April 5, 2006
Dear Mr Ford
How has your week in transit been? Ours has been pretty good -- we seem to have gotten on schedule with our current favorite N Judah driver, the guy who says makes announcements like "Muni loves you! I know all of you don't love Muni, but we love you! Don't forget your umbrella!" While we're never especially happy to go to work, because it's, you know, work, we love riding that guy's train. "Muni loves you" guy for president!
Unfortunately, not everyone can speak to a positive Muni experience this week. For example, there's SFist reader Derrell:
I've also been nearly run down by a 22, at 16th and Mission in broad daylight. I was waiting to cross the street with four other folks. The light turns in our favor. We're starting to cross and a 22 runs the red, slams on its brakes, and finds itself caught in the middle of the intersection blocking traffic against a red light, nearly hitting the guy in front of me. And what does this driver do next? He opens the front door and screams, "get the f**k outta the road" and flips us off. For a second I thought he was going to leave his bus and physically assault us. It was surreal.
Looks like Muni's love can hurt, eh?
Send us your tales of Muni joy and sorrow. You never know, we just might edit them for usage and length and use them in this column.
Image from Jamison's Flickr page, and sexxified by SFist Matt.
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I have a peeve -- not so much about Muni as about drivers who don't know how to drive around light rail. It's those vroom-vroom sneaks who drive up the side demi-lane (where the street is one wide lane) when an N Judah is loading at a stop. It's illegal (in that newsprint driver's hbk), but common driver behavior at my Inner Sunset stops, and I dread the day when a Muni rider gets mowed down by one of those impatient motorists. Makes me want to throw pennies.
I hate that too when people try to pass a streetcar on the right. It used to happen when I took the J all the time and I don't get how people can't tell it's pretty dangerous, esp. when people are disembarking and have less opportunity to see the cars coming. Also, there are usually signs about a block before the car stop (at least on Church) that say it's illegal to pass a streetcar at a stop. I guess if it's not enforced, it's not actually a prohibition, eh?
We need better Muni stops. Period.
At the very least the concrete slabs which make a sorry excuse for station platforms need to be extended to the length of a two-car train, with a railing on the outside, so there is at least some physical barrier to passengers being let off into moving traffic. A few days ago a BMW came zooming by way to close as I was getting off a J.
Don't we at the very least deserve a decent concrete slab?
Oh I've got a great one - last Saturday I took the California St. Cable Car and some idiot decided to make a left turn as it was approaching. Not content to try and cause a wreck that way, he decided to start driving ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD and we literally almost had a head on collision because this joker was driving like he was in England.
However the incident was not without its merit. Not only was the brakeman super cool and super skilled at avoiding such a a drama, some tourist kid shouted "Smooth move, Ex Lax!" at the driver of the car. Now THAT was classic!
I've nearly been hit by Muni buses far too many times to count. They should have skull & crossbones mounted on the front.
However, the cable car operators are always great. The intersection of Powell & California is dangerous for pedestrians, because there's no real light. You just have to hold your breath and pray (kind of hard for an atheist).
But when a car came zooming up, clearly having no intention of stopping, then slammed on his brakes and started cursing the people who dared walk across the street, the cable car operator leaned out and chewed him out royally on behalf of the pedestrians who had just about wet their pants as the car about mowed us all down.
Bus drivers: F
Cable car drivers: A