PODCAST · society
Muni Diaries
by Muni Diaries
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. To submit your own story, or read more bus tales, visit MuniDiaries.com.
Episodes
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Ep. 164: How Chris Arvin found community fighting for Muni
Chris Arvin is a familiar face at Muni Diaries Live after years of selling their whimsical Transit Supply wares, giving witty presentations on Muni's history and its famous boat tram, and hosting interactive transit trivia. But how does a kid from a New Hampshire suburb become a San Francisco...
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Ep. 163: Muni through Jessica Christian's lens
Muni is the backdrop for so much of our lives, but few of us have documented its familiar presence over years of personal change as vividly as photojournalist Jessica Christian. Trains and buses doubled as transportation and a training ground for Jessica as she developed her eye for "photography...
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Ep. 162: Julia Jackson wants to be wrong about you
Like so many Muni riders, comedienne Julia Jackson has perfected the art of sizing up her fellow bus passengers in a glance, and she takes more than a little satisfaction in how often her assessments turn out to be right. But she worries about the distance her snap judgments can create between…
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Ep. 161: Luisa Isbell's road back to Muni
One day in 2013, Luisa Isbell—newly minted San Franciscan and tech worker—found herself on the wrong side of a stranger's crisis on the 19 Polk, and went from enthusiastic bus rider to bus avoider. Trading freedom for safety seemed logical after such a scary encounter, but several years of gloomy...
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Ep. 160: Roman Rimer and the bus that got him there
We all know the feeling of sitting down on the J Church or the 38 Geary after an especially hard day and wishing we could just disappear into that red seat, alone with our misery, not smushed between 30 strangers. Other times, public transit surrounds us with our fellow riders when we need them…
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Ep. 159: Dewayne Deams: A Life in Transit
Dewayne Deams was born and raised in San Francisco and caught the transit bug early. You might say it's in his blood: his great-grandfather Curtis E. Green was the General Manager of Muni—the first Black GM of a major U.S. transit agency—and both of his parents worked for Muni, too. But despite…
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Ep. 158: Night of Ideas Part 3—A Bus of Whimsy
This is the final installment from our pop-up story booth at the San Francisco Public Libary's 2024 Night of Ideas! In this episode, we share a selection of bite-sized stories from everyday Muni riders about whimsical transit rides they've taken in our beloved San Francisco. Check out Part...
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Ep 157: Meaghan and Ronald Mitchell on the people's railway (and its people)
Meaghan Mitchell returned to the Muni Diaries stage at our "Thank You, Driver" show with a loving tribute to her dad, 35-year Muni veteran Ronald Mitchell. She shares what it was like being raised by a Muni driver in '90s San Francisco, and what makes Muni more than a transit agency—and then...
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Ep. 156: Rory O'Neill to the rescue
Getting stuck on a stalled Muni train is every rider's worst nightmare. But what's it like being one of the mechanics with the daunting task of getting that train and its frustrated riders moving again? Rory O'Neill understands both sides of that coin. He spent many years working as a mechanic on...
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Ep. 155: Night of Ideas Part 2—The friends we made along the way
Back in March 2024, Muni Diaries had the pleasure of attending the Night of Ideas, a program organized by the San Francisco Public Library. This installment paid homage to our favorite transit system, and we'd be remiss if we didn't tap into the wealth of Muni-riffic experiences (good, bad…
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Ep. 154: Where the 6 takes you: How Kristee Ono met her hero
Kristee Ono knows her fellow 6 Haight-Parnassus riders well — even though they're technically strangers. When she decided to write about one of them for the Muni Diaries Live Haiku Battle, she had no idea he was local transit icon Kurt Schwartzmann. Kristee tells the heartwarming story of what...
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Ep. 153: Muni operator Charles Haletky on teaching "professional paranoia"
Veteran operator Charles Haletky walks us through the highs of "pure, exquisite joy of public humiliation" and the lows of, well...the lowest you can imagine. He reminds us that, as someone who trains the next generation of operators, he needs to be cruel on occasion—not to be kind, but for the...
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Ep 152: Night of Ideas Part 1 — Everyday Heroes on the Bus
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…
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Ep. 151: Katy Birnbaum on the Power of Streets to Divide or Connect Us
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…
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Ep. 150: Once Upon a Muni Train with Baruch Porras-Hernandez
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...
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Ep. 149: A Look Ahead to 2024
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...
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Ep. 148: Tanea Lunsford Lynx "Used to Live Here"
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...
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Ep. 147: Serious spooky szn scaries at the Legion of Honor
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…
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Ep. 146: A leather jockstrap and a dream—how a Mission barbershop kept on keeping on
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…
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Ep. 145: The enduring impact of 'Forgotten Cemeteries' on San Francisco
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.…
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Ep. 144: How a life lived on Muni evolved into a life of civic duty
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...
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Ep. 143: A seasoned international bus rider tackles Muni
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...
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Ep. 142: Finding a long lost Muni operator
We first got to know storyteller Kurt Schwartzmann when he shared the story of how Muni and Muni drivers gave him shelter while he was homeless. He went on to become a professional artist, with a series of paintings dedicated to Muni drivers. In this episode, he shares the story of searching for…
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Ep 141: Life on the school bus (Part 2)
Last time, we heard from Tanea Lunsford Lynx, one of the artists behind Muni Raised Me: a multimedia exhibition by San Francisco born-and-raised artists exploring what Muni means to the people who grow up riding it. An educator, Tanea brought their students to the show and we were lucky enough to...
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Ep. 140: Life on the school bus from (and for) those in the know
Tanea Lunsford Lynx is Chair of the Spoken Arts Department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and one of the artists behind Muni Raised Me, a multimedia exhibition by San Francisco born-and-raised artists exploring a central question: What does Muni mean to the people who grow up riding it? Tanea...
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Ep. 139: Muni's dramatic origin story
In today's episode, public transit advocate, designer, and illustrator Chris Arvin shares the dramatic story of how Muni became the first public transit system in a major U.S. city. Complaining about the bus might be San Francisco's unofficial favorite pastime, but few know about the true origins...
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Ep. 138: The great loves of Sheila McElroy's life
Sheila McElroy has spent her professional life studying, writing about, and talking about place: how our sense of it grounds us in history and provides context for how we see, move around, and make sense of the world. In this story, told at Muni Diaries Live in November 2022, Sheila digs into her...
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Ep. 137: When small talk pays off on Muni
What would make you take off your headphones on the bus to talk to a stranger? In this episode, storyteller Alex Randall shares how he started talking to his fellow riders, and how these "Muni chats" changed the way he looks at our city. Alex takes the 38 Geary often and he likes all things San...
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Ep. 136: Asking the tough questions on Muni
How often do you ask yourself, "What would you do if this happened to you on Muni?" Storyteller Keli Dