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Muni drivers, caught on tape! Again! This time, the driver doesn't come off quite so sympathetically.
We caught the 33 home last night after hanging out at a high school cafeteria, and what's this? Not only is driver 1870 flirting with a friend, but she's perched on his headrest and fussing around in his little driver's nook? Our Lois Lane instincts taking over, we whipped out our phone, turned off the backlight so we'd be less conspicuous, and pretended to be chatting away on it while videotaping the affectionate couple.
At first, we felt kind of bad about it, but then we heard the lady ask, "what'll you tell your wife?" And the driver replied, "I'll tell her you were at work," and then suddenly we were less John Stossel and more Joey Greco. (But would that make these people actors? Maybe that metaphor doesn't work.) Anyway, let this be a lesson to us all -- if you're riding Muni, bring a camera and don't be afraid to document what you see. We all have opinions about the service, but if you don't get pix or screengrabs, it didn't happen.
Twenty minutes after we boarded, we disembarked with a phonefull of footage and THE STORY OF THE CENTURY. Extry! Extry! Lady stands unusually close to bus driver! Muni personal-space calamity! Stop the press0rz!
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Great work. I hope they bust this guy for his unacceptable behavior.
Send this on to the KGO-TV guys, they will love it.
If you want to know who those drivers are, just go to the Bryant street. Last time I was in there paying a ticket there were two Muni drivers in full uniform waiting in the Moving Violations line.
This driver is probably the same one I saw dropping his girlfried off mid-block so she could borrow his car. Which incidentally was a brand new Range Rover.
I love taking the cable car, and when the car gets near the Cable car barn, the drivers step off and go to their cars, which are parked on the street ALL DAY, without residential permits, because the entire block around the Cable car barn - something like 150 spaces, both sides - is reserved - for MUNI! So if you live there, you can't park there. But these guys drive to work, get free parking, then STOP the cable car to jump out and get stuff out of their cars...
Pictures or it didn't happen.
Wow!! That was incredible. I'm sure Dan Noyes will do an expose. That driver needs to be canned now, and I'm sure his wife won't be happy either.
It was fun hanging out with you all at Zeitgeist.
Once upon a time, "Union labor" meant high quality workers who met certain standards and were paid well as a result.
Clearly this doesn't seem to be the case anymore with MUNI's union. They defend abusive drivers, make sure bad drivers keep their jobs, and make sure good drivers get blamed for the bad actions of a few.
Way to go, local 250A! Next time there's a fight between the union and MUNI, watch how fast I run to their side. (Hint: I"m being sarcastic)
Excellent video, as always dude.
MattyMatt,
This is what muckraking is all about! Great work! This guy is a prick who doesn't deserve his job...it really shows the type of scofflaws government union wankers try to protect.
This is true citizen journalism at its best.
Awesome.
i used to see drivers with their kids on the N Judah. sometimes they'd be in the cab coloring and stuff while he drove.
I love how this video looks like "Right Now" by Van Halen.
Rita, you are so right! One of these days, I've got to try out these busses everyone keeps talking about.
Sorry I missed you guys last night. Next time, I am so in...
Is this really such a big deal? Just asking.
wow, great catch! how do we get muni's management (and the drivers wife) to see it?!!! And what exactly does the union use as a reason for not wanting the bad drivers gone? they'd loose the union dues?
I'm really not sure whether it's a big deal or not. I don't know how much concentration it takes to drive a bus. A lot, I bet.
The Union's justification for forcing Muni to withhold the drivers' identities is that it's none of our business. They're entitled to mess up without anyone finding out about it.
Why so many haters? Give the guy a break. He work for a tough city service. I mean what is wrong with a guy getting a little action on the side? Leave him alone. There is nothing wrong with what he did. He was driving the bus wasn't he? At least he didn't call in sick or just not show up that day. Also, he did not kill anyone on the streets that day. The story would have been better if he were getting a blowy while driving then you haters might have cause to moan about his actions. Muni drivers are the hardest working city employees. They have all had direct ethics training from Gavin himself and all aspire to be just like him. I think they have done a good job given the modeling they have received. Lets look at the comparisons" Gavin is never at work. Muni drivers call in sick or just not show up all the time. Muni drivers get action on the side. Gavin can't keep his hands off his employees. Muni is unreliable. Gavin can't be relied on he is either on a junket or in rehab. Hey by they way, does Mimi Silbert travel with him so that his rehabilitation is not interrupted or is he already all cured from the sauce? Hmm. Anyway.. I still think that all this video proves is this driver will be up for an award from the MTA.
