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April 30, 2008

Reader Mail: A Suggestion To Pass The Time On A Crowded "N"

Reader Mark sends us this dispatch from the Sunset, expressing frustration with our Beloved MUNI, and a suggestion to pass the time whilst on a crowded train home:

Hey, I sometimes read your website, but have to say it's been a while. I am a 6 year resident of the sunset and for the first 4 I rode the N Judah back and forth to work. Then, 2 years ago I discovered the 16X. Since I live at 17th and lincoln, i take this in the AM and take the N home.

Now, I am done with Muni. I am buying a bike and will use that as my mode of transportation. Still, I have a suggestion for your site. It boggles my mind how Muni is run...the most heavily ridden metro is always short changed. How can they not fix this? Yet routinely i see 2 K's back to back or 3 M's as I saw one day! What a waste...

So here's the suggestion to see if this gets them going: Encourage riders to capture how stuffed the N gets with cell phone videos. I honestly think none of the officials ride muni. (Newsom, BoS, or the Muni head). So they must be out of touch to the realities of it...so I say let's show them. (ok, i am not going to be one as I have given up...but i have hope and sympathy for those still going to use muni)

Perhaps this might be a fun spring project for all of us on the N, or any MUNI bus or train. Take your cellphone pics, videos, etc. of your crowded-like-sardines commute, and join the MUNI Follies group on Flickr. As submissions are sent in, we'll find particularly entertaining ones and feature them here on the site. Thanks for the suggestion, Reader Mark!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 1:37 PM | | Comments (2)

February 16, 2008

And Now, a Local Lolcat Offers a PSA on MUNI Fares

Njudahcat offered this PSA as a way to help get the word out about MUNI Fares.

I figured given the latest bad MUNI karma, it was time to lighten the mood!

Enjoy your weekend! For more information on LOLCATS, consult your local library, or go to this site

PS: Oh and for extra fun, why not try and see that spy satellite that's gonna get shot out of the sky....go to Heaven's Above, find your location, and see what it says.

From what I can tell tonight (Saturday) is not so great for us in the Inner Sunset, as it may be hard to see at 6:33 tonight, but Monday should be better. Enjoy!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 6:18 PM | | Comments (0)

February 9, 2008

Enjoy the SPECTACULAR Weather Today!

It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago the weather was so rainy and cold, and today...well if you haven't gone outside yet, get thee away from thine computer, and go outside!

I will be semi-offline for a few days as the lovely knuckleheads at Comcast and AT&T have found a new way to screw up ordering home internet service. In the meantime, enjoy this piece of art some awesome artist drew on the paper "tablecloths" at Wunder Beer on 9th Avenue.

Brock, over at SFist was kind enough to make this the Photo Du Jour. Thanks, Brock!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:36 PM | | Comments (1)

February 3, 2008

A Few Random "Eli Stone" Screenshots for Your Enjoyment

While I'm awaiting the start of the Superbowl, as well as all those Awesome Superbowl Ads, I thought I'd post a few screenshots from the first episode of "Eli Stone" on ABC.

For some reason, I have a morbid fascination with movies and TV shows that shoot on location in San Francisco, and now that Journeyman, with its many only-on-TV MUNI moments off the air, means that for now, "Eli Stone" will have to fulfill San Francscans' need to be validated by our cousins to the south in Tinseltown.

Those Loyal Readers who peruse my my Flickr photos may recall that I took some photos on the day they were shooting this scene on the cable cars as it just happened to be a couple of blocks from an apartment I was house sitting in Nob Hill.

Anyway, enjoy the Superbowl, and enjoy the ads! And if you can get outside, enjoy the momentary sun we seem to have as well!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 1:21 PM | | Comments (0)

January 15, 2008

Righteous Folks Saving Our MUNI Heritiage, Courtesy of Telstar Logistics!

The seriously cool local phenomenon known as Telstar Logistics which combines coolness, local history, and a dose of kick-ass all in one once again alerts us to some awesome investigation on their part.

Already, we've talked about their blasts from the past, but today, Telstar Logistics tells a story about the the good citizens who make our F-line cars rock like no other.

Lighter lit because once again Telstar Logistics rocks - and once again we're alerted to the good citizens who do the things that make Our Fair City the kind of place that we want to live in.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:33 PM | | Comments (0)

January 7, 2008

MUNI Bullsh*t Results in Tragedy - Injury at Irving and 9th!

