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Can you believe we're going to be on the teevee AGAIN? It's CBS this time, tonight at probably 5:30, 6:30, and 11. The lesson here: if you want a ticket to fame, just videotape a Muni driver and you'll be an instant media-magnet. Even Matier and Ross weighed in on it -- they called us intrepid!
Below is our Friday appearance on KRON, thanks to SFist_Rain's magical Tivo. Alas, we didn't get the 6:00 version, so you'll have to settle for the 5:00 version with its messy technical snafu. But you know, it's stuff like that that makes us love KRON all the more. It's not by accident (or with any shortage of affection) that we compared them to The Muppet Show.
So how does KPIX fit into our characterization of local news stations? Hm. Well, when they called us to do an interview, we were startled to discover that they just happened to be parked in front of our house, totally by coincidence. Maybe that shadowy close-following makes them sort of like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein? We're not totally sold on that comparison. Leave your suggestions in the comments. Also: speculate on why this little video could possibly be considered such big news.
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I saw your interview at 6:30 (btw MattyMatt, you look a lot different than I thought you would) and the KPIX footage was so much fuzzier than the much-better-to-look-at SFist.
If only Cell phones with video had been around in the 1980's!
I was a cute young student back in 1981 riding the 47 Van Ness several times a week. I frequently endured the unwelcome and humiliating attentions of a particular creepy Bus driver who never missed an opportunity to loudly voice lewd comments whenever I boarded his bus. It was so offensive and outlandish that other passengers sometimes came to my defense, trying to shame this driver into silence.
I was too young to understand I had the right to NOT endure sexual harassment. American society was just beginning to recognize sexual harassment in that time.
Eventually over some months, I saw prominently displayed throughout the MUNI system, a 'Driver of the Month' poster featuring this guy.
I've lived here 25 years - I wish i could remember the number of times I've witnessed "Muni Drivers behaving badly" (to paraphrase a KRON segment). Once back in the 80s I worked in Piedmont & almost every day i was the only passenger on AC coming back into the City. This one time another driver was on & both were talking about some other driver who "was always sooo high that ONLY Muni would hire him!!!"
It is outrageous that Muni claims it will take another three years to train a sufficient pool of bus drivers to make up for the driver shortage.
In my experience, this is pretty typical of the level of training Muni drivers demonstrate.
The Board of Supervisors and the mayor need to exercise greater oversight over Muni. Otherwise, the money we spend on it is just wasted.