Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Little to no movement is preferable (possible) immediately following 90 minutes of Bikram yoga, but I made an exception for this lovely pup playing peek-a-boo with me behind the hand rails.
It is always Bring Your Animal on Muni day, and thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that.
Who are you playing peek-a-boo with on the bus? Come clean, now.
No bus shelter at your stop? No problem, say the good people of the Inner Richmond. Spotted at the corner of Clement and Second Avenue, someone made quick seating for those waiting for the inbound 2-Clement. The unfinished wood adds some hip ambience to this lonely Muni stop.
This unofficial Muni shelter seating joins the ranks of other seating improvements like this posh recliner, a random leather ottoman, and this wicker situation. But we gotta give major DIY handiness points to the creator of this mini Muni stop.
Bring your own chair on Muni, by the way, is a real meme around here.
Got other candidates of creative Muni-hacking? Our inbox is wide open, or tag us @munidiaries on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
For every case of the Mondays (and there are many around here judging by the @munidiaries Twitter feed), there are less-manic commutes on everyone’s least-favorite day of the week. Muni rider Shoshannah proves as much with a fun driver and lessons of the life, Russian- and Spanish-language varieties.
A Muni ride memorable for its friendly interactions, not its surliness? It must be Bizarro Monday!
I was reverse-commuting to an appointment on a 2 Clement headed outbound, so it wasn’t a[s] crowded (which probably helped the mood). There was a driver-in-training behind the wheel and his supervisor/coach was a driver I recognized from last year. (He had been incredibly patient assisting an elderly passenger on the same route.) I took a seat towards the back but with everyone lost in their silent, solo Monday world it was easy to hear the supervising driver’s interactions with regular passengers as they came on.
First was an older Russian woman with whom he traded English-Russian-Spanish lessons. (“How do you say ‘No good!”?) Soon after that a mother and her little boy, about seven years old, got on the bus. He greeted them right away and started up a conversation with the boy. Here are some choice gems from the conversation (paraphrased as well as I can remember them).
“You’re going to be a politician some day…No, that’s a good thing!”
“When you’re mayor of this town, make sure you remember me.”
And my favorite:
“When girls want to know your first name, what they’re really interested in is your last name. So stay away from girls!”
I’m sure this was all over the head of this first-grader but it sure was hilarious for those of us without earbuds.
I got some ribbing recently for looking at my phone (for a minute, I swear) instead of my happiest-hour date, but it’s true: There are way nicer things to see, hear, and touch right in front of us—which you can share after your time in the 3D world.
Photo by Lynn Friedman
Photo by Jason Sutter
A PSA from regular 2-Clement rider, seemingly guilty of riding Muni while female, as one of your editors was reminded very recently. Sex crimes on transit are believed, not surprisingly, to be under-reported. But we’re glad they’re getting “reported” somewhere. You never know: Muni Diaries readers helped nab a Muni humper suspect in 2009, so step forward in the comments if this strikes a chord with you.
About a month ago, I was on the Muni 2 bus on my way home. I usually leave the office around 5:15 and catch the bus at the corner of California and Presidio. It was a Friday afternoon on February 21st. When the bus came, it was pretty full, but I was lucky enough to get a seat in those 2 passenger spots on the left. It was the middle row because I remember a row in front of me and a row behind. At first, I was sitting near the window seat next to an old lady. She was there for a few stops. Then the old lady moved to the single passenger seats on the right. I can’t remember what stop we were at when this Asian man came on board and sat next to me.
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Photo by Ian Fuller
Muni rider Shoshannah bore witness to a perfect mix of Muni and the holidays. If this doesn’t warm your heart, see a cardiologist.
I am lucky to live close enough to my job downtown where I can walk to work most days. But yesterday, the Monday before Christmas, I had early morning appointment in Laurel Village. When I was boarding the 2-Clement, an elderly man with a cane was slowly making his way to the bus—it was obvious he wanted to get on the bus, too. I started to say something to the driver, but he had already seen the man and was ready to wait. When the man got to the bus, the driver was very kind and patient. He made sure that the man waited for the lift to be lowered and kept reassuring him that he wasn’t in a rush and to take his time. He asked him what his stop was, and when it arrived, helped him onto the lift and off onto the sidewalk in front the Jewish Community Center. The driver was ready to pull away, but when he saw that the man was going to have trouble getting into the building, he actually got off the bus and held the door open for him.
When I got off the bus a few stops later, I thanked him for having such a great attitude and wished him happy holidays. I learned that his name is Jason, and that he “has been out here for 18 years.”
I am sure that it being a quiet, pre-holiday commute day helped make this series of events on the bus possible. But even so, it was a beautiful moment that deserves to be celebrated. After almost two decades driving Muni, he could be bitter and detached but instead he is actively serving the public and watching out for those who need help most. Thank you, bus driver Jason, for reminding us that there are good people driving our buses, and for setting an example of patience that we can all learn from.
Good egg Muni driver, we salute you. Happy holidays!
Photo by echoes71
You guys noted some Muni moments that made our week. I hope the guy found his Chewbacca costume (see below).
Top five Muni moments this week:
In other news, this week I was on the 2-Clement and was sure that the man across from me was taking a photo of me. But I just couldn’t imagine what I was doing that could be so interesting. It’s kind of like blogging-karma slapping me in the face.
This week’s top five Muni moments were brought to you by @tiny_librarian, @thunderlips187, @zarembamf, @sarachristine29, and @rgb_since1981. Got your own Muni moment? Drop it off at @munidiaries!