This is one of those times where all the "I told you so's " suck because it means someone got hurt - and I mean really hurt.

While having a pint at the Blackthorn Tavern, awaiting the begining of pub trivia, Bobby, the owner alerted me to a situation just outside the door. It seems that at 5:41 pm (according to sources on the spot) an outbound N-Judah making the potentially hazardous left turn hit and injured a woman who'd had trouble crossing the street. The combination of slick rails owing to the recent rain, combined with the fact that humans, cars and trains have to share a busy intersection have resulted in a needless tragedy.

Loyal readers will recall that we have tried, with marginal success, to try and improve safety at 9th and Irving, both here and at the Mayor's "blog" with mixed results. MUNI, in its imitable bureaucratic style, promised to "study" the "issue" and promised to do something.

Problem is, we were promised a "solution" (scramble signals that would give pedestrians their turn to cross the street, then keep them OFF THE ROAD when cars and LRVs and buses were in the intersection) that should have happened sometime in Spring 2007, but of course, after making promises to fix the problem they since have offered nothing but excuses and bullsh*t.

Now someone has been hurt, potentially fatally, and we can expect to pay out another big settlement because Mayor Newsom, the Board of Supervisors and the Esteemed MTA would rather talk and talk than do and do. (Ironic, since common sense would dictate that fixing the big problem would be cheaper in the long run than payouts for incidents like these, but I suppose in today's San Francsico, the hipper-than-thous can't be bothered.)

It was especially galling to hear some spokes-droid for MUNI pumping out true bullsh*t to the press about "how they continue to study how to make things safer" when they knew exactly what to do - but offered more BS at the time instead of just getting the job done.

Being right sucks in situations like this, because it means someone got hurt, and it was senseless. MUNI, the MTA, and the city of San Francisco should be ashamed of themselves. I don't give a good goddamn how cute the Mayor is or how great the scenery is. If we can't even have the basics of a safe, reliable transit system and a government that gets the things done, none of that means squat.

For shame, City That Once Knew How. For shame.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 7:20 PM | | Comments (19)

What Is Going on at 19th Avenue and Ulloa/Vicente? UPDATED

"Mason Powell," one of our loyal corrrespondents, reports that something is blocking 19th around Ulloa and Taraval, necessitating a re-route of the bus he was taking from the Daly City BART to Irving Street.

Trains don't seem to be delayed (too badly), however. Anyone see what happened?

UPDATE: Flickr user DeathByCamera took some pictures of the incident yesterday and posted them to Flickr and SFist's "contribute" section!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:30 PM | | Comments (6)

December 6, 2007

Double Decker Muni Bus!

On the same day that the Mayor said that his own ballot initiative to make MUNI efficient "85% of the time" was fanciful (!), he and the folks at MUNI also rolled out the Magic Double Decker Bus, which will start a trial run on December 12th on various routes.

Details of the routes served, etc. are avaiable at the MUNI/MTA website, if you're curious. I took a quick tour of the bus and it's very Las Vegas-y (the bus will be on loan to MUNI, then be delivered to Vegas). Personally I think they should run this on one of the steep lines, like the 1 California, and charge extra for the front row seats up top.

If and when I get a chance to actually ride it with real passengers, I'll post more fun photos!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:36 AM | | Comments (4)

November 27, 2007

N Judah Business Review - Sunset Super!

One of the main reasons I continue to hold out for a new apartment somewhere within striking distance of our Mighty N (despite the amazing amount of pain and suffering such a decision has inflicted on me) is because there are so many interesting local businesses that offer bargain hunters like me incredible deals, as well as saving me a trip to other parts of Our Fair City. Sunset Super is one of those places.

I don't know that I've ever been in this store when it wasn't busy, and Saturdays are obviously incredibly busy, but frankly that has never bothered me since no matter what, I'm always able to get in, buy what it is I need, and get out in a reasonable amount of time.

More important than the speed of service is the fact that if you are looking for any sort of Chinese or other Asian ingredients, this is the place to go. I bought a container of the good green curry that the folks at Whole Paycheck charge a fortune for, at a significant discount. Sunset Super also has an amazing array of frozen food that you can't find in most stores, and their selection of candy and snack foods from all around Asia is one of the best I've seen.

Now, a word on the meat market - some of my colleagues, upon entering said store immediately make all sorts of assumptions, none of them good, about the quality of the meat here, but they are incorrect! Not only do they have just about any part of the pig or chicken you might need, but they also have an incredible array of seafood. Now, sure, some of it, in fact much of it is alive when you buy it, and that may not be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak, but to me that just makes coming to Sunset Super that much more fun.