Hey about about a story about something similar - this NY based site on city employee parking - with the recent questions about city parking permits and tech friendly SF, this might be relevant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/nyregion/22parking.html?hp
or this Garbage Scout
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/05/garbage_scout_san_francisco_ca.html
I keep thinking these types of mashups would be great for reporting graffiti - if that's your thing..
i'm sorry tad and frank, you can't convince me he was able to drive safely with a person standing over him like that paying that kind of attention to him. i've ridden muni daily for 12 years and that's behaviour worthy of disciplinary action in my opinion. i wouldn't get away with anything like that at either of my jobs.
Your right Jill. It's called sarcasm. Muni is as bad as they come. Never on time, dirty and all around insulting to it's customers. Bur hey Gavin is going to fix it and so will the next mayor and the one after him/her. The only way to fix it is to priviatized it and make the employees accountable for their actions. You cant fix something that is beyond repair. I don't care what rescue muni says it needs to be a privately run service so it becomes reliable and efficient. Prop E was a joke, it did nothing except make parking fines higher and the city more unlivable. Making the system free well, you get what you pay for and then u would see a lot worse from muni drivers than you do today. I know that we all fear privatization but come on, people need to get to work, doctors, etc etc. You can take all the initiatives they are planning and offering and dump them because at the end of the day you will still have a system designed to benefit the employees not its customers. No one ha the balls to tackle the hard issues and make the tough choices so we all suffer as a consequence. Andrew Sullivan from rescue Muni has become part of the bureaucracy in a way and is no longer a true advocate. So yeah, a driver flirting with a passenger is bad but allowing the system to stay in tahe hands of politicians and unions is much, much worse.
Hmm. I didn't mean to suggest that it was alright; indeed, the behavior shown here seems decidedly out-of-bounds, subject to disciplinary action, what have you. I guess I just mean that video isn't much to look at (the editor admits as much), yet from the commentary here you'd guess that the driver had just...I don't know. Done something much, much worse? Maybe if the bus was more crowded, maybe if he ignored some sort of emergency so he could talk to his girlfriend, maybe if she was in front of him, rather than behind him. Anything even remotely interesting to justify this "gotcha." Does this driver need to be canned (now! as a few commenters insist)? Certainly if it was a repeat offense a pink slip might be the way to address this, but there's no evidence that was the case. While there's much to be said for citizen surveillance, and much more to be said for creating an effective system to address public complaint (of which this seems, indeed, worthy), the reaction to this basically dull clip seems sadly disproportionate.
understood, tad, and i certainly don't think it's a firing offense. but it is indicative of neglegent things a lot of long-term muni riders have seen (said offenses being understandably frustrating) and it's gratifying to finally have it "caught on tape," which is maybe why people are calling for his head on a platter.
Yawn. Did you actually file a complaint about the incident, or are you just being a whiney bitch with a camera phone?
Use the sfmta website form, or the incident disappears into the ether. From their perspective , if it is not in the system - It didn't happen. Doesn't matter how many camera phone videos people see.
Sure, the form should allow you to submit video, but along with filling out the pertinent details, you could always put a link to the youtube video in the comments section. How about curating a youtuber channel of Muni driver infraction videos?
Start chopping.
I know that it is fun to play investigative journamalist, but you needn't take up seats reserved for the peoples with disabilities and the olderly while you do it. Grandma should have filed a complaint about the driver for not kicking your ass out of the prime investigatoring seats.
I think you mean, "Use the sfmta website form AND the incident disappears into the ether." As we've seen, those complaint forms barely get an acknowledgment before they're hidden from view forever.
If a disabled or old person had made themselves available, I'd have offered them my seat.
was the girl hot at least?
Maybe we need to create a YouTube and Flickr group that we can all use to document MUNI drivers doing things they're not supposed to do, like pulling over at the McDonald's on 3rd and Townsend (the #10 line is what I'm talking about) to get a burger or whatever. Or stopping at the Potrero party store up on 18th Street at Texas (the #22 is what I'm talking about) to get something else.... or Farley's for coffee (though it is fine coffee).
Also, I'd like to teach all the bus drivers to not stomp the gas when the light turns green .... but I guess that's a personal preference.
Talking on the cell phone while driving a bus .. yeah, that's bad. Sometimes, I detect a of racism too ... where they don't pull over to the curb to pick up white folks like me, ya know? Whatever...
