Keep your appendages inside the cable car at all times, kids, because a kid riding the Powell-Hyde cable car line was hurt Wednesday afternoon. According to SF Appeal, "a car drifted toward thee cable car and its side mirror struck an 11-year-old boy in the stomach who was on the cable car." The child was suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Child Injured Riding Cable Car
California Cable Car Back After Six-Month Repose
After a six-month shutdown due to repairs, the California cable car line will return today to its former glory. According to BCN (via KTVU), "The project replaced electrical and mechanical components that support the cable car system, reconstructed streets, installed curb ramps, repaired sidewalk curbs and replaced sewers."
Pedestrian Struck by Cable Car
KGO is reporting that a woman was struck by a cable car at the intersection of Broadway and Mason at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning after she "darted" in front of it, according to witnesses. The cable car passengers said they tried to warn the woman to look out, as the operator was unable to stop the car in time.
Cable Car Runs in to Thing That It Shouldn't Have, Minor Injuries Reported
Late yesterday afternoon around 4 p.m. a Powell-Mason Cable Car collided with a 30-Stockton in North Beach at Columbus Ave and Chestnut Street. According to Bay City News over on the Appeal, (who also insists that intersection is Russian Hill), the driver "apparently lost control of the cable car after it couldn't keep it's grip on a worn cable."
Cool Cable Car Turnaround Photo
Earlier today, SFist posted Flickr user bats' image of the 280 onramp, but we cannot resist also sharing with you his Powell Street cable car turnaround photo. Behold.
Cable Car Crashs Into Van, Injures Four
A cable car collided with a van near Washington Street near Mason Street last night, injuring four. According to SF Appeal, "The crash happened at about 5:15 p.m." And "two passengers were taken to local hospitals and two others were treated at the scene." Yikes. None of the injuries, thankfully, were life-threatening.
Very, Very Vibrant Cable Car Unveiled
Yesterday morning, a new cable care for tourists was unleashed onto the streets of San Francisco. And yes, you will need sunglasses to enjoy these images of the shockingly colored car.
Sell Naming Rights of Cable Cars?
San Francisco is throwing around the idea of selling the naming rights of the cable cars to aid SFMTA. Naturally, people do not like the money-making scheme of re-naming the iconic cars -- cars that, over the last ten years, operate more for tourists' whimsy than any need to get to anywhere -- because it degrades the cable cars' lore. Or whatever. According to SF Examiner, Muni Director Malcolm A. Heinicke "envisions that groups could raise funds to name one of the 40 cable cars or the nearly 90 streetcars after a similarly iconic San Franciscan or local institution. The revenue from selling the naming rights could be used to fix and restore those vehicles." However, chances are that this idea will fail because whenever you try explaining to most San Franciscans that they do not, in fact, live in the merry ol' land of Oz, their heads explode.
Heroic Cable Car Collides with Double Parked SUV
Service was disrupted after a cable car rammed into a sports utility vehicle that was double parked. (Tsk, tsk.) The "accident," which happened yesterday afternoon a little before 5 p.m., occurred on Hyde Street between North Point and Beach streets. The SUV's driver and a cable car passenger were treated for a minor boo-boos. Otherwise, no one else was seriously injured.
Chance Meeting on the Cable Car Turns into Ephron-ian Tale of Fate
While it seems too sugary to be true - and we doubt it is - this story has touched our cold, selfish hearts. See, Muni Diaries has a story of fate and romance that will have you believing in the magical powers of public transportation again.