True, it was a bit wince-inducing when a woman and her young daughter were in the market, obviously for the first time, and the kid exclaimed "Look mommy! Pet Froggies for sale!" as she pointed to a vat of live frogs. But to me that just made the visit that much more interesting.

Other notables include an incredible selection of sake, soju, and some types of imported Chinese liquor that I have never heard of that looks rather fierce. Their sake deals are amazing - the same dry sake you'd pay a fortune for at Safeway for some little bottle comes in a 1.5 liter bottle for like, 7 bucks. Talk about a bargain! They also have the city's biggest selection of canned luncheon meats as well so if you find yourself jonesing for some SPAM but just can't bring yourself to picking one up at Safeway, try "GreatWall" luncheon meat instead and impress all your pals!

All in all, one of my all time favorite places to find bargains on Irving Street. Check it out sometime and you'll most likely end up buying something good at a great price!

Sunset Super
2425 Irving Street
(415) 566-6504
Next Door to the Awesome Tel-Aviv Kosher Deli, which we'll review soon!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 5:03 PM | | Comments (4)

September 9, 2007

Miller Chill Girls at the Blackthorn!

You know you've picked the right afternoon to make that last stop on the way home of a very productive day of work, at the Blackthorn (where the awesome folks who work there make a late afternoon of rugby and live music like, awesome), and not only do you get to meet the lovely ladies of the Miller Chill crew, but ALSO the Miller Lite ladies giving out free bottle openers.

True, I've been drinking Miller Lite for years with limes and/or hot sauce and tomato juice, but if the Miller Chill ladies are handing out samples, and don't have that awful Clamato crap in their beer, well then let's just say the day was a two-fer.

Yes, the photo is a bit night-goggly, but it's better than nothing. Otherwise I'd be vulnerable to the "pictures or it didn't happen" meme, right?

Woo hoo!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 5:31 PM | | Comments (4)

September 6, 2007

A Relic From the Past On The Peninsula

While visiting Burlingame yesterday, I noticed that the backs of the signs attached to the parking meters in the parking lot were none other than recycled signs from the long-extinct Burlingame bus system.

Prior to the merger of all the city bus systems in 1976 which created the hellish system known as SamTrans, Burlingame had its own little bus system and you'd see these signs everywhere indicating a stop.

For years afterwards, there was a lone "ghost stop" on California Drive (ironically not far from the abandoned Interurban lines of the olden days) which remained. Today, the signs have been recycled to indicate extra penalties for parking your car too long in the parking lots downtown.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:39 AM | | Comments (4)

August 28, 2007

Den N Judah Kronisk är Stor i Sverige

The N Judah Chronicles is big in Sweden!

Well, sort of. One of the benefits of having photos on Flickr is that you never know who will discover them. In this case, I got an e-mail from Kristofer Rengfors, editor of Metroteknik.se, who asked if his site could republish a photo I took of a "Space Invaders" themed car recently.

And, of course I said yes, and now the N-Judah Chronicles is big in Sweden. Check out the article here and to our new Swedish fans, välkomnande!

PS: I used autotranslation software to write this, so if you have better translations of said witticisms, feel free to let me know!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:09 PM | | Comments (1)

Pub Trivia Superheroes At the Blackthorn

I've just returned home from a fun evening at the Blackthorn Tavern, the unofficial bar of the N Judah Chronicles. Thanks to the pub trivia superheroes, recruited by Anna from SF Metblogs, we not only had a great time, we won! Woo hoo!

If you're in to pub trivia and have a free Monday, the Blackthorn's deal, co-sponsored by Brainstormer, is a pretty good one. Not only do they offer a drink special, and free food (tonight's was chicken curry!), you have the chance to win fabulous prizes. Most importantly, the vibe of the crowd is fun, and win or lose, you're bound to have a great time.

We made a bit of a splash when we named our team Stop Global Warming, Ban Burning Man, which was kind of funny. Plus, I got to meet several of the Loyal Readers in person, which was even more fun, including the wonderful person who bought our first BBM t-shirt. Thanks for reading the site!

It's always nice to meet folks who read the site and offer some feedback, and it's especially fun after a Pilsner Urquell and racking one's brain about James Bond trivia, and figuring out who the oldest Rolling Stone is.

