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Blah blah blah soup kitchens blah blah fun-runs blah holiday schedules. All that stuff's fascinating, of course, but here's what we really want to know: Muni, where can we find all the hottest Xmas shopping deals? Aside from Dress Barn, of course. Fear not, shoppers, for Muni's assembled a guide to holiday buying, starting on the day after Thanksgiving and extending to late December. Thanks to the MTA, you are now fully prepared to buy gifts, no matter which Xmas you celebrate: the real one, the Jewish one, or the black one.
Hot tips: take BART! Or Muni. The F-line is "fun for the whole family"! Watch out for pickpockets; park your bike for free in the Union Square Garage; and don't try to park in the special shopping zones around Union Square. (Apparently Muni is under the impression that Union Square is the only place people do any holiday shopping.) More guidance after the jump.
Hot off Muni's PR presses:
SFMTA Announces Transit and TrafficImpacts this Holiday Weekend
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) advises San Francisco residents and visitors of the following event-related traffic and transit impacts for the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, November 21—Sunday, November 25, 2007. Event participants and fun seekers should check with www.sfmta.com or call 311 to find out which of the 80 Muni lines will get them where they want to go.
Holiday Transit and Parking Enforcement Schedules
Muni service will operate weekday non-school schedules on Wednesday, November 21 and Friday, November 23. On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22, Muni will follow a Sunday schedule.
Parking enforcement will continue with regular weekday enforcement through Wednesday, November 21. On Thanksgiving Day, a holiday schedule will be in effect and City meters, residential permits, commute lanes and street sweeping will not be enforced. On Friday, November 23, however, meters and street sweeping will be enforced, residential permits and commute lanes will not.
Thanksgiving Meal Donations
The Salvation Army will distribute holiday meals on Thursday, November 22. The southern lanes of Harrison Street will be closed between 9th and 10th Streets from 6:00 a.m. to noon for food distribution.
5K and 10K Race in Golden Gate Park
The 23rd California Academy of Science's Run Wild 5K and 10K race will require partial street closures on Oak and Fell from Stanyan to Broderick and impact several Muni bus routes from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Sunday, November 25.
5K and 10K Race in Golden Gate Park, continued
The race will be held in Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle. The following Muni routes will be affected/re-routed during the race:
· 33-Stanyan
· 43-Masonic
· 44-O'Shaughnessy
Holiday Season Tips
For those planning to visit downtown San Francisco for shopping and entertainment this weekend, please keep the following tips and recommendations in mind.
· The two best ways to get to Union Square, San Francisco Centre, or the Metreon on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 23) are MUNI Metro or BART. The Powell Street stop for MUNI Metro and BART takes you to the foot of Union Square, directly beneath SF Centre, and one block from the Metreon at 5th Street and Mission.
· The following Muni rail lines and bus routes will take you right to Union Square: F-Market, Mason and Hyde Cable Car lines, Muni Metro to Powell Station, 2-Clement, 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter, 9X-San Bruno, 30-Stockton, 45-Union/Stockton and 38-Geary
· The historic Cable Car and F-Market lines make holiday shopping an excursion that is fun for the whole family.
· Muni customers and shoppers should be careful of pick-pockets, especially during the holiday season.
· Most BART stations have ample free parking on the day after Thanksgiving.
· The SFMTA provides over 7,000 parking spaces in the Union Square area with weekday and weekend rates designed for short-term parking in the following garages: Ellis-O'Farrell (925 spaces); 5th/Mission (2,585 spaces); Moscone Center (732 spaces); Sutter Stockton (1,865 spaces) and Union Square (985 spaces).
· The least expensive and least crowded place to park near Union Square on weekends: St. Mary's Square Garage, two blocks east and three blocks north of Union Square on Kearny and Pine Streets. Weekend and holiday rates: $2 for one hour, $7 per day.
· Parking garages near Union Square that do not fill up on Saturdays or the day after Thanksgiving: Hearst Garage on 3rd Street between Mission and Market Streets, St. Mary's Square Garage and the Jessie Square Garage on Stevenson Street west of 3rd Street.
· Reduced Muni fares: Children age 5-17, seniors, and the disabled ride Muni for a third of the regular adult fare. The Adult fare is $1.50 with a 90-minute transfer. The reduced fare is $.50 with a 90-minute transfer. These fares are good on all Muni vehicles, except Cable Cars.
Cable Cars are a flat rate of $5.00 per trip. Those wishing to make more than two trips should purchase a Muni 1-day Passport for $11.00. Muni also sells 3-day Passports and 7-day Passports. Check out the SFMTA website, http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm , for further information.
· Reduced BART fares: Children age 5-12 and seniors 65 or older can ride BART for one-quarter the normal fare with discount tickets. Discount tickets are available at retail vendors, such as Albertsons, Safeway and Longs Drugs, but not at most BART stations. For ticket vendor info, go to: www.BART.gov.
· Ferries that operate on the day after Thanksgiving: Larkspur, Sausalito, Vallejo and Oakland-Alameda. For more info, go to www.511.org or call 511.
· Best bicycle parking near Union Square: Union Square Garage, top floor. Free service on a first come, first served basis.
· The busiest days to shop at Union Square (in order): Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Fridays and Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas Eve and December 26
· Least crowded days of the week to shop at Union Square between Thanksgiving and Christmas: Sundays and Mondays.
· Read all parking signs carefully before parking. Many downtown parking spaces are designated for commercial vehicle parking, and many spaces become tow-away zones after 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.
· If a parking garage is full, garage attendants will provide maps to nearby garages that have space available. Do not wait outside full garages.
· For updated free traffic and transit info, go to www.511.org or call 511.
HOLIDAY SAFETY REMINDER
· Be alert for pick pockets. Carry wallets in front pockets and close handbags and carry them in front of you in crowds.
· If you believe you have had a theft on a Muni vehicle, please contact 311 and provide the bus number as well as the date and time.
· Due to heightened security measures, do not leave bags or parcels unattended at any time.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY SEASON PARKING & TRAFFIC MEASURES
Traffic Facilitation
The Department of Parking & Traffic will restrict on-street parking on several downtown streets between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day in order to increase traffic and transit capacity during the busy holiday shopping season. "Tow Away No Stopping" signs will be installed on the following streets from Friday, November 23, 2007 through Tuesday, January 1, 2008:
• O'Farrell Street, north side, Powell to Grant
• Stockton Street, east side, Sutter to Market
• Geary Street, north side, Powell to Mason
Traffic Control
Traffic Control Officers will be deployed to the Union Square and Moscone Center areas as needed to facilitate traffic flow and ensure pedestrian safety and access.
Construction Moratorium
In order to facilitate traffic and transit flow, no traffic lane or sidewalk closures will be allowed on business area streets between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
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MUNI is fun for the whole family!
We do occasionally discover used condoms on our seats. If one if the kids finds one, isn't about time you told them about the birds and the bees anyway? They're probably using them already with their little playmates after school.
Use a tissue to remove it from the seat and politely offer it to the driver.
Please disregard the crack heads [people with wide eyes puffing on little glass pipes] as they may be jonesing [feeing grouchy]
Otherwise, welcome aboard!
Those are the fun-seekers.