Maybe we need to create a YouTube and Flickr group that we can all use to document MUNI drivers doing things they're not supposed to do, like pulling over at the McDonald's on 3rd and Townsend (the #10 line is what I'm talking about) to get a burger or whatever. Or stopping at the Potrero party store up on 18th Street at Texas (the #22 is what I'm talking about) to get something else.... or Farley's for coffee (though it is fine coffee).
Also, I'd like to teach all the bus drivers to not stomp the gas when the light turns green .... but I guess that's a personal preference.
Talking on the cell phone while driving a bus .. yeah, that's bad. Sometimes, I detect a of racism too ... where they don't pull over to the curb to pick up white folks like me, ya know? Whatever...
Wow! A civil servant -- and a BLACK ONE no less!!! -- was having some fun on the job! What an uppity negro! Where's my whip?
I challenge any one of the overpaid, underworked caucasians who've expressed outrage in this thread to to invite the rest of us in for an intimate view of your version of a hard day's work. I'm sure we'd find that every one of you devotes every paid moment to the interests of your corporate masters. Heaven forfend that any of you should spend even a momet on youtube or myspace! Horrors!
If you said something snarky about the bus driver, you are a 100% Ga-Run-Teed hypocrite. End of discussion.
When white hipsters are ready to discuss the the fact that SF is one of the most segregated cities in America, wake me up. Until then, pardon me for snoozing.
No need for racist comments, RJC.
Yes, that's right, that's why I made the video: because I can't stand to see black people having fun at work. You caught me. I looooooove segregation. I won't be satisfied until only white people are allowed to drive recklessly.
You know I was going to refrain from posting anything at all but after seeing your last message here Matty I became even more outraged at your attitude. I grew up in San Francisco and have seen many ways that MUNI drivers have misbehaved. As long as have lived there MUNI has been a problem. It can't be fixed but many things in life are this way. The bus get there and finally get you to your destination.
But when you begin to bring a persons race into the story then you are crossing the line, both you and RJC should be criticized for bringing it up even in a playful or sarcastic manner.
These men and women do a hard job, their system of doing things is messed up and many of the drivers take liberties that seem to inconvenience the riders on each and every shift. But San Francisco is small and hard to transverse with a large vehicle. When you have a bus load of people and trouble makers for a cross town run. Well talk about having a bad day.
I can't totally defend what happened and what the driver was doing while driving the vehicle, for this you should be reporting him to the correct authorities. All the rest of the things you have "reported" seem to be bitching. It is non of my business that the man may have a wife, and it not your business either.
The only thing I can have seen that you do have right is you seem to be like Lois Lane, she to was a poor reporter. Because she to let her emotions get in the way of her reporting. Please don't be such a hater, you kinda come off like one of the entitled that San Franciscans have become in the past few decades.
I'm sorry to be kind of stupid myself but when I saw the story on the news I thought is was a bit soapbox.
I often report this stuff to Muni, but I don't think it goes anywhere. My last report was from a morning trip to work I watched my driver feasting away on his McD's breakfast while driving with one hand.
About two months back I asked a bus driver not to pick people up at the curb and not block the street. She told me to 'fuck off'. I reported this incident.
Another time I had an off-duty Muni driver and her girlfriend throw an empty lotion bottle threw my driver's side window and hit my driver.
I could go on about how unprofessional and dangerous Muni drivers are, but I don't think the city government gives a crap.
The guy who reported this is a little faggot. Saw his picture on the news. Looks like the type that would record his own parents having sex and put it on a blog to get the attention
Here at SFist, we don't like to delete comments, even when they violate our Comment Policy. So I don't think I'll delete the above psychopathery. And in Peter's defense, one half of his comment is correct.
And remember, folks: don't feed the trolls. That's what Livejournal is for.
I think you're a douchebag for trying to get some publicity. I just got back from Europe and sat in my friggin' seat for 9 hours and I wished someone gave me a backrub! You think there are tons of people waiting in line for his job... a sad, mundane occupation and it's ppl like you who like to make life worse for others!!!
Hey Matt,
Are you a shill for MUNI management? If you are not then I am sure they would love to have you. Blame the union and the driver - typical.
Union's have a legal obligation to defend their members (as I said, it is the law). There are many that are not worth defending, but it has to be done anyway. Kind of like how a mass murderer has a right to have an attorney appointed. So your argument that the union is defending these people is ludicrous at best. I suggest you educate yourself on labor law. You may also want to educate yourself on all the rights you have in the workplace - most of which are the direct result of vigilant union activities.