Most importantly, it was an evening of good fun in a good locally owned business with good people. Can I use the word "good" any more times in one sentence? Yes? Good. .

UPDATE: I got a nice note from Quizmaster (and Loyal Reader) Stan, who hosted last night's event! Check it out!
Hi Greg,

Thanks for the great writeup of the quiz last night at the Blackthorn. Thomas had mentioned to me after the quiz that the blogger of the N Judah Chronicles was one of the guys who I'd called out for a prize. I'm a semi-regular reader of your blog (I live on 21st and Judah), so I was thrilled. I'm glad you had a good time. Did I say "good?"

Come by and say hello when you're in the Blackthorn for the quiz again. I'm enclosing the pic I took of your team last night, which will be posted this week on the Blackthorn quiz page. You can use it on your blog if you wish, since you're in this one.

http://www.brainstormer.com/venueDisplay.aspx?venueID=170&state=ca
Take care, Stan the quizmaster

Posted by Greg Dewar at 12:35 AM | | Comments (2)

August 20, 2007

How About A Party for The Rest of Us Who AREN'T Going to Burning Man?

Hey fellow San Franciscans! As you may or may not know, the infamous Burning Man shindig starts on August 27th and lasts through September 3rd. Now, while I have nothing personally against the .02% of San Franciscans who engage in this (or any other) fun activity, I do get tired of some people in town telling me if I don't go to Burning Man, I'm somehow not cool enough to live in the Bay Area.

So, maybe it's time we had a party whilst the better-than-us crowd is out of town...any ideas, folks?

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:19 PM | | Comments (11)

August 8, 2007

Riding One of Those Fancy Hybrid Buses: A Quick Review

By now, you are bound to have seen one of MUNI's fancy new hybrid buses around town. In my neighborhood they've been spotted on the 44 O'Shaughnessy and 29 Sunset lines, but they pop up with more frequency around town as more buses are introduced into the fleet.

I have tried these buses on several occaisions, either going to my favorite Chinese restaurant, Melisa's over in the Richmond.

More recently, I rode several on the 29 Sunset line from beginning to end on a wonderfully sunny day, as part of a new feature that was to have debuted already (MuniTrekker), but sadly I had to shelve the photos since many of them didn't come out as well as I would have liked. D'oh! Thus, I had to postpone the feature's debut. But at least I got this shot of the interior of the bus. Woo hoo.

Generally, I have to say, as buses go, these are a lot better to ride in than your standard, lurchy-jerky-make-you-queasy MUNI bus, as you wind your way around town. These are much more stable, and they are easier to board for most people as they don't have steps at the front and back door. An informal survey of bus drivers indicated that they found the new buses much easier to handle in traffic than the older models, and the view from the seats in the back (which are elevated) is quite nice. And there's the fact that they are a lot quieter, as well.

The one caveat I'd offer, along with that piece of conventional wisdom called "low floor buses will make MUNI perfect" that people chant over and over, is this - yes it's great that it's a "low floor" bus, but the sacrifice is a significant loss in the number of senior and disabled seats at the front, not to mention that some modles of wheelchair may have a harder time getting in the disabled area, even though getting on is much easier without the steps. When there are not a lot of folks on board, this can be mitigated a little, but when it gets crowded it could be trickier.

I've never been one to worship at the temple of Hybrids Are Superior To Everything, but I have to say, given how lousy the ride usually is on a regular MUNI bus, the prospect of a better ride is quite appealing. If it saves some money on the diesel bill and pollution, that's lovely as well.

If you've ridden a hybrid bus and have a comment, please post in the comments section!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 6:36 PM | | Comments (7)

August 7, 2007

A Non Work Safe Post For Tuesday: Splattered Birds On The N!

Because your day is not complete without at least one non-work safe gross out post, here's one of a series I'm compiling entitled "The Splattered Birds of the N Judah Line."

It seems like almost every day now, I see a newly splattered bird on or near the tracks of the N. This was the first, with the additional gross-out factor of another bird apparently taking advantage of the free food on the N line, and the second was this one, I saw on Sunday.

And there's been others, but I wasn't in position to take pics. What gets me is that these are almost always at stops and it's not like the bird cant, you know, fly away from the oncoming slow train!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:10 PM | | Comments (3)

July 28, 2007

Having A "Larry David Day" on the N and Around Town....

