Rider #1: I listened in great disbelief to Phil Matier interview Mayor Brown last Friday on TV. The mayor seems to be of the impression that the problems on Muni are limited to the current state of the Metro. According to him, the bus riders are quite happy with the state of things. WRONG!! I have to ride the 37 Corbett bus twice a day to make a connection to the Metro, and we've developed a term for the "service" on that line. It's called being "Muni-ed". Almost daily you can be sure that one of the following is going to happen: you're stranded for up to 45 minutes waiting for a bus that's supposed to run every 15 during the rush hour (in the pouring rain in the winter). At night, when the bus finally shows up to go to Twin Peaks from Masonic, it gets jammed full at Church St. and no one can get on at the other stops further up the line. Driver's shifts are scheduled to end in the middle of the evening rush-hour, the relief driver isn't there, and the original driver just walks away, leaving a full bus sitting behind Boston Market. I can see my office building at the foot of Market St. from my apartment, but it takes me about an hour and a half to get there and sometimes 2 or 3 hours to get home, just because of the service on the 37 line, combined with the snail's pace of the Metro. Changing to BART at Civic Center is the only option to getting to Embarcadero at all in the morning and this seems to be threatened because Muni management wants to raise the price of Fast Passes because they somehow think getting to work on time is a arbitrary luxury and we should be penalized for the need to switch to BART every day to do it. I can truly sense a rider jihad in the making if the Supes consider any sort of price increase for Muni in the near future. Rider #2: Well, I have actually been avoiding the N-Judah trains for the last week because of all the publicity in the newspapers. I have been taking the 6-Parnassus. It's an OK bus but I need to count on taking a good 45 minutes to get to the Embarcadero once I board a bus. This morning, I had a big package with me and decided to leave early and take the N-Judah. I arrived at the 9th Ave/Judah stop at 7:00 a.m. I waited about 5 minutes (a reasonable amount of time) before I saw a train coming. Unfortunately, it was a ONE-CAR TRAIN and it was completely full - not even halfway into its run. I waited another 8 minutes for the next train, which was also a ONE-CAR TRAIN. It was full but I managed to squeeze myself and my large package onto the train. I noticed immediately that there was no air conditioning or even a vent on. Thankfully, it was turned on around Stanyan. The ride only got worse and we waited about 10 minutes at Church/Duboce before we got going toward Van Ness station. I finally got to Powell station (couldn't squeeze past the people to get off at Civic Center) at 8:10 a.m., one hour and 10 minutes later. I went down to BART where a train pulled up immediately and I was at Embarcadero Station in less than 5 minutes. I think the boycott idea I read one rider suggesting is a great idea. I think I could actually walk to work in less than one hour and 10 minutes. I would definitely be willing to support a boycott. I'm going crazy just trying to get to and from work each day. I have been reduced to tears a couple of times. It shouldn't be like this. Rider #3: More frustration, angst and desperation on the Muni Metro line. Endless delays, surly drivers, stalls in the Market Street tunnel, and overcrowding all are bring out out the worst in everyone, not that it should be a surprise. One recent morning the 'N' train I was on stalled for a good forty minutes, within sight of the Church St. entrance to the Market St. tunnel, and the only comment from the operator was an assurance that we'd be moving again in "a few moments". People were growing more and more agitated, shifting in their seats, looking around nervously. Eventually a passenger asked the driver to open the doors so we could walk out and catch an 'F' train, and he begrudgingly complied. Outside the tunnel, there was a crowd of 100-150 people gathered at the Church St. 'F' stop. If anyone made it where they were supposed to be on time, I'd be amazed. I understand that delays are unavoidable to a certain extent, and nothing short of drilling another tunnel or two will make the Muni run as quickly underground as BART. The most aggravating thing about the recent breakdowns, though, has been the attitude of the Muni staff and operators - never acknowledging that service is running behind schedule, never apologizing for delays, treating passengers as annoyances rather than paying customers... I understand that the problems with the system affect them as well, but I think Muni riders are at least worth a token P.A. announcement or two. I'm not looking forward to buying a bus pass this month, especially since I'm finding the hour-and-a-half walk home from work is actually quicker that relying on the 'N'... you really do have to laugh, sadly. If I see you all from the sidewalk, I'll raise my fist in the air as a symbol of solidarity. Rider #4: My name is Rick. I'm a native San Franciscan, and I'm old enough to remember when the old street cars, and buses, were the only way to get downtown. I can still recall the first day the muni metro opened and the street cars were retired (only to be brought back years later). To me, the muni metro has been a disaster since the day it opened. It has always been unreliable, slow, subject to breakdowns, dirty, noisy, and too crowded. Over time, it became remarkable to me when I make it home or to work without any mishaps. I have ridden subway trains in London, New York, Paris, Barcelona, Montreal, Berlin, Mexico City and Atlanta. The San Francisco muni metro is by far the worst, most "rinky-dink" of the lot. If muni cannot fix this system, then maybe it should just admit the mistake, fill in the hole, and resume surface public transportation on Market Street. If Muni cannot handle the job, then maybe BART can, or Samtrans, or even a privatized venture. I don't mind paying more for service if I get service. However, what we have now is a disgrace, and does not befit our city, it's residents, or our visitors. I can only hope that this past week serves as a catalyst for some real improvement. It's long, long overdue. Rider #5: Normally an easy-going, mellow kind of guy, I am sorry to say that daily Muni rides transform me into an extremely agitated and unpleasant individual. Even allowing one hour to get across town is not enough these days. Last Wednesday evening, I waited for a J Church at Church and Duboce for 35 minutes. When I got to Powell and Market with the hope of taking the 27-Bryant to Pine and Leavenworth, I waited there for 45 minutes. This is absolutely absurd and unfortunately a very common occurrence. I am so angry at Willie (Ego Run Riot) Brown and will work feverishly for his defeat. He should keep his mouth shut about the issue as I just heard him yesterday say that we, the citizens of San Francisco, are angry at the wrong people---that we should be angry with the Boeing Company for their faulty railcars. No, Mr. Mayor, this is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY----you as Mayor need to stop worrying so much about style and try substance on for size. An Ego check is in order. I didn't know they made hats that large Mr. Mayor!! Rider #6: After 2 horrendous days I gave up on poor old Muni (half up). Now take the 88 to Balboa Park and BART is dreamy. The slowness was one thing--but the standing endlessly in the Civic Center station nose to nose with all the others crowded in because the poor driver couldn't open the doors until he moved up half an inch did it for me. After living in Denver in the early 60's I have been praising Muni for 30 years in comparison with Denver's hour long bus waits and car-oriented commute. No longer. Can't we please fix our buses so people can get where they want to go.