By the Wanz
HAPPY MONDAY!!
So, before we begin, let’s provide some context. I am originally from San Francisco (pre-Tacoma) and I went there this last Wednesday (from like 8:30am-8pm) and had an interview in the middle of the day.
Initially, I was going to document my trip and show you all the interesting modes of Public Transit that I was taking… but my phone died… plus it sounded kinda boring… and I was hella tired and sorta spaced. SO, I was like “I’ll review all the different kinds of public transit they have…”
BUT since the majority of facebook/twitter followers are (presumably) from the Tacoma-area, I figured that might be… well, boring-er. SO instead, you will be provided with some general pros and cons about SF Bay Area transit for any of those who are lucky enough to be from there or who visit. Hope this is… well, interesting! ENJOY!!!
(What? Too many caps? WELL I SAY NEVER!! Well, not never, but today you’ve just gotta DEAL with it.)
Pro #1: There’re a lot of forms of public transit – Which is awesome! There’s MUNI (local to SF, buses and lightrails), the BART (which unites SF, the east bay, and some of the south), CalTrain (like a classy Amtrak for the South Bay), and more. Awesome falls short—it’s kick ass!!
Con #1: There’s a shit ton of people on these different public transits – Seriously Seattle/Tacoma, a packed bus here is annoying, a packed bus in San Francisco is literally like being in a sardine cane. It’s uncomfortablely shitty.
Pro #2: Some buslines run 24/7 – Again, Tacoma/Seattle, take some notes here. MUNI (the SF buses) run on a late-night, limited schedule. AMAZING!! It’s like people catch the bus after 10pm on the weekday. *coughcough*shittybusreductionsinTacoma*coughcough*
Con #2: Late night weirdos – As this blog and project illustrates, there are some weirdos on the bus. Spoiler Alert: they don’t get less weird as the late night hours go on.
Pro #3: The Clipper Card – It’s like our version of the Orca Card (a card that holds money and you can use it for MUNI, BART, some other things, I think… this is new and I’m… still in Washington). But hey, eliminates change and dollar bills and that’s always cool.
Con #3: If it breaks, you’re SOL – My Orca Card has held up for two years, but because of my frequent trips down to SF I got a Clipper Card in January. I put money on it, and one day, it just decided to stop working. I call bullshit!
Pro #4: A lot of buses mean it’s easy to get around – Yeah mobility! Woo! You can get pretty much anywhere, well aside from Marin, parts of the East Bay, and some of the South Bay…. But you can get around SF easily. And that’s what matters—though there are probably other buslines in other areas, but I’m just not familiar with it… #knowledgelimitations. (If you think that says “elimination,” please reread that hashtag.)
Con #4: A lot of buses mean it’s easy to get lost – AH!! OPTIONS!!! If you’re not super familiar with the buses or taking one for the first time, make sure you’re boarding to the right one, make sure it’s going the right direction, make sure if it’s a limited-express bus that it is going to take your stop, etc.
Pro #5: All different kinds of people take the bus – From business peoples to kids heading to school to the crazies… (I mean, imagine the people watching and the madness!!). It almost makes you feel welcomed! Of course, this would make the con…
Con #5: All different kinds of people take the bus - From business peoples to kids heading to school to the crazies… There’s no telling what you’ll encounter. There’s a shit ton of judgment, tension, and unnecessary weirdness.
Pro #6: Bus Shelters give times for when buses are approaching – Genius!!! I know we have that app that tells us when the next bus is coming, but it’s just convenient to have it at the bus stop. It eases your sanity.
Con #6: In SF, buses don’t really run on a strict schedule – Because it’s a big city, and there’s a lot of buses going, the buses run on some sort of schedule, but they don’t really follow it. So, good luck, cause, yeah… timeliness is a hard. Aim for early and hope you’re not late.
Pro #7: You can ride a cable car!! – The SF Tourist dream comes true!
Con #7: It costs $8 – That harsh commercial truth just quietly settles into you… and then into your wallet…
Pro #8: BART & CalTrain go to SFO – Two major forms of public transit in the Bay will bring you right to San Francisco International! Yayer!
Con #8: You’ve gotta pay $3 extra if you’re going into Oakland – Bullshit.
Pro #9: MUNI’s lightrail trains go underground to avoid street traffic in Downtown San Francisco – Taking the avoidance tactics underground for the downtown committers.
Con #9: The lightrail lines create their own underground traffic, especially when they stall/breakdown, and you’re stuck underground, with no escape – Not necessarily better than just getting stuck in above ground traffic…
Pro #10: Not needing to drive – Seriously, with a place like SF there’s a minimal reason to drive around the city, dealing with car accidents, crazy drivers, parking, gas, bird shit, allllllll the madness.
Con #10 Not learning how to drive – Just be careful, otherwise you could get too comfortable, and never learn how to drive… like me. Which is fine, if you stay in the Bay Area, but shitty if you decide to move… especially to a place like Tacoma… like me…
Have any more pros or cons to the Bay Area transit systems? Hmmm—I bet you don’t! If you dare to challenge my assumptions (and I) then let us know and share them here! Share your experience on our blog or our twitter account at http://twitter.com/LifeInTransitTJor on our facebook at http://www.facebook.coom/lifeintransittjor send us an email at [email protected] we may post your message / picture!!