As I mentioned previously, I managed to avoid the latest MUNI goof-fest on the KLM lines going downtown on Friday. Little did I know that upon leaving my home for downtown to go see the Simpsons Movie, I was going to have what I have named a "Larry David Day" in honor of the star of the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, and those odd situations one sometimes find themselves in around town.

The fun started when I boarded the N on Carl St. at Stanyan and was a bit surprised to find so many apocalyptic looking old hobos on the train. These were not your usual less-fortunate citizens sharing a ride as part of our usual diverse N Judah riders. These were the kind of angry, older, pissed off types that all have that look on their face that says "I'm gonna go down and don't mind taking as many as you with me as I can." I've written about these types before.

Anyway, as we traveled downtown, our mix of commuters, apocalyptic hobos, and geeks such as yours truly made our way without too many incidents, aside from a loud argument over the relative value of plastic bottles vs. cans (No I am not making that up). I got off the train at Civic Center and met up with colleague Mason Powell, to go see the movie and get a sandwich at one of my favorites, Tommy's Joynt. Aside from a few dumbass fratboy types from out of town who blocked the line with their incessant guffaws, body slamming, and dumb questions (tourists, behave, please) it was fine.

Continue reading "Having A "Larry David Day" on the N and Around Town...." »

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:33 PM | | Comments (0)

July 9, 2007

And Now, Another Crusade: Making Irving and 9th and Judah and 9th More Safe

Hopefully, all of you Loyal Readers had a fun Fourth of July holiday. I went to a party at SF Metroblogging's Anna whose place featured the groovy view you see in the accompanying photo. Thanks, Anna!

However, as I was out and about on all these sunny days we had, a problem which won't go away, despite everyone's attempts to ignore it, reared its ugly head as it does most every day - the unsafe intersections at Irving/9th and Judah/9th.

Right now, the status quo is simple: no one wins. Every day you see plenty of near-misses as N-Judah trains try to make a left turn going outbound, or trains trying desperately to sync with the traffic lights, but can't because of other delays.

Cars are not having much fun - they're often stuck in the middle of the intersection and end up turning as the light changes to red, clashing with pedestrians. And people walking or riding a bike? Well, even for those who can sprint across the street, it's a crapshoot, and for our seniors and disabled citizens, it can be really tough. This is not working for anyone.

The funny thing is, we were promised a fairly obvious solution to this rather serious issue way back in November 2006, when assorted citizens and Sup. Mirkarimi challenged MUNI management on this issue.

Continue reading "And Now, Another Crusade: Making Irving and 9th and Judah and 9th More Safe" »

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:43 AM | | Comments (1)

July 2, 2007

So How Was Your Commute Today?

So how was your commute today?

The Chronicle reports no major dramas, so far, and my own limited experience has been fine. In fact, today was the first time in like, forever, that I went to Safeway on Market, exited the store and a virtually empty N-Judah car pulled up, around 4ish, and was air conditioned quite nicely! I was shocked.

I took a few pics of a very busy Duboce and Church intersection as several J's were changed to N Outbound, one N was changed to a J Outbound, and so on.

And, in a bit of irony, some hapless volunteers were out at the 9th and Irving N Judah stop trying to get signatures to get Mayor Newsom on the ballot. Somehow, I think anyone running for re-election in this town might wanna consider alternate venues....

How was your day? If nothing else, the weather was really great today! Not a hint of fog, even in the Sunset!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 5:31 PM | | Comments (1)

June 28, 2007

Giants Fans! Starting June 30th, The N Goes To AT&T Park and Caltrain as God Intended

Big news, folks! Starting tomorrow, June 30th, the N-Judah once again goes all the way to AT&T Park and Caltrain, just as God intended. For those of you going to the Giants game tomorrow, you can disregard previous bulletins and board the N like you used to for all those times you went to the ballpark, pre-T Third calamity.

If you're not going to the game tomorrow, why not drop by the pre-scripted fun in North Beach and find a creative way to cut through the chatter and let Mayor Newsom what you think should be done to improve MUNI!

Either way, have fun, play safe, and enjoy your weekend!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 10:12 PM | | Comments (3)

May 21, 2007

Argh...A Mini Meltdown At My Own Blog...And A Short Story About BTB Day...

The one time I didn't compose a posting offline, complete with links and whatnots, and that's the one time my ISP decides to pull a MUNI and crap out on me. I cannot communicate just how frustrating this is. Lesson learned - never compose a complex posting online, and follow the rules one sets out for themselves, in this case don't compose online.

I'll reconstruct it and repost it later on. Meanwhile, I will regale you all with an incident that happened after the infamous Bay To Breakers event yesterday, which according to our friends at SFist had some issues Sunday.

So, there I was minding my own business, heading out from the Duboce Park Cafe towards downtown. As you all may or may not have been aware, MUNI was in overdrive (sort of) providing extra trains and buses and 7 dollar fun rides for all those people after the big race.

Anyway, so as I wait for my N to show up, one pulls up and it is packed, sardine-style, with happy people from all over the city. What I did not count on, however, was seeing the N used as a recycling truck. Yes, that's right. You see, two enterprising individuals took it upon themselves to collect nine huge garbage bags worth of plastic water bottles in hopes of getting the CRV for each. So, intelligently, they chose to take an N on the most packed day of the season.

Yeah. That was my reaction too.

Oh, but it gets better. You see, as I watched these two Rhodes Scholars try to get all of these huge bags off the super-crowded N-Judah, I noticed that one bag was starting to snag on the handrail by the exit. Before I could say "Stop, kind gentlemen, you're about to spill f*cking bottles all over the place," it tore open. Suddenly the stop, the train floor and the sidewalk were covered in stupid water bottles. Of course this delayed things even more.

Finally, I managed to get on the train, while everyone else was trying to kick water bottles out the door. The Genius Duo decided to snap every one of them up, and had no problem reaching under the about to start moving train to grab every last one of them. News flash, geniuses - you can still redeem the bottles if they are flat. You cannot, however, get a new hand if your existing one gets chopped off, at the recyclers.

I was glad to get off the train when I did and go about the rest of my day. I did leave MUNI wondering a few things - one was why it is they can have enough trains to run for BTB, but not for the daily commute. The other was how much it costs MUNI to service all these big special events - and how it is that MUNI riders are the ones that end up shouldering the costs for these things (in both actual costs and lost service) and not those who created the added burden in the first place?

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:01 PM | | Comments (8)

April 28, 2007

Friday Foto Fun: Critical Mass, Park Life Gallery, and Mayhem on Geary Street

In what is becoming an almost weekly ritual, I have another Flickr Photo Set of various events from Friday afternoon and evening.

Among the notable events - Critical Mass folks at the Ferry Building, art and more at Park Life Gallery and Store on Clement Street, and a really bad accident that happened on Geary and 3rd while I was on the way home (and watching the media copters cover the cookie monsters on wheels).

More today if I get a chance...if you're not already outside enjoying today's weather, get away from the computer and do so now!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 1:44 PM | | Comments (3)

April 22, 2007

Weekend Fun Photos on Flickr!

This weekend I spent a lot of time out and about. On Friday, I took the Mighty N down to City Hall, where I checked out the latest "Third Friday" art exhibit at Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office This time the featured art was of San Francisco movie theaters (working and forlorn) that are a part of the Left In The Dark exhibit.

Aftewards, I walked to the I Spy Gallery on Market Street, where they featured the art of Ryan McGavin, as well as the assorted items they sell in their store. Afterwards, I went home and caught a 6 Parnassus where I was treated to a mini-feature of Muni Street Theater before heading home.

Check out the various photos I took at Flickr, and I'll post more photos soon!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:47 PM | | Comments (1)

April 19, 2007

T Third Opening Ceremony Photos Up on Flickr.com!

Loyal Readers: I finally downloaded all the photos I took of the T-Third Opening Ceremonies on April 14th and posted them to this Flickr Photo Set! If any of you have some photos, post a link in the comments section.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Matier and Ross report on the cost of the parties - $158,000! The trains may have been screwed up, commutes ruined, and faith lost in the MUNI or MTA or whatever, but the elites had their fun! Yay!!!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:51 PM | | Comments (0)

April 12, 2007

Past Apologies, Current Events, and More!

Well these last few days have been rather dramatic, eh?

"Mason Powell" found this apology from a simliar crisis in 1981, which was posted on shelters, buses, etc. so I posted a copy (which originally appeared in the book "Tours of Discovery" by Anthony Perles) on Flickr for everyone's enjoyment.

I also had the chance to talk to NBC 11 today about the recent MUNI follies. If you're near a TV at 5 or 6pm, and you're interested in seeing me look like a goofball on TV, check it out.

After the interview, I took the N-Judah to the Inner Sunset(where a particularly distressed gentleman finally shook his head in disbelief and shouted "WHERE ARE THE N JUDAHS?!?"). Upon departing the train, I ran into Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and the Senior Action Network, who were holding a press conference with the SFPD about pedestrian safety on sidewalks. I took a few quick photos, and once they were finished, took the opportunity to ask Sup. Mirkarimi a few questions.

