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MUNI Mama
Muni Mama: Battle of attrition in the Mission
If you're going to travel via bus with your family in the Mission, get your elbows sharp and ready. You may need 'em to navigate the crowds and craziness. One of my worst Muni Mama experiences makes me sweaty just thinking about it. I recently had a potential standoff with an angry boarding female who wouldn't allow me and my son to exit a bus in the Mission. Cipriano and I were leaving the bus with the masses at 24th and Mission. She was boarding via the back door and wouldn't back down the stairs to let us off.
angelfire.com
This could get ugly ...
"Excuse me, please," I said. I had moved as fast as possible down the stairs with everyone else, but she had pushed her way up the stairs and I had little room to back up. It was a hot day and I was starting to feel angry and slightly panicked about not being able to exit.
She glared at me and asked what I wanted. An angrier, younger version of me would've been tempted to snap something at her, no matter how futile and dumb an idea that is. My husband calls me "hatred baby" because I can have a bad temper. That's definitely a personal improvement project that may take me a lifetime to manage. Back to the lady: I was taller than her and could maybe take her in a fight. The chances of her pulling out a gun or a knife flashed through my mind. I wasn't interested in doing any sort of verbal or physical battle. Period. I wanted to say, "Lady, I've got the precious cargo! Baby in arms ... ." I sort of bulged my eyes and nodded at my son, then her, and said, "We're getting off here." Going home to report to my husband that I had gotten in a Muni scuffle -- with or without injuries to me and Cip -- would be a disaster.
On the Muni bus stairs, I was quickly aware that there are helpful people on public transit but she was not one of them. She wasn't backing down. Read More 'Muni Mama: Battle of attrition in the Mission' »
| June 11 2010 at 05:12 PM
Kids and public grooming etiquette
When I was pregnant and riding BART one morning, I swore I would never do something as gross and rude as trim my soon-to-be-born son's nails on BART or any sort of public transportation. Generally I feel such grooming tasks should be done at home, where there is soap and water to clean up afterwards. I was silently clucking to myself mother hen style and watching with averted eyes as a woman across from me trimmed a young boy's nails. It looked like they were mother-son, but who knows? The anonymity of city living means I could only guess at their relationship to each other.
hoothollow.com
Save that for home, mom ...
The BART car we were riding in wasn't crowded, and I had first heard the telltale click-click noises of the nail clipper before seeing what was happening. I have seen adults clip their fingernails on BART before, but I usually stay at the other end of the car, or comfort myself with the knowledge that the car is crowded and clipping party is happening too far away for me to care. When I witness things like the mother-son clip job I admit I should probably wear head phones and keep my head buried in a book. Maybe then I would feel like, "who cares if she clips the kid's nails?!?" But ...
I can't fully blame my pregnancy hormones for feeling completely grossed out by what seemed to be the (admittedly small) flying nails and cuticles. I couldn't wait to get off the train at my stop. I was having flashbacks to all the crazy grooming I've witnessed on public transpo: my all-time favorite is still the drugged up guy on a MUNI bus who was using a foot file to file the skin off of his own arms, creating an awful cloud of white-ish skin particles that hung in the air near his seat. Visualize the matter around the Pigpen character, only much more up-close-real and disgusting. Read More 'Kids and public grooming etiquette' »
| April 08 2010 at 04:06 PM
MUNI Mama: City Car Share file(s) heads to Marin
I almost cried on a recent City Car Share (CCS) outing, and only have myself to blame. It's a tale that's one part user error, one part physical exhaustion.
photoarrow.com
Will we make it through this tunnel?
We needed to get my husband to a book related event at Book Passage in Marin on a Sunday. Usually, if I know we will be driving and using a car out of town for more than four hours, I go ahead and rent with Enterprise. Their $39 day rate covers two out of the three insurance options, and I get the $39 rate with my City Car Share membership. Bummer in the summer! The Mission Street Enterprise location I frequent is closed on Sundays, and I really didn't need a car (or the potential parking nightmares of a Saturday night) the day before. So CCS, which I use a few times a month, seemed like the best choice. I had given us ample time to get the car, load the car seat, stroller, and rest of our crap in, then off we go.
The first clue that something was terribly wrong with my City Car Share car was that the car would not start when I put the key in. I was in the two car residential garage that is a pod, a place where CCS vehicles are stored. My heart started beating fast, and mouth went dry. I was also a little thirsty from Sherpa-ing a diaper bag, my back pack, and the Sunday newpapers with me from our apartment to the CCS pod. Sigh. I had to get out, pop the trunk, and get my wallet out to look up my CCS info. I have the CCS numbers programmed in my phone, but it requires keying or saying a member ID number. When I got a CCS (friendly and calm, thank God!) rep on the phone, she asked me for the vehicle identification number (VIN in CCS parlance). Once I gave it to her, she explained that I was at the wrong pod. Read More 'MUNI Mama: City Car Share file(s) heads to Marin' »
| July 30 2009 at 04:02 PM
MUNI Mama: The City Car Share file(s)
"Can you help me?" I half-panted to my husband as I walked up the stairs of our apartment, lugging our 24-pound son. My husband looked alarmed and dazed. Maybe a little stressed, too. I had interrupted him from putting away a slew of new groceries, and was sorry to do so. I had our son, and we were safe, but I was missing one important item.
sf.streetsblog.org
Sharing isn't always easy ...
"The car seat ... I need you to go get it ... I couldn't get it out ... not with Cip," I added. My shirt was wet with sweat, and I felt like I was melting. I was so sweaty because it was a hot day, and I had panicked.
"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, which may have really meant, "Why didn't you call me from the City Car Share pod, instead of getting all upset and sweaty?" I snapped at my husband, "I didn't call you because my cell phone is with you!" ... and those aforementioned groceries.
Before my sweaty arrival home, I tried to remove Cip's car seat from the City Car Share car we were using. Cip and I were alone, after dropping my husband off. I wanted to take a crack at undoing the car seat on my own. It is new and weighs only four pounds. Carrying this car seat has not been a problem. But I had avoided installing or removing the seat. I figured it was time for me to learn how to do it on my own. Read More 'MUNI Mama: The City Car Share file(s)' »
| April 15 2009 at 04:22 PM
MUNI Mama: The journey continues ...
"Smells like potty," said a woman to her husband and kids, as we all stood in the Powell MUNI/BART elevator. All the adults nodded and sighed a little. I kept watching the elevator move, and it seemed to be taking forever. My son wrinkled his nose and kept scanning the elevator and looking up at the harsh, bright lights.
Lance Iversen/Chronicle
The one consistent problem with riding public transportation in the Bay Area with my son is that the elevators tend to smell like urine, feces, or super strength cleaner. On our way home last week, there was a tell tale yellow puddle in the corner that we avoided. Seeing and smelling "potty" in the elevator doesn't happen on every trip, but it does happen half the time. Fifty percent failure rate is not a good stat from a health and comfort standpoint.
One funny thing that happens on our MUNI adventures is my son likes to flirt. When he's mellow and happy, I relax and enjoy the show. His target audience ranges from age fourteen to forty, and appear diverse. We suspect he slightly favors women who look like me or Nina, from the Sprout Network. This flirting game keeps him amused and other passengers seem to smile and coo. I'll smile and nod back to people if it seems appropriate.
Read More 'MUNI Mama: The journey continues ...' »| March 19 2009 at 02:33 PM
MUNI Mama: The City CarShare File(s)
City CarShare, thanks for the toned guns! There's little need for a formal Mommy exercise program living without a car. Toting my kid to and from CityCar Share pick up spots makes for one of the greatest work outs around. (Ditto for all the walking and moving involved with using public transportation). The City CarShare pods may be only two blocks away, but when I'm lugging almost thirty pounds of baby and gear, it seems like a longer journey.
somagrand.com
It's a car ... and a workout machine.
