The dog and pony show rolls on

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(Reposted, with permission, from North Beach Examiner)

The Metropolitan Transporation Authority — or Muni, as most of us still prefer calling it — has been trying to get rid of the 39-Coit since the 1950s. Unless eight supervisors vote against the transit system’s current Transit Effectiveness Plan at their Sept. 16 meeting, Muni will get half its wish.

Elimination of the Union Street hill leg of the 39 route is one of the provisions of the plan. Several other lines around town are facing truncation or elimination as well, which Muni maintains is necessary to provide the “greatest good for the greatest number.”

This is a pretty hilly town (in case you haven’t noticed), and a densely populated one (which, if the city planners get their way, will only be worse in coming years). The only way to provide reliable transit service with this kind of topography and population is by saturating the place with bus lines. Eliminating lines, or in the case of the 39, drastically cutting service, flies in the face of the city’s so-called “transit first” policy.

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Category: News

Memoir of Racist Dude on #45

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Tuesday morning in North Beach. I have a bad vibe that the 45-Stockton is gonna be sardine city. A big crowd is already waiting at Columbus and Stockton for the morning commute down Stockton, over Market, along Fourth and to Brannan and beyond.

It was sardine city alright. Some joker standing near me, carrying a Barack Obama doll, is starting to lose it as local Asians along the Chinatown route squeeze into the matriculated bus and loudly speak in dialects unrecognizable to me. The racist white dude on 45 utters for all to hear: “That’s why I support birth control and nuclear war.” I was thinking: What a racist jackass. I kept my mouth shut, so as not to create a nuclear incident on a packed bus. However, I wanted to ask the guy, “If everybody practiced birth control, who would you kill with nuclear arms?”

– David

Category: diaries

Confession: I’m a rude newspaper reader on Muni

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Yesterday while on the J train, I thought I’d use my time wisely by reading my Sunday New York Times (yes, yes, I am two days late but it’s only the Style section).  As soon as I took out the paper from my backpack I realized that the Style section isn’t a very stylish and practical read while on Muni. With riders sitting on both side of me and two more people standing right at my knee, I could hardly even turn the page! The guy who sat next to me was reading a compact little novel and gave me a dirty look when I accidentally brushed the side of his face with my unwieldy newsprint.

Thankfully, the lovely ladies at Muni Manners pointed out the correct etiquette for reading the newspaper while in transit. They suggest “folding for minimum impact” by preparing the paper pre-boarding. Brilliant!

– Eugenia

Category: diaries, WTF: Weirdness on Muni

morning hazards

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In one of the more unpleasant wake-up calls I’ve had in a while, I took a pointy high heel (with weight behind it) to the second toe this morning on the F.

There was probably a missed run or an accident up the line this morning, because I had to cram into an already moderately full F. The 30-deep crowd on the island at Market and Main Street all crammed in both sets of doors, which led to the accidental jab to my sandaled foot.

The F has consistently pissed me off, but this is the first time it actually bit back.

Tara Ramroop may never wear open-toed shoes on the F again. Got any Neosporin?

Category: diaries Tags:

These are your Muni Diaries, too

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Hello there,

We at Muni Diaries have been busy lately, living our lives, working our jobs, planning big, upcoming changes to the site. Details are still being hammered out, but expect new features, a new look, but the same basic functionality to the site. We’re aiming to make it easier to read and write your stories, to feature Muni news separately from the diaries, and to add a bunch of new features that should make everyone’s lives a little better.

In the meantime, I thought I’d remind everyone that Muni Diaries aren’t merely the provenance of a few select San Francisco residents. The intent from the beginning has been for this to be a space to read and write, about anything having to do with Muni.

So, take a moment to register, if you haven’t already, and begin telling the world your stories today. Give your story a headline, hit submit for review, and we’ll look it over and publish it. You can make it anonymous, or leave a name, tagline, links, whatever. Publish your diary and tell all your friends about the site. Join our Facebook group and spread the word.

We hope you’re enjoying this weekend of warm weather and sunshine. Lord knows it won’t last.

– Jeff

Category: News Tags:

burn, baby, burn

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Could this be the solution to all our problems?

Of course, not. But honestly, think about what would happen (and how busy our fire department would be) if people did this every time Muni was late during commute hour.

On a more serious note, think about how many Muni-dependent workers might have this same story:

“Many passengers said the delays, caused by a broken down train, had cost them a day’s work.”

Disclaimer: Muni Diaries is, in no way, suggesting this as a solution to our craptastically unreliable transit system.

Category: diaries, reflection
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