But our John-Stossel-Like hunger for the truth was unsatisfied. So we got in touch with Judy Morgan at the SF Arts Commission; and as it turns out, all of the posters are totally for reals, the work of local artist Helena Keeffe. They were even vetted by Muni:

Keeffe worked with Muni staff to identify and interview six Muni drivers for this project. The quotes on both the posters and the bus cards are actual comments by the drivers; the drawings are all by the artist, including drawings of people and locations she noted while traveling on each driver's bus route with them. The project is intended to inform the public about the rewards and challenges of driving a bus in San Francisco, and how drivers become part of the communities in which they drive on a daily basis.

Yes, we're sure that the drivers find their terrifying jobs very rewarding indeed, once everyone's had a chance to take a deep breath and calm down. For the riders, though -- eek! These cards are like a surgeon general's warning on the side of a deadly product.

After the jump: more info about this spooktacular art project.