ABC 7 News vs. Muni

I was reading the Guardian last night, and I noticed that they lauded ABC Channel 7 news for their fight to obtain customer complaints against drivers.  Since I don't watch a whole lot of television, this was news to me.  ABC 7 took the MTA and the city to court to release public complaint forms for the 25 bus drivers who received the most complaints, and they won.  ABC 7 also received video surveillance records, one of which is posted on their blog.  Check it out.  It's a damning video of a driver who does not care.

On another note, I have not purchased a Muni pass for the second month in a row.  I still use Muni, but sparingly.  My experience has been the same: overcrowded at rush hour, late, trashy buses, and annoying passengers.  

No Change and Good Article on sfgate.com

I got back from Milwaukee today, and after an uneventful BART ride from the airport, I was reminded once again how counter-intuitive is. I had options at the Civic Center station, I could take the N-Judah back home, or go upstairs to catch the 71 or the 6 back to the Haight. I walked up to the Muni attendant station, and I picked up the phone to ask when the next N-Judah arrives. Unfortunately, the phone was not working, so I went around to the turnstile to ask the question again, and the attendant pointed to a blank screen and said that he did not know. I figured that I might as well pay and go downstairs and wait, but the attendant told me that I could not use my dollar bill since the turnstile only takes coins.

Ugh! Why don't the turnstiles take bills?  The buses and trains do, but the turnstiles don't? I could have walked over to the BART ticket machine to get change, but seeing that there were lines in front of those machines, I just said, "Screw it!," and I went upstairs to catch a bus. Muni sucks, but it could suck less if it was just a bit more intuitive.

Finally, I just saw this article on sfgate.com, and I feel that it details well how a bus driver deals with Muni's soviet-style deteriorating infrastructure. Read it and you will further agree that Muni Sucks!

It's that Time of the Month!

Yes, it's that time of the month for Muni - that great transit period that makes me (and others) irritable and frustrated. I wish there was a remedy for the pain and headaches that I experience at this time. What am I talking about? Buying a freaking Muni pass. 

 

The only thing I can figure out about getting a pass is that you can buy them at Safeway, but only if they are not sold out. I can also buy a pass down at the corner market on Haight and Masonic, except for this month.  Supposedly Muni didn't dole out passes to the corner market, because the owner himself did not pick up the passes. I was told that the store had sent someone else to pick up the passes, but Muni only distributes them to the proprietors of these little corner markets. 

What a joke. If Muni is trying to punish the store for not sending the right person, then they are also punishing those of us who rely on these markets to buy these passes. What rotten customer service.

Why doesn't Muni employ the same methods of selling passes that BART or Caltrain uses? Sell passes where commuters access transit.  BART sells passes at BART stations. Caltrain sells passes at Caltrain stations.  Muni sells passes at Safeway (if they have them), remote corner markets and at the Powell Street station (I think). Getting a Muni pass in this city actually holds a frustrating sense of mystery.

Also, why doesn't Muni sell passes in an automated machine (like BART and Caltrain)?  At any time of the month it should be possible for a commuter to slide a credit card in a machine and then watch a pass pop out. Buying your pass on the 17th of the month, then pay a prorated amount.  None of this crap where you buy a $45 pass from the 1st - 3rd.

Muni get real - you suck! You can suck less by selling passes reliably and where people access your buses and trains. End the frustration for me and thousands of other commuters and get with the times.

Another Hold Up on the T-Third

It was a long day at work, and all I wanted to do was go home. I hopped on the platform at 3rd and 20th, and I went to look at the electronic sign, which said the train would arrive in 8-minutes.  I sat down on the bench and worked on my crossword. After about 10-minutes, I got up to check out what the sign said, and it said that I had another 5-minutes to wait.

By this time a co-worker came up on the platform, and I talked to him for about 5-minutes. Again, I went to check on the status of the train, and still it said that I had 5-minutes to wait. About a dozen or so people were on the platform, and their eyes were staring south down the tracks or up on the electronic sign.  Still no train.

The weather was freezing cold outside, and everyone was getting impatient. Finally someone had the presence of mind to call Muni to find out what the hold up was. Evidently, there was an accident down on Evans, and it was holding up all northbound trains.  It would be  half an hour before a train would be there. Great. 