As some of you may recall, during a town hall meeting on MUNI last fall, scramble signals on Irving and 9th and Judah and 9th were promised to help speed up the trains and improve safety for pedestrians and cars. This promise has not only not been kept, but now MUNI is fighting the effort entirely, and Sup. Mirkarimi was clearly ticked off about it.

He told me that another Town Hall Meeting on MUNI is coming - one where you can ask any question you want and they'll be followed up as before. We'll definitely be keeping you posted on that when a date is set!

Keep sending in your comments about your experiences this week, and don't be shy about sending your comments to all the Supervisors who represent the N-Judah line. The Mayor and the Board can't ignore us if we all make enough noise.

UPDATE: Some have suggested that those upset about the recent follies pay a visit to the MTA, MUNI, and assorted local dignitaries on Saturday. Hmm.....

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:38 PM | | Comments (3)

April 11, 2007

Being MUNI Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry...

Although I still would like to hear your tales of commuting woe, this bit of news merited an entry on its own.

As I mentioned earlier, SFist hero MattyMatt posed some video detailing the dreadful N-Judah performance on Tuesday, and included a link to a pretty sincere apology from MUNI director Nate Ford.

45 minutes later, it was removed, and this error screen appeared in its place.

I have no doubt Nate Ford was trying to be honest about the situation, in particular apologizing for MUNI's seeming inability to communicate with the public, despite paying all those pros all that money.

I also have no doubt that upon seeing such an apology, some MUNI or MTA bureaucrat took it down.

Time to make 'em all accountable: the Mayor, the MTA board, the Board of Supervisors, all of 'em. And someone needs to say they're sorry.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:05 PM | | Comments (3)

March 20, 2007

Hey MUNI! What's Wrong With This Picture?

Ah, NextBus, If you ever want to start something, start talkin' NextBus and you set off a range of emotions, urban legends and angst that can set off people like few other issues can.

Then, of course, there's this little error on 9th, at Irving I spotted this weekend (as did one of our loyal readers from SF State!) Now, my camera phone's shutter speed can't capture a flickering NextBus sign in its entirety, but if you look closely you'll see a NextBus sign freshly installed at a stop that only serves the 44 O'Shaughnessy.

One problem: the sign is a light up sign for....the N-Judah. Another problem: every thing I've read suggests that diesel lines (such as the 44) are going to be the last ones to get a NextBus upgrade.

Hmm...

Posted by Greg Dewar at 10:04 AM | | Comments (1)

March 15, 2007

Yes, It's A New NextBus Sign, and YES, it WORKS.

SFist posted some new news regarding the availability of NextBus info for several lines. The saga of NextBus has been one of mythology, facts, and a mashup of the two that have made for some interesting theories, discussion and whatnot.

So in the spirit of posting some hot, new, reliable NextBus info, here is a picture of a brand new NextBus sign at the corner of 16th and Valencia. Due to my cameraphone's lame shutter speed, the light up board is incomplete in this picture. However, I can assure you, yes it works just fine and looks spectacular.

Enjoy!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:31 PM | | Comments (0)

February 16, 2007

A Sunny Friday on the N-Judah

It was too nice to stay cooped up inside today. I mean, really - after all that crap-tacular rain the other day, it was great to get out in spring-like weather.

I took the N all the way to the end, with the idea I'd get a drink and hang out at the always nice Java Beach Cafe, but every other person in the area had the same idea....there was literally nowhere to sit!

So, after hanging out for a little bit, I made a retreat to the always reliable Yancy's Saloon where they have reliable WiFI and friendly bartenders. I got a little work done, enjoyed the view, and had a nice chat with one of their servers and discussed the merits of Google Earth.

I took a couple of quick camera phone photos and posted them to this Flickr Photoset. Enjoy the rest of the good weather while it lasts!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 8:59 PM | | Comments (1)

January 19, 2007

There Are No Atheists in Foxholes or on MUNI

A number of readers have been asking me when MUNI would restore nighttime service to the N-Judah line, and one day, whilst leaving the N at the Embarcadero Station downtown, I saw this sign and snapped a photo.

True, it means Really Bad News for the KLM riders - starting soon they're going to have to take a shuttle bus out to West Portal and points beyond. But look carefully and you'll see - N Judah service is restored (complete with the new blue ciricled N in the logo!)

