Mission Mission

Just another day on Muni.

On Friday evening, a man tried to steal my phone on the 14, ripped it out of my hands and ran off the bus. In some fit of animal instinct, I ran after him off the bus, fought him, and got it back. I will spare you most of the details here, but if you want to read my full account of it, redirect yourself here.

Here some quick thoughts:

• Be vigilant, obviously. Keep aware of your surroundings, and avoid using your smartphone or tablet on public transportation, especially if you’re sitting near a door. I know that this is a big fat DOY but it’s also easy to forget.
• If you must use your device, look around you and take note of who is around you. I am not asking you to profile anyone. Just be aware and remember faces.
• If you see a person in distress, do something. I understand the impulse to ignore what is going on and not be nosy, to stay safe. But I am a 26-year-old woman barely over 100 pounds and I was screaming and fighting a man twice my size who had struck me in the face and thrown me to the ground, and between the 20 or so witnesses on the sidewalk and nearby, none intervened until it was over. Apparently, several people thought it was a domestic dispute, and thought, “wow, what an odd couple.” No.
• I am not implying that what I did was the smartest or best thing to do, but I had no time to think and adrenaline is one hell of a drug. This worked out in my favor, but it could have gone terribly wrong.
• If you are a victim of a crime, file a police report. If you are hurt, tell the paramedics and police everything. Shock can delay physical pain until later, and later might be too late for anyone to be held accountable. I was tempted to just get on with my day and get to whatever I was trying to go to, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
• I don’t care how much you resent the new “techies” moving into the neighborhood, but this kind of crime (or any other kind of crime) is not justified. I do not work at a startup or tech company (and it really shouldn’t matter if I did), and I certainly don’t have the paycheck or means to justify buying a new phone if mine was stolen.
• It is easy to forget that this neighborhood can still be a rough one, despite the price tag and all of the big white shuttles. Carry pepper spray, choose well-trafficked paths, don’t walk alone at night, etc. etc.

I don’t know what became of the mugger, and I’d like to think that my altercation with taught him a lesson and scared him enough to lay low for awhile (or, optimistically, to retire from mugging!), but the reality is that he is still out there and he may strike again. Stay safe, everyone.

I mean, I love Trick Dog as much as the next guy, and I know parking around there is a scarce commodity and thus you have to start the hunt as early as possible, but if you’re speeding there so recklessly (allegedly) that you careen directly into a passenger bus (allegedly), your priorities are a bit amiss.

[Photo by Lindsey]

i’m just always so surprised when i get on a bus and there is no one being crazy.

— abby myles(@abbymyles) May 2, 2013

i sort of want to go around the bus and thank everyone for not being awful.

— abby myles(@abbymyles) May 2, 2013

Awww.

P.S.

The rider on the bus goesHey, back door!Hey, back door!Hey, back door!The driver on the bus goesHey, step down!All over town#Muni

— Ariel Dovas (@eviloars) May 1, 2013

UPDATE:

a little old lady on the bus was worried about whether i had brought a sweater with me. “are you from here? you always need a sweater.” 💗

— abby myles(@abbymyles) May 2, 2013

Goodbye old, smelly, dirty friends.

(Okay, so it’s really the sunrise, and they’re coming from the direction of The Sunset)

Right? At least put that 4×4 power on your gas-guzzling SUV to use one time!

Ok maybe not.

Sorry mister bus driver!

One person seems to have been injured in the gunfire onboard this 49 MUNI, which occurred at around 10pm on Mission at 22nd St.  According to some shook up witnesses who were also on the bus:

There were a few shots and someone got hit in the stomach.  Then about 6 guys surrounded him and started beating him with little sticks before they all ran off.  I don’t think the guy’s dead though.

Details are still being collected and police are at the scene.

UPDATE!!!

More information has been revealed and apparently our witness was a little more shook up than he thought.  There was no shooting onboard, but rather a savage beating with a tire iron.  Police think maybe the sound of the tire iron hitting a pole or seat led to people thinking they heard a gunshot.  SF Appeal has more details here.

According to an ancient Milanese streetcar. What a difference a century makes.

I wonder how we’ll feel when we look back on this Prop 8 business a hundred years from now.

(Thanks Heather for the translation!)

Our pal Pen Pop is on the scene:

Hey, not sure of the details except that the bike and a backpack were under the wheels of a muni. Looks like the bus was turning off Harrison into the depot. I don’t know the condition of the cyclist but the police aren’t letting the bus move. Now there are about thirteen buses (combined both sides) waiting to go in. Watch out for buses, watch out for stop signs.

Our transit-obsessed buddies at Muni Diaries are bringing a bunch of cool people up on stage to entertain you with tales of life on Muni.

Eugenia elaborates:

Everybody has a Muni story: nail-clipping, whiskey-sharing, mythical-creature-spotting, and it just gets weirder all the time! Come hear true transit stories from riders, writers, and even a BART operator. Bonus: this show will also feature the second Muni Haiku Battle as our Lit Crawl champion defends his crown!

Storytellers:
Johnny Funcheap, master of frugal living
James Nestor, writer and reigning Muni Haiku champion
Anna Pulley, sex/relationship columnist and Muni haiku ninja
Kelly Beardsley, BART operator
Richie Nakano, chef at Hapa Ramen
Lucky Jesus unplugged!

Muni Haiku Battle is inspired by Dirty Haiku Battle, presented by our favorite Oakland show,Tourettes Without Regrets (first Thursday of every month at the Oakland Metro). You should definitely check it out every month. Like, seriously.

Details:
Muni Diaries Live
Saturday, March 2 at the Elbo Room
647 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Doors: 6 p.m. Show: 7 p.m. Tickets: $12
Take Muni there: J-Church, 12, 14, 22, 33, 49, or BART: 16th or 24th St. stations

Get your tickets here before they sell out!