File this under absolutely nothing to do with real estate, but everything to do with living in San Francisco. This is such a common problem that the only trauma hospital in San Francisco has its own classification for accidents like this, they call it “Ped vs. Muni”.
You’ve seen it before, you’re sitting at a light, yours turns green, the Muni bus driver toots his/her horn and just rolls right through the red that has been red for a good 20 seconds. Same goes for the street cars. The drivers are for the most part rude, lack basic social skills, and are generally really horrible drivers. What’s the deal? Who hires these people?
My rule is that I won’t walk in front of a Muni bus or train. I just won’t do it. In the Inner Sunset there’s an intersection at 9th and Irving where outbound trains make a left from Irving onto 9th avenue. As a pedestrian, even if I’d have the right of way but there was a Muni train waiting to turn onto 9th I wouldn’t cross for the simple fact that the Muni driver so frequently doesn’t yield or if he/she does yield it’s done perfunctorily and the train is already rolling into the turn as you begin your crossing (same thing happens when it turns onto Judah).
Same thing at 4 way-stops in the various neighborhoods. I let the damn things pass…
RIP to the person who died in this horrible accident.
Have to agree with Dave…though it would be interesting to see if the in bus/trolley camera program to catch cars in transit lanes actually catches Muni running lights.
you just dont get it… the rules are always “except muni”.
no left turn – except Muni
no entry – except Muni
no stopping – except Muni and so on, on half of the traffic signs in the city.
then the drivers are so brained washed about all those ‘except Muni’ that they assume ALL the traffic rules (laws AND curtesy) are ‘except Muni’.
Surprisingly, Muni tries to impove *a little*. There was a problem on our Muni line, and a neighbor took the time to find the right number, phone the right person – and they did what we were wishing (change signs etc) very rapidly (like a month or so).
There is that rule: stop complaining – do something.
If you know of a specific traffic violation or other hazardous recurrent situation, please send a complain BEFORE we read more of those horror stories in the news.
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mcontact/indxmucont.htm
Our thoughs go to the families.
I’ve been driving past the intersection of 9th and Judah and 9th and Irving for YEARS and I can’t believe there haven’t been more accidents over the years. I think that the drivers are not only “rude, lack basic social skills, and generally really horrible drivers”, I think they are color blind and don’t know the difference between red and green.
As for not complaining and taking action – I’ve called MUNI several times to complain about specific drivers running lights, etc. and have been told that the only way to have a driver punished (for lack of a better word) is to file a complaint and then attend a hearing and act as a witness. However, every time I filed a complaint, I never heard from them again. And honestly, I didn’t have the energy to pursue them over and over again.
So, unfortunately, I’ve just accepted MUNI drivers being crappy drivers as a fact of life, kind of like the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Say la vie.
(And yes – my thoughts do go out to the “victims of MUNI”)
according to the one of the commenters and witnesses over on n-judah chronicles, this poor fellow was running to catch the train, jumped and missed the bottom of the stairs to board. that’s how he ended up underneath the train being dragged to his death. i don’t understand why someone couldn’t pull an emergency stop button or cord and just watched this however.
that is almost worse than the death.