And away we go.

{Disclaimer: I am not an official spokesperson for anything except my opinion as a MUNI driver, San Franciscan, and daily passenger just like the rest of you sorry sods relying on MUNI to get us to work on time. If you figure out who I am, please, please don't tell my bosses 'cause I want that pension some happy day - assuming there's any money left in the fund for the lowly drivers by that time.}

Why does the 71L change drivers at Van Ness at the height of rush hour?

Excellent question! But of course one I have no answer for...All I can do is commiserate with you on how utterly stupid this is. Not only is it stupid from the public's point of view, it's stupid from the driver's point of view. Using Van Ness as a relief point is idiotic because if your relief driver doesn't show up, you're forced to work at overtime.