Cable Car Hits Pedestrian
A little before 6 a.m. this morning a cable car struck a pedestrian on Mason Street near Broadway. the unidentified person was sent to a local hospital. According to the Muni Spokesperson Judson True, the extent of the pedestrian's injuries are not known at this time. Service on the Powell-Mason line has since been restored. (CBS 5)
Late Night Cable Car Accident Injures Four
Four people were hurt after a cable car derailed last night at Washington and Powell streets. (Check out this image of the car off its tracks. So wrong!) A little before midnight last night, a cable car jumped the tracks as it was turning onto Powell Street. Three passengers were sent to the hospital for minor injuries, and "one man appeared to have a broken leg." Egads. Anyway, the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Oats Bests Cobb
During yesterday's hotly contested Muni Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest, Leonard Oats beat frontrunners Ken Lunardi and Byron Cobb to snag the title of Best Bell Ringing MUNI Employee in the Universe. In the amature division, first place went to "Scottie B" of KOIT (we'd like to think Vanessa Williams played a small part in his victory); second place, Aaron Jones of KBLX, and third place went to Janelle Wang of ABC 7.
Gavin Newsom to Attend to Muni's Greatest Challenge: Banging Two Pieces of Metal Together
Here at SFist, we are not impressed with percussive instruments. Calling a drum circle "music" is like calling crosswalk stripes "a painting." But there's something sort of impressive about an experienced cable car bell-ringer, so gosh darn it we can't quite manage to fully roll our eyes at today's annual Muni Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest (noon in Union Square), at which Gavin Newsom and several local news personalities (please Jan Wahl, please Jan Wahl, please Jan Wahl) will judge clanking sounds and award prizes.
Day Around the Bay
- No. 25 is alive. Again. [WhatImSeeing]
- "OMGROFL" [Jameth]
- Breaking news: Danielle Steel's "glazed" Stinson Beach home for sale. [Curbed]
Follies In Cable Car Advertising
Guess what we don't want to think about while riding San Francisco's whimsical, romantic, and downright gorgeous cable cars? Unkempt sphincters.
The Making of a San Francisco Cable Car
Did you ever wonder just where or how cable cars were made? More to the point, did you know that cable cars didn't just fall from the sky? Well, we didn't. WhatImSeeing, allowed inside the Woods Division's Cable Car carpentry shop in the Dogpatch nieghborhood, landed some spectacular shots of San Francisco cable cars in the process of being made.
California Street Cable Cars Out Of Order Today
While crews repair a damaged cable, California Street cable cars will be down for the count today, but could return to service by early tomorrow. Sad, isn't it?
Late-Night Pizza Ban? That's Crazy Talk!
In North Beach fights breakout and mild vandalism occurs after bars close at 2 a.m. This chaos, typical for any city, makes some of our sensitive city dwellers cranky before bedtime. Or whatever. So, the City Planning Commissioners somehow got it into their heads that closing pizza parlors on the the Broadway strip, pizzerias that normally stay open until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., before 2 a.m. will solve a slew of problems. According to the Examiner:
The Day Of Stop Shopping
Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, the day where big retail shoppers traditionally break even for the year! Traditionally considered the biggest shopping day of the year! Is it retail therapy? ....Or is it kowtowing to the gods of capitalism and binding the workers who long to be free?
Splat: Pie Fight Tonight
Screw the cardboard tube battle, this sounds like something that needs to happen every night. This evening at 5 p.m. sharp, head on down to the tourist epicenter of San Francisco, the Powell Cable Car turnaround, for what will be a massive pie fight. According to Mr. Scott Beale over at Laughing Squid, SF0 player Herbie Hatman is organizing a formal-attire pie fight (think Mabel Normand, Keystone Cops) which will get all up in...
SFist Watches: Your Locals On Reality TV
We lost a geek last week, but we still had a local bachelorette to root for along with a "dream date" to our fair city on "The Bachelor"!
SFist Photo: Asian Americans vs. ABC Disney
Photo of protest by Filipino-American's at the Disney Store.
Powell-Hyde Street Cable Car Line Closed
The Powell-Hyde Street cable car line shut down for the rest of the day today. The cable running beneath the car was "frayed," it seems. Frayed? That...sounds scary. We wonder if any cars have plummeted down one of our lovely hills due to frayed cables snapping.

