answer the question this post asked 18 days ago. Thanks, guys!

Original post: Regular service has resumed after yesterday’s West Portal accident, but the fallout is far from over. The SFAppeal reports that 48 people were injured, four of them critical. Ahem, anybody smell a lawsuit coming? This brings us to a KCBS story that a reader sent to us about how the MTA board approved the purchase of something known as catastrophe insurance, which pays for lawsuits. Pretty sad that such a policy is warranted.

But lo and behold, a mere three days following the board’s vote, an accident more or less validates that decision.

Since the MTA board just voted to purchse the “catastrophe insurance” last Wednesday, we’re not sure if a further vote is necessary to enact the insurance policy. Or does the Board of Supervisors need to approve this?

And does the policy cover Saturday’s crash? We doubt it, unless this is a magic policy that’s magically already in place. It would be nice, if only to cover Muni’s already-broke ass. If the policy isn’t in effect, we foresee the potential for multiple lawsuits. If that happens, does Muni fall into an even deeper hole? Ugh.

Category: News Tags: , , ,

Really, Muni operator? Manicure on the bus?

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image
Photo by Denay

Muni rider Denay sent this jewel to our inbox:

My friend and I were riding the 33 to our local friendly Comcast (sarcasm) and we witnessed an off duty muni driver clipping his fingernails in the back. He didn’t even bother to collect the freshly shorn nails off the floor!

Can we get a “ewwww”? We all know that people who ride Muni should not resort to manicures on public transit. But now operators are doing it, too? As Charlie Brown would say: Good grief!

Category: diaries, Funny: Muni LOLs, WTF: Weirdness on Muni Tags: , ,

Smoking Bus Driver Caught on Video

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[Regrettably, the video originally embedded in this post has been removed from Flickr.]

Last week, we posted a photo by crow_soup that purported to show a Muni bus operator smoking inside his bus. This blogger believed the evidence shown there, but some commenters questioned what was actually being shown.

So crow_soup went and shot himself some video. Video showing irrefutably that the driver in question is indeed tokin’ it, right there in the comfort of his comfortable bus driver’s seat.

Anyone care to argue now? Oh, and hey, crow_soup, I’m also with Rachel: Are you going to report this outrageous behavior?

Thx: @crow_soup

Category: diaries, Funny: Muni LOLs Tags: ,

Is That Guy Doing Crack? A Muni Villanelle

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38 Geary
Photo by Flickr user mojito

What with all the heavy Muni news of late, we decided to end the day with some light-hearted fare. Beth, the newly minted Muni Diaries poet laureate (who happens to have a daughter named Laurel, aka cutest baby in the world), has penned this villanelle* for us all:

The Muni bus is lurching side to side.
The driver barks at riders to move back.
I clutch the germ-infested post and ride.

A pee-soaked man and teenager collide
While a third dude hits them with his backpack.
The Muni bus is lurching side to side.

A skeevy guy is humping my backside.
Two kids are eating transfers as a snack.
I clutch the germ-infested post and ride.

Someone’s cologne is strong; it hurts my eyes.
A woman boards, live chicken in a sack.
The Muni bus is lurching side to side.

An N-Judah nearly hits us, broadside.
Taggers scrawl their names in ink of black.
I clutch the germ-infested post and ride.

A dropped hamburger dinner starts to slide
Towards my shoes. Is that guy doing crack?
The Muni bus is lurching side to side.
I clutch the germ-infested post and ride.

“What’s a villanelle,” you ask? Well, clicky that linky up there to find out more about the somewhat-obscure poetic form.

Here’s another Muni-inspired poem by Beth, posted at New Verse News.

Category: diaries, reflection

Where does the jurisdiction end for fare inspectors?

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Catch Me If You Can
Photo by Flickr user Troy Holden

Muni rider Andrea sent this tidbit to our inbox just now:

This morning about 8am at Embarcadero Station I saw a Fare Checking Officer check someone’s proof of payment OUTSIDE the POP area.

The man did exit EMB station, and as there was only one Fare Checker checking fares, she didn’t see everyone’s pass. I doubt she saw my pass as it was pretty crowded. I did what most of us did which was take out the pass and hold it out for the Fare Checker to see. Whether she saw me or not is anyone’s guess. The man walked over to Peet’s to get coffee. As he was waiting for his morning latte, the Fare Checker left the POP area and asked the man for his POP. He produced his fast pass without incident.

My question is this, did this man need to show his payment status? He was outside the POP area. If he didn’t have his fastpass on him would his ticket for a violation been valid? Did the Fare Checker have the authority to check someone’s fare outside of the proof of payment area?

So, yeah, what’s the protocol here, eh? Should inspectors have the right to chase people down outside the POP area? Doesn’t that in turn prevent their checking for POP inside the ordained POP section? Our heads are spinning a little over here. Help us out in comments, please.

Category: diaries, reflection Tags:

F Line Muni Streetcars, Vehicle Crash on Market — Updates with SFMTA statement

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F-car-crash-2
Photo: @hankish

Update (1:21 p.m. Tuesday):

MTA Chief Operating Officer Ken McDonald resigns. Streetsblog SF has more.

Update (7:59 a.m. Tuesday):

SF Appeal has more details, including quotes from Nat Ford and Bevan Dufty, the area’s rep at City Hall. Here’s what Dufty had to say:

“This accident was avoidable, Muni procedures require a minimum of one block spacing between street cars. I can’t imagine any excuse.”

Update (midnight-ish):

MTA chief Nat Ford issued a statement and MTA’s press release identifies the drivers of the F cars, StreetsBlog reports:

The two Muni Operators were identified as Lonny Butler, who was operating the moving streetcar (Car No. 1893), and Leonard Peralta, who was operating the stationary streetcar (Car No. 1007). Butler began as a Muni Operator in 2002 (he joined the rail division in 2007) and Peralta was hired in 1995 (he joined the rail division in 1999). Per normal procedure, both Operators will be tested for drugs and alcohol and have been placed on non-driving status pending the results of the investigation.

(See more about the statements and photos – there’s a couple of pics with Supervisor Dufty and the clean up after the crash.)

Read more

Category: News
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