MUNI Story

There has been a big focus on MUNI lately. The MTA will be voting on a variety of fare increases and service cuts tomorrow. The Mayor negotiated some concessions from the union leaders to help ease the budget deficit, the Union promptly voted the givebacks down. Are we headed for a meltdown?

Headed?

Tonight I was riding back from Caltrain, after barely missing the SECOND Caltrain collison of the day (an AM collision with an abandoned car on the tracks, and a PM suicide). While I dodged the Caltrain fiasco, I managed to get a flat tire in the Mission. I decided to walk from 26th/Valencia to 24th/Valencia giving me the option to just hop on the 48 bus so I could just fix the puncture at home.

Arriving at the intersection, I checked NextMUNI. Next bus - 51 minutes. After that? 51 minutes. Then 66 minutes, and 66 minutes. Great. I settled down to fix the flat.

Shortly thereafter I saw a bus coming down the street. I threw down my tire levers in disgust, then was more disgusted to see it was only a Google Shuttle. I got back to work as I chatted with my buddy Scott Crosby who was getting off the Google Bus. I had removed the old tire and was starting to work on checking the tube when I heard another bus. This time I barely flinched as it was an Apple shuttle. THe middle of rush hour and 2 private buses without a MUNI bus - and either none to come or NextMUNI on the fritz.

Now with a pile on the ground of old tube, new tube, tire levers, wheel, etc... I looked back and Voila! - 48 Quintara. Amazingly there was only one bike on the rack, but my own bike was in pieces. I quickly cobbled everything together and hopped the bus home.

I checked Routesey. Next bus to 24th and Dolores - 41, 41, 56, 56 minutes.

Guess the 48 is getting in on the meltdown early.