So, that's good news for some of us, anyway. I was really starting to wonder if I'd ever be able to take the N home at night ever again....

Special Note: This posting marks the 100th posting here at the N-Judah Chronicles! Woo hoo!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 12:49 PM | | Comments (5)

September 14, 2006

Mayor Newsom Gets an Earful, and Maggie Lynch Says a Mouthful - The Latest MUNI Blowout!

On Wednesday, I hopped on MUNI, to take a trip downtown to check out the "soft launch" of the Market St. Railway Museum and take a few pictures. Although the "official" opening is not until early October, the Museum is open now and has some great exhibits plus some really nice photos and posters for sale. What could possibly go wrong?

Little did I know we were going to have Yet Another Muni Blowout, and we were also going to get Yet Another Mindbending Quote from Muni Spokesdroid Maggie Lynch. I was amazed.

First, of course, was the meltdown itself, when we were all stuck on the N-Judah waiting to go into the tunnel, only to find out that a train ahead of us was "stuck" and we had to get out. There is nothing as fun as being cooped up in a crowded train, not knowing what's going on - or why you can't leave.

The many rush-hour commuters that morning were just thrilled to get out en masse to try and catch a train on the F-Line, or one at the Church St. Station. The poor station agent just let the masses in, to speed things up for people so they could get to work on time. No one was happy, to say the least.

But the real fun was watching coverage on KPIX News about the latest meltdown, in particular this gem of a quote from our well-paid spokesdroid:

Muni spokesperson Maggie Lynch said, "Unfortunately, what we've had is like Lemony Snicket -- a series of unfortunate events -- and they just came all together, and it makes it seem like there is an overriding problem."

Put aside for a moment the mismanaged cultural reference, and read that statement again. It flies in the face of any reasonable nalysis of the many analyses of MUNI indicating significant systemic perfomance problems with MUNI management and service.

To somehow suggest that there's "no problem" after Yet Another MUNI Folly Day, as MUNI's spokesperson does is simply amazing. I can't fathom how someone could say something like this with a straight face, much less repeat it to the press and expect to be taken seriously.

However, Mayor Newsom does not seem amused by the latest antics. Let's hope he can suggest to the well-heeled managers of MUNI it is in their interest to get things on the move. Something's gotta change soon, or we're all going to be a city of de facto pedestrians, outrunning MUNI.

UPDATE, 9/16: The Chronicle recaps the week in Muni Follies, with a bonus of both an F-line closuer and our famous Cable Cars as well. And we got more silliness from MUNI's spokesdroid.

I wonder if we are at that point in our culture where an agency can routinely screw up and the People In Charge can keep peddling the PR that "nothing's wrong" and still a) be taken seriously by The Media and The Public and b) keep getting paid out of our taxes and fares?

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:24 PM | | Comments (0)

July 21, 2006

Friday Fun: Photos From A Sunny Day In San Francsico

Yesterday, "Mason Powell" and I did a photo shoot for my work, taking advantage of the unusually clear and bright weather we're having. Here are some samples, with pop-ups. Most were taken at the park in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood, which is just a few blocks from my house.

This is a nice photo of the Sunset, framed by the trees of the park:

Here's another from the park, looking towards the city. Later we went to the Presidio, and over to the Marina. San Francisco is really not that big of a city!

Here's a view of Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks from Moraga Avenue, on the way to the park:

The Mighty N-Judah making the turn at Ocean Beach:

And some birds at the beach, enjoying the sun:

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:16 AM | | Comments (5)

March 25, 2006

"V for Vendetta" on the N-Judah Line

I'm going to the AMC to check out V for Vendetta, based on the comic novel of the same name by one of my favorite authors, Alan Moore.

The poster artwork for this movie has been amazing, and I was surprised to find a complete set of four posters along the N-Judah line near Sunset. You can click on the image and see them full size, photo and photoshopping courtesy of N-Judah contributor "Mason Powell."

Posted by Greg Dewar at 12:24 PM | | Comments (1)

February 3, 2006

Irving and 9th Avenue at Sundown

My brother took this photo at Irving and 9th. I think it came out rather nicely.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:43 PM | | Comments (0)

September 21, 2005

Some pictures of the faux BART Station in Duboce Park

Courtesy of my brother Dave, here's a picture of the faux BART station. Filming is on Wednesday!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 12:15 PM | | Comments (0)

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