Muni Diaries
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The Muni Diaries podcast is where you'll hear true stories that happened on public transportation in San Francisco and the Bay Area, presented by the editors of MuniDiaries.com. Since our launch in 2008, we've gathered stories from more than 4,000 transit riders.
Muni Diaries
2w ago
This is the first part in a series showcasing short Muni stories we collected from attendees at the Night of Ideas at the San Francisco Public Library on March 2, 2024. In this episode we focus on everyday heroes on the bus: situations where a small gesture or act of kindness by a transit rider or operator turned a tense situation around, made someone feel seen or appreciated, or just brightened their day ..read more
Muni Diaries
2M ago
Where most people see a desolate street, Katy Birnbaum sees a celebration and the regeneration of community waiting to happen. But it didn't start out that way. Katy grew up in a car-dependent suburb where the streets isolated her and her family. In this story from our November 2023 live show, Katy shares how moving to San Francisco transformed her relationship to streets, how Muni connected her to the things most important to her, and how she decided to give back.
Katy is the founder of Into The Streets, a San Francisco-based cultural production studio dedicated to bringing people together in ..read more
Muni Diaries
3M ago
It's not every day you're swept off your feet by a handsome stranger on the subway. But when Baruch Porras-Hernandez rides Muni, anything can happen. We were thrilled to have Baruch back on the Muni Diaries Live stage in November with the story of a fleeting romance from his past, and the unexpected turn it takes.
Baruch is a writer, performer, and standup comedian who’s done storytelling shows all over California. He’s won the Moth in LA, headlined at About Last Night, is a three-time winner of Best of Bawdy, and won first place at Oakland’s Story Showdown. You can hear more stories from Baru ..read more
Muni Diaries
3M ago
Happy New Year, Muni Diaries fam! We've got stories from our November live show, exciting in-person podcasting events, and more already queued up for you in 2024. Here's a sneak peek of what's on deck.
A heartfelt thanks from all of us at Muni Diaries to everyone who shared your Muni stories with us in 2023, sent us your bus photos, tuned in to the podcast, attended our live shows and art market, and helped us celebrate 15 years of Muni Diaries.
Have a Muni story you'd like us to feature in 2024? Email us your pitch at muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com ..read more
Muni Diaries
6M ago
Tanea Lunsford Lynx, an artist and educator, joined us at Muni Diaries Live in April 2023 to perform her poem, I Used to Live Here, a piece evoking the magic of relatives living a mere Muni ride away, the otherworldly dimension between West Portal and Van Ness stations, and the soothing something about 24-hour Church Street Safeway light. She was one of the San Francisco-born-and-raised artists featured in Muni Raised Me, an exhibit exploring what truly public transit means to those who depend on it—and are ultimately shaped by it. You might remember Tanea from Muni Diaries podcast E ..read more
Muni Diaries
6M ago
Have you been to the Legion of Honor at night? We haven't. And we definitely won't be going after this story.
Muni operator and Muni Haiku Battle champion Mc Allen reminds us of what can go bump (and wrong) on a late-night run. Originally shared at Muni Diaries Live in April 2023, it's the perfect accompaniment to the seasonal festivities.  ..read more
Muni Diaries
6M ago
Jill Sutherlin didn't set out to become the caretaker of a beloved Mission barbershop, but life is funny that way. Her story takes us and The Refinery Grooming Club through the pandemic, the ups and downs of recovery, and the sacred spaces we cultivate for our communities. Jill performed this story at Muni Diaries Live in April 2023 ..read more
Muni Diaries
8M ago
What lies beneath the streets of San Francisco? In some cases, the history of how those streets and infrastructure we know and love (or at least use and tolerate) came to be.
San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries: A Buried History, the newest book from local author Beth Winegarner, is out now. Beth stopped by the podcast to discuss the role the city's dead have on infrastructure (which includes public transit, as you'll learn in this episode), early NIMBY antics, and our civic responsibility to residents who've passed on.
Beth is a journalist, author, essayist and pop culture critic who has con ..read more
Muni Diaries
9M ago
Muni is San Francisco's deep end: immediate and immersive exposure to strangers, testing our tolerance for other people's music, aromas, food, volume, attitude, or public habits. Meymey Lee, a born-and-raised San Franciscan, was exposed to all of it since they were a baby. At Muni Diaries Live in April 2023, they shared how Muni not only spawned a best-friendship, but also an unwavering sense of civic pride and community ..read more
Muni Diaries
10M ago
Storyteller Adrianna Tan is an enthusiastic bus rider who has ridden buses in more than 30 countries worldwide. But when she finally moves to San Francisco five years ago, she quickly finds out that in many ways, our Muni is not like all the rest.
This story was recorded at Muni Diaries Live in April, 2023 at Rickshaw Stop. If you have your own Muni tale to share on our podcast, pitch your story by emailing us at muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com ..read more