A few of us decided to take the 22-bus, and as we were riding, we talked about how Muni could improve things. One thing that was obvious was communication.  Couldn't Muni post something on that sign telling commuters that the train would not be there because of an accident.  Hell, if it can tell you that the elevator at the Van Ness station is not working, then could it not tell you that the train was delayed by an accident? What about dispatching a bus to the platform and picking up all of those who stood there and waited?

Muni, get a freaking clue. You suck! For those of us who pay $1.50 or $45 a month to ride Muni, you'd think that we could get better service. Please suck less so we don't waste our time on you after work.

KRON 4 Muni Fare Evaders Video

I found this video on YouTube about fare evaders. As much as I bitch about how much Muni sucks, I have even less respect for those who are trying to milk a free ride from Muni. 

Yes, I am a member of the Muni club - I pay $45 bucks a month for the privilege to use Muni, but I do so gladly, and for a few reasons: 1. I believe in public transit and its environmental benefits; 2. for the sake of the handicapped, public transit is necessary; 3. transit in our society should be affordable; 4. I hate carrying a $1.50 in my pocket.  

As much as I want to be critical towards those who do not pay their fares,  have to say that Muni should take some of the blame. All the doors open (or can be opened) on the Muni trains, and bus doors open when passengers are exiting, which creates a perfect opportunity for fare evaders. In other words, Muni facilitates fare evasion. In the last two years that I have taken Muni, I have been asked to show proof of purchase twice - that's it! I am blown away by the lack of enforcement.

Muni sucks, but it can suck less by better enforcing fares and not providing an easy way for people to avoid paying them.    

The T-Line was a Freaking Mess

I got on the T-Third line tonight at 7:45, and I could not believe my eyes.  On one seat was a smashed can of Pringles, scattered on the floor appeared to be bits of dry dog food and there was about 15-feet of toilet paper spanning from one train car into another.  It was a damn mess.

Slouching and bumbling around on a bench was a homeless guy holding a hypodermic needle in his hands.  He got down on his knees and bent over trying to pick at something on the floor. Then he got back up and sat down moving stuff in and out of his book bag. He reached across the aisle and grabbed a few Pringles off the seat and shoved them in his mouth. The poor guy was an absolute mess, and so was Muni.

There have been so many times where I have got on Muni, only to find it looking like a shit hole. What can be done? Do we need brooms and dust pans so people can clean up after themselves?  What about cops? Can they patrol Muni better and actually fine people who consume food and drink on Muni? What about the drivers?  Can they do a better job of enforcing the rules?  Perhaps other riders can self-police Muni and scorn those who break the rules (not in this culture!).  I don't know what the solution is, but it is my hope that Muni can begin to address the problem of really dirty buses and trains. 

You suck Muni, but you can suck less by addressing this problem.

Muni Maps

An art project has been on Muni for the last several months, which has been produced by Helena Keeffe.  I've done a Google search on Helena Keeffe, and her art work is certainly something I could not replicate or even fathom doing - she's great.

I am a little perplexed by one of her pieces that I've seen on many buses, which features a story by a Muni driver named Vawanda.  The story goes like this:

"One time I picked up a man who seemed kind of strange. This was early, like 4 am. He rang the bell like he wanted to get off, but he wouldn't get off. So we go to the next stop and he does it again. The he says, 'Close the door!' I said, 'I have to let the people get on.' Then he starts shouting, 'Go! Go!.' I said, 'No! It's a red light.' Then he puts his foot on the gas pedal! And I'm like - Oh My God! I'm fighting with him trying to kick his foot off. Another passenger comes running to the front and he was able [to] put him off the bus. It was something - going through red lights - we were lucky it was so early in the morning."

I read this story, and I think of two things: 1. What courage this driver showed; 2. What freaking maniacs there are on the bus!

No disrespect to Helena Keeffe, but I am not sure if this is the kind of story I would post on the advertisement section on the bus. Anyone who comes to this city and get on the bus and reads this story must be thinking, "Great Scott! Some raging lunatic can take over this bus and careen us into on-coming traffic at any moment!" I guess I have to give Muni credit for being honest that there are nut jobs who ride the bus. On the other hand, I don't think it would be appropriate for an airline to post an ad with a story about how a pilot and passengers quelled a terrorist with box-cutters.

Muni sucks, but it can suck less by taking down Vawanda's story.  Is Muni in the business of scaring its riders?  I hope not.