I used to get close to muscle failure because my arms must stay in the same position for the entire walk. Now my guns/muscles seem used to the lifting. Feeling like a strong mother boosts my self esteem, and have taken to flexing for my husband on occasion.
We've been using City CarShare for over three months whenever MUNI, BART and other transpo options don't fit our needs. That means I'm trying to go somewhere faster than public transportation can offer, don't feel up to braving the crowds, or am going somewhere off the BART/MUNI track. Generally City CarShare has turned out to be a cost effective solution to living without a car. Gas prices are still a concern, but my City CarShare membership means I'm not shelling out gas money directly; it's included in the monthly fees. My average hourly price to use a car with City Car Share is about six dollars, and it covers usage, gas, and insurance.
Read More 'MUNI Mama: The City CarShare File(s)' »| October 01 2008 at 04:22 PM
MUNI Mama: The 14 Mission equals all crowds, no seats
Before we begin this MUNI Mama chronicle, I have a gross BART tidbit from today. I had my son, Cip, in a stroller and was headed to the Powell BART elevator to take us down to the MUNI/BART areas. There was one other woman waiting for the elevator to arrive. Rather than get in, she held open the doors for me, and remained standing outside. She appeared to be inspecting the elevator, and had a pen and clipboard. I noticed before fully entering the elevator that there was a giant yellow puddle at the back of the elevator.
web.utk.edu
Be sure to dress down ...
"Oh. It looks like there's some pee," she said. "Watch out," she continued. I kept my distance, and made sure the stroller wheels were not in the pee. "Sorry 'bout that," she said with a slight shrug. I tried not to gag on the ride down to BART, and was glad Cip remained asleep.
At least there wasn't pee that I could see or smell on the 14 Mission bus when I rode it with my son and sister-in-law (SIL) about a week ago. If at all possible, I highly recommend having another adult accompany you on a 14 Mission trip, because it can be one of the grittiest (and most hectic) MUNI bus lines. While we waited on the corner of Mission and 14th for the bus, I told my SIL to please not let my husband know where we had been. He'd freak and ask me something like, "What were you thinking?!" The blocks surrounding that intersection have a reputation for crime, drugs and prostitution. Read More 'MUNI Mama: The 14 Mission equals all crowds, no seats' »
| August 07 2008 at 02:06 PM
MUNI Mama: long lines, sherpas and cable cars
Welcome to the MUNI Mama chronicles. Since I recently became a carless parent, traveling public transportation and using City Car Share are a must. High gas prices mean it may be awhile 'til we get another car. Although the title says MUNI Mama, I will also use BART, ferries, Cal Train and other transportation options. I'll be sure to cover the sweatiness (welcome to parenthood!), and other potentially sweet, dirty, and funny aspects of Bay Area travel.
visitingdc.com
Nice views, long lines ...
This week, some relatives from out of town wanted to ride the cable car. Because I was hanging out with them and sleeping on an air mattress in Benicia for nearly a week, I was both exhausted and didn't do online research before our cable car ride. I figured it'd be okay since I'd done the cable car thing a handful of times, growing up in the Bay Area. The only thing I was dreading was waiting in line, but figured it would be fun to see my relatives (including Cip) react to the car's views and hills.
If you're going to take a baby or kid on the cable car, it's a great idea to recruit a Sherpa to help lug and coordinate. Also, bring as small a stroller as possible, or a baby carrier/back pack. Since my husband was working (maybe he was really tired of me complaining about the parenting "advice" my Aunt and Mom kept dishing out? All. Week. Long.), my brother got the Sherpa duty. It's best to get a fit relative or super close friend to do any sort of Sherpa work for you. That's potentially tiring, stressful, hot work. Read More 'MUNI Mama: long lines, sherpas and cable cars' »
| July 11 2008 at 02:36 PM
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