October 18, 2007
How to Ride Muni and BART
Don't do this. Ever. Seriously.
At last! An informative guide -- tutoring both rookies and veterans riders alike -- on how the hell to ride the headache that is Muni and BART public transportation.
Neighbors Project brings you this nifty and imperative guide, which will help us all get along that much better. The guide touches on everything from commuter checks, to smiling, to letting "people off the train before you get on" (we want to put our fist through a window just thinking about people who don't follow this rule), to those who insist on wearing backpacks on trains or buses. And much more!
Again, check it out, pass it along to loved ones, friends, enemies, passersby, etcetera. It's a must read for all, especially with our rainy season underway.
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When people are blocking the door (a wall of folks) when the Muni Metro train stops and I need to get off, I'm thankful to be a pretty big dude ... I launch out of the train like a mack truck, and people usually figure out they'd better get out of my way.... I do say excuse me and give a pained smile while doing this. I'm very much in the school that says people only learn from negative consequences.
While attempting to exit a packed L train I once had to tell some woman "Um, if you don't move to let me off, there's no space for you board" in so many words. She looked at me funny. I guess they don't teach basic physics in school anymore.
People do the same thing on elevators. I don't get it.
It's got some really helpful advice on how to position yourself on a lurching bus.
"Don't embarrass yourself. Keep a slightly wide stance."
(Snicker)
Last week I went on Muni's on line information site to find out route information from California and Montgomery to 850 Bryant. I was directed to go to 1st and Mission and catch a Mission Street bus to 6th and Mission and then walk to 850 Bryant. Okay, not a neigborhood I wanted to stroll through so I called Muni information. The Muni operator was very nice, but after several minutes on line he told me the same thing.....walk from 6th and Mission to 850 Bryant. I told the operator when I had been on jury duty last year I took a bus at Powell that got me within a block of 850 Bryant. After several more minutes the operator said, oh, yes, I guess you could take that route and then he finally came up with that bus information for me.
So in addition to the poor daily service, Muni can't even give out safe directions to a major building in SF.
when you've got a situation with 38 Geary double bus and 20 people at a stop, lots of people will typically get on through the back doors. even then, the stairwells and areas around the doors are PACKED, while the center is empty. and then people get so irritated when you try to squeeze past them. i don't get this. it's like people are asking for stress and high blood pressure. like they WANT to spend their mornings annoyed.
Goddamn it! MUNI has OTHER PEOPLE on it? I thought it was there purely to serve me. Can they find a way to get those other people off it so I can enjoy my ride in peace? I don't even like riding in the Bentley if Frobisher has had too much caffeine.
I got off the bus to go to work one day and a lady with a pleasant grin attempted to board the very way I was trying to exit (through the back of course). I very politely said "excuse me," and she heard me, kept grinning, and kept trying to board. I repeated myself saying it firmer, a little louder and slightly less polite - I still had to lightly push past her to get out. I didn't see if she was grinning anymore at that point but she still got on the damn bus and I got to work on time so do I care she had to wait another 2 seconds to get on the bus in a way she wasn't supposed to anyway (driver wasn't making people board through the back)? Hardly...
On that note, time to face the masses now that I'm in the right frame of mind for it... :p
new yorkers need a guide too.