Now the facts. The driver got a lengthy back rub from his girlfriend while driving and could have compromised your safety. Well, I suppose that is possible, but it may be a bit of a stretch. Bus drivers have very difficult jobs - I doubt you could handle it. It is very trying to deal with a surly public all day long. The back rub may have helped to alleviate his stress for all you know. Also, it is not of your business whether he was married - your moralistic preachy little twit.
-Annoyed person who wil probably never read anything you ever write again.
p.s. I hope I never see you driving while on that cell phone of yours (I am sure you would never do that).
Carolyn,
On your 9-hour trip from Europe, were you flying the plane?
You did a great job Matt.Even the opposition gets to post.
Matt,
You are really an idiot . . .
"The Union's justification for forcing Muni to withhold the drivers' identities is that it's none of our business. They're entitled to mess up without anyone finding out about it."
Why should you have the right to know an individual MUNI drivers disciplinary record - unless maybe you have a legal action against them? There is a thing called the right to privacy - bill of rights - things like that. I would like to know your disciplinary record going back to the first high school news paper you ever spread your ignorance at. How many times where you disciplined for stretching the truth and authoring misleading stories?
Your pompous, elitist,classist viewpoint is crystal clear.
Next time your ride MUNI get off at Palou and Third and ask people there what they think of the driver you filmed - LOL
Matt, this is awesome. We need more people like you guys. This is what actual journalism used to be all about, before GE bought everything. Keep it up.
It's always interesting-- the people who come out of the woodwork on these threads.
Oh Leanne, you are so right.
As I sit here and read some of these posts, I'm actually happy I moved down to the Peninsula (I know, I know), because it reminds me how messed up the City is in many ways.
I don't understand these defend-MUNI-at-all-cost respondants. They live in the same city, after all, and are subject to the same probabilities of being injured by an out of control bus as everyone else. Yet they persist in a driver's right to behave like this.
Is driving a bus through San Francisco an easy job? Intellectually, probably not, but it's not something I'd want to do even once let alone daily. Still, you'd think we all would want the best and most attentive drivers we could get on the job for our own safety's sake.
Is his extra-marital dallying cogent to his driving ability? Not really except that it's another indication of how he's willfully unaware of his riders' perceptions. But it's not something we need to address, because his lied-to wife will be dealing with that issue. And I'm sure if he called in sick the next day, it wasn't a lazy-sick day -- he was nursing quite a lump on his head.
As another writer said earlier, it was once a union's priority to insure its members met a high quality standard. Too bad that's not the case any more. So I guess it's up to us to protect ourselves. If that means phone-cam video exposés, so be it.
MattyMatt,
As a black guy, I LOVE the leave-the-black-driver-alone-because-he's-black posts. It was (almost) as good as the leave-the-white-mayor-alone-because-I'd-lay-him posts.
Face it, kids: in San Francisco, depravity is IN.
Jesus christ guys!
You made it sound like he was getting a BJ or somthing and then I watched the video and really its not that bad. I would say that he was as distracted as someone talking on a cell phone and driving (which I hate by the way). So if any of you complainers have ever talked on your cell phone while driving I would say you are just as guilty as this driver in presenting a threat to others on the road.
I'm pretty sure they save the blowjobs for AC Transit.
Nice snap, Matt.
Ok people who are hating on Matt let me explain something to you and I will type slow so you can follow, because you obviously missed this point echoed earlier. This is a bad thing because it erodes peoples trust in unions. In case you don't know unions are supposed to stick up for workers when the workers are being MISTREATED by the company. But in the case of the union representing MUNi the only action we see is the protecting of dumbassess like the driver in the video and the Beavis and Butthead on the cable cars who were pocketing fares. This erodes ALL public support for Muni drivers and their union, so when they actually have valid issues to addresss the public doesn't care. If the public doesn't care then the workers get screwed. So everyone, RJC, peterwhiterabbit, CheStalin, and all other haters, that is your lesson for today. But don't despair if you don't understand it the first time you read it feel free to read it again.
Treyman,
You are the one that does not understand. As was stated above, unions MUST (caps so that you understand - you smug jackass) legally defend their members - they have to. It may make them look bad but they have to or they risk being sued. It is called the doctrine of fair representation. It This is similar to how a public defendant has to put on a good defense for those who are guilty as hell. OK do you understand this point.
Next point . . . the work of labor unions brought you most of the rights in the workplace that you take for granted. If it was not for unions your kids could be working in sweatshops and you would be working longer hours for less pay. Unions are much weaker now and your rights, along with the middle class, are eroding.
