h, 1979…"I Will Survive" topped the charts and Bette Midler gave us "the Rose" (love, it is a river, you know). ESPN came into existence, the kids were into "Captain Caveman," and Muni got a new command center. Some things may have changed and gone away, but some things stay the same. Like Muni’s command center-- it hasn't been updated since those carefree days of Studio 54 and New Wave.

To fix the problem, Muni's honchos are putting hat in hand and asking $120 million to update the thing. Estimates say it'll cost upwards of between $100 million and $300 million to do the job but $120 million was their first and best guesstimate.

Officials say the outdated system can partially explain all those Muni meltdowns we all know so well. Among other things, it takes too long to track data, communications between driver and the command center are unreliable (we wonder if that means they use CB radio and they have to say things like "10-4 Good buddy" while relaying information), and information inside mission control has to be passed around by hand. To make matters worse, the command bunker hasn't really been remodeled so it's cramped and falling apart. Also-- shag carpeting.

Muni has made a presentation to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and will present then will talk to Muni's board of directors next week.