December 10, 2007
Ask a Muni Driver
Hey, look, it's back! It's "Ask a Muni Driver!" But we need help from you-- we need questions. So, if you got any, let us know at jon@sfist.com.
Here's the question:
Do cops ever stop a Muni driver for anything like speeding or running a red light?
In theory, yes. In practice, no. Or at least, I've never seen it or heard of a MUNI driver getting at ticket while behind the wheel of a bus. I did hear rumor, one time that somebody got a ticket for not stopping at a live railroad crossing. There was a bunch of literature around the barn warning that Amtrak police were ticketing drivers for not stopping at the crossings, whether a train was coming or not. We're supposed to stop and open the doors. Mind you, this was just a rumor and some forgettable post-ups at the barn.
I will say that a cop would absolutely ticket a MUNI bus for, say, running a red light. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I don't think so. Meaning that yes, MUNI drivers are probably getting away with very minor traffic infractions that they average driver will likely be ticketed for-- especially if she's driving something hot like a red Ferrari.
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give me a break. muni could run over all our mothers in this town and never get a ticket.
@Suckafree: Sure, they COULD, but, it'd take too much effort so they surely wouldn't.
Anyway, I have a question: What do the MUNI drivers think of the double-decker buses they are testing. As a rider, I think the second deck is going to be an absolute mess, what do the drivers think?
Lately the K trains have been running the red @ Junipero Serra & Sloat...I've counted three times in the past three days. Bad MUNI, no cookie.
Actually, I've seen a Muni driver with passengers who got ticketed for violating the pedestrian right-of-way during a police trap going eastbound on Geary.
Also, about stopping at railroad crossings, VTA has this really interesting system on their buses that makes an alarm noise when the bus approaches about 200 ft. away from the crossing. The alarm stops going off when they make a full stop at the crossing.
I was under the impression that police couldn't pull over a bus to ticket the driver until the end of the route. That said, yeah, I've seen the K operators run the red light at St. Francisc circle before. When DPT... uhh MTA now? Catches MUNI drivers on the red light cameras, I'm pretty sure the drivers themselves are responsible. Boy howdy, wouldn't it be nice to have red light cameras at every major train intersection. The city could recoup quite a bit of their labour costs that way I imagine.
can you ask them muni driver what they make, on average? i've always wanted to know and had an argument or two with folks about it.
My question to the muni driver:
Why does the 71L change drivers at Van Ness at the height of rush hour?
I ask because frequently, the replacement driver is not there, and a whole busload of passengers who thought they were getting on a "limited" find themselves "waiting for a driver" at market & Van Ness.
Wouldn't it make more sense to change drivers at, say, the end of the line? Particularly at rush hour?
If the bus or streetcar doesn't have functioning brakes, is it OK for it to run red lights?
I just sayin', judging my the number of antique streetcars that run the lights on Market, and whose brakes appear to the a 2x4 pushed down on the tracks by a lever. All that's missing is the team of horses.
On the double decker buses, I hope they prove popular. Word is they are popular wherever they are used. Passengers sort themselves out, with those going for longer distances opting for upstairs while those traveling for shorter distances -- and those with mobility problems, natch -- opting for the lower level. The reason it's important is that they carry more passengers than the regular buses but take up less room in Muni's storage yards, which are already overcrowded. Changing bus type is a clever way to avoid the expense of buying more real estate for bus storage in San Francisco!
On operators' salaries, I think they make about $26/hour, which works out to about $54,000/year. Most also get various kinds of premium pay (overtime, bonuses, etc..) that can increase that my as much as 20%.
So the answer is, $54,000-$65,000/year, with nice benefits. Basically, the median wage for San Francisco.
thanks sfus. i swear i read somewhere that they make 120k a year. i was just looking for some sort of confirmation.
here's an old snippet from april on our own sfist:
Fun fact: Muni is required to pay its drivers based on what the two highest-paying transit systems in the country offer. Right now, that works out to about $27 an hour, and amazingly, the Union likes that just fine. But you can spoil their good mood pretty quick by talking about tying compensation to performance.
I was on the 22 one day last year when the driver stopped midblock just past Grove. I was pissed about being late for work until the moto cop boarded the bus and asked for license and registration. At first I thought it was just some guy in costume, far more likely in SF than a cop pulling over a muni bus. But the driver had run the stop sign and he got a ticket. All the passengers (except one Hate the Man type) laughed and laughed.
I was on the 22 one day last year when the driver stopped midblock just past Grove. I was pissed about being late for work until the moto cop boarded the bus and asked for license and registration. At first I thought it was just some guy in costume, far more likely in SF than a cop pulling over a muni bus. But the driver had run the stop sign and he got a ticket. All the passengers (except one Hate the Man type) laughed and laughed.
"Trackless trolleys". I was once on a 6 when a 7 came up behind the bus. The 6 was stopped because the driver had to put the poles back up. The 7 came whizzing by like it was a diesel coach, and didn't stop! Both buses had their poles knocked off the line and there was a spectacular light show.
How often do you think buses depole each other? Is that even the right term? What do you think about the trackless trolleys in general?
One bus dewiring another? Idiots driving for MUNI? Will wonders never cease? I was on a KLM shuttle this morning with a driver who didn't think to turn her headlights on until a passing motorist mentioned it. I missed a KLM shuttle because the driver was simply too lazy to wait for everyone to alight from the train. Got to watch that same bus run a red light.
How often does it happen? How often does a bear shit in the woods? How often is the pope catholic? How often does the bus get driven?
One bus dewiring another? Idiots driving for MUNI? Will wonders never cease? I was on a KLM shuttle this morning with a driver who didn't think to turn her headlights on until a passing motorist mentioned it. I missed a KLM shuttle last night because the driver was simply too lazy to wait for everyone to alight from the train. Got to watch that same bus run a red light on the return trip this morning.
How often does it happen? How often does a bear shit in the woods? How often is the pope catholic? How often does the bus get driven?