Next point . . . Why should union workers have to be better workers than non-union workers. That is not the only point of a union - to get better work. Union's developer to protect peoples rights when things are unfair . . . it is people united together to ensure better pay, health care, decent living standards et cetera . . . You might say that business groups are union's of a sort as well, maybe even a conspiracy. The logic behind union workers possibly being better is because their jobs are generally better and more stable. Hence, they stick around long enough to learn how to properly do it.
So there you go Treyman. I do not think reading this over an over again S L O W is going to help as you do not seem to have a smattering of the background knowledge or perspective to understand. I guess you will have to stick with your MBA textbooks, the Chron, NYTimes, whatever it is you read - probably nothing of substance is my guess.
- Cheers
For all you hating on Unions. How do you think the public even becomes aware that workers belong to "LAZY" unions. Who puts that message in their heads. Why it is no other than the "Union Hating" media. The media goes out of its way to portrait union as bad and how non-union workers work harder. Why do you think this may be? Why do employers hate union? Do a little legal, historical, class research and find out. You need to think of the big picture and have a little perspective. Most media is owned by elite business interests that are very hostile to organized labor - it hurts their bottom line when they have to pay people decently or treat them with dignity. How many news stories do you see devoted to labor - particularly those that say something good about it. So you ignoramuses on this site are just carrying on their game without even realizing it (I think) and probably hurting your long term interests. Keep up the good work - go out and buy some designer jeans or something - everything here is fine - just move along nothing to look at.
Union defenders.... I've actually been a part of one - and that made me more anti-union. There was a time in history that unions were needed & they did a good job. At some point, there became career opportunities for union leaders & now many of the unions just protect the poor performers instead of protecting those who do a good job & should be paid more! If we saw the union leadership taking a role in IMPROVING muni, in making it a better service & making sure the poor performers pursue other careers & good performers get recognition, then we may think more highly of the union. Until then - they are a major part of the problem!
I have been part of a union as well and also belonged to union leadership - shop steward. Some unions are bad and some are good. Just like some company's are bad and some are good. however I would say that the level of corruption, fraud, protection of lazy nepotistic slime, is far greater in the corporate world than in the union world.
Citi-zen, I do not know what planet you are living on. Company, and management in general will try to blame unions. If you think that there is no place for unions anymore then you are a fool. If you think the employment at will - read kiss your company's ass - world is a good one, I feel very sorry for you. You should not be a slave to your job and should be able to live a full and meaningful life. If you just want to be a meaningless worker drone (and this includes most corporate jobs where you work away in your cube until you are all used up) then keep hating on unions. I really enjoyed working under a contract and being protected from having to ever brown nose my boss. Long live rights in the workplace. Long live the ability of employees to have equal say in how the job gets done. If we did not live in such a greedy self serving society then maybe we could live without unions - until then now way.
Why do you think the image of union members as lazy poor workers is spread. It is not true. Go to any non-unionized sweat shop store and find out. The reason they are maligned is that they threaten the class interests of those in power. Thanks for supporting that class interest. Look forward to seeing you weasel your away across the picket line.
-Night
Those of you defending unions, please put your arguments in the context of improving Muni.
What is your reasoning for why Muni isn't as good as it should be? You have to admit that the fact that no one can question a driver's behavior--because of his being in a Union, sounds pretty legitimate. Unions are good in theory, but not very practical in this context.
All we want are buses that comes on time!!
To HmmOkay,
Name a strike that worked without eventually garnering public support? Yes exactly. As a union rep I have defend people who smoke crack on the job. Incidents like that don't usually help garner public support when I'm fighting for workers' sick leave or harassment on the job. So when Muni drivers have an actual complaint the public only remembers dumbas*s*s like the Romeo in the video. I only have one more point so hang in there. If for some reason, a real reason, MUNI drivers went out on strike how much public support would they have? What was that? Ummmm maybe 10 - 15%. and that is probably generous.
Cheers
If a bus is late won't they all be late and thus shift the timing of all of the other busses. For example If the 8:00am bus comes at 8:10 will the 8:20 come at 8:30? Or do they stack up and arrive at the same time at the stop?
This is the same line that I reported a Muni driver eating his McBreakfast while driving very fast. I'm betting it's the same driver and I'm also betting nothing happened to my report. He had one hand on the wheel while reaching into his McBag to eat his breakfast. Not a very safe driver.