I'm Muni's biggest fan and celebrate its role in SF life and history. When people mess with it, I call 'em out. Voted Best Local Blog by SF Bay Guardian Readers in 2008.
Taking a Hiatus from All Things Blog For A While....
Loyal Readers:
I will be taking a short hiatus from all things "blog" related for awhile as I just got word my dad died today. You can imagine with this kind of news, talking about Muni and whatnot isn't very important right now.
This has happened at the worst possible time that I can imagine...I just saw him a few weeks ago and he had his health issues but I didn't expect this just yet. He was a good guy (and rode Muni for decades) and was a good guy.
Anyway, I'll be back when the time comes. Thanks again for your continued support.
If you haven't heard already, there's going to be an Inner Sunset Street Fair this fall on October 16th*. Unlike many street fairs, which are run by out-of-town chains who put on the same old "street fairs" filled mostly with out-of-town faux art, a lot of booths promoting banks, breakfast cereal, and 10 dollar meat skewers (also all from way out of town), the Inner Sunset Street Fair is being organized by volunteers in the neighborhood. Many local businesses and individuals have already pledged their support, and the fair will feature activities and booths oriented towards the people who live here, not the consumers who live here.
Due to the fact this fair is eschewing the usual trappings of faux-street fairs, they don't need as much money as others, but they do need your support. Organizers have created a donation page where you can make a tax deductible contribution online today, and help promote an event that will make a difference in the neighborhood.
This event should be a success, especially since it will be held in the fall when the weather is usually quite nice (unlike our San Francisco summers which can be either wonderfully warm or a bit chilly and overcast), and the more that people participate by staging events, providing entertainment and setting up booths, the better. SF Mayoral candidates flush with taxpayer campaign financing would be wise to pony up for some booths at the event - such support of local events is noticed by voters on the westside (hint hint).
*Yes, the date changed, to avoid a conflict with a major museum event on the original date.
Think You Can Do a Better Job Driving a Muni Bus or Cable Car? Prove it, On Your PC!
Give Google credit for one thing - if you use their Google News Alerts to track certain subjects, they sure do a good job of finding things you'd never think existed. Today I present to you one of my all-star Google Alert finds: a Muni Bus/Cable Car simulator all the way from Germany. Apparently it's brand-new - when I first saw the Torrent link I assumed it'd been out for a while, but I was wrong.
Oddly enough, the Google Alert found a BitTorrent site, so I took the time to find the game's publisher, Astragon, and to a site devoted to just the game. (I didn't want to link to the BitTorrent site directly since that's kinda like condoning stealing) After looking at some of the screenshots and the videos, it does look pretty good. Sadly, it seems you can't drive an N Judah all the way to the ocean, nor can you short turn said N either. However, you CAN operate a cable car, and any one of a number of PCC streetcars and buses on various routes, real and imagined.
I found it interesting that part of the game was to make money via fares. Maybe someone should show this game to Muni, and to Supervisors who like to play games with Muni's money, and educate them a little. My only regret is that this game doesn't have any westside lines to try out, nor does it feature the infamous Bredas.
Then again, you can still buy model BART trains, some old model Boeing trains, and even PCC-style Muni cars, but I have yet to find anyone that offers a model of San Francisco's one-off Bredas that grind away day after day. Maybe as a sequel, the can have a simulator of the MTA board, which would allow for some Grand Theft Auto-like responses to stupid things Muni does. (I kid.)
I don't have a PC so I can't play this on my computer, but if anyone tries it out, post some comments and let us know how you liked it! For now, check out this video and enjoy the rest of your weekend! Also, July 4th is the LAST day you can get 17.76% off your Muni related T Shirts at our online store with the code "LANDOFTHETEE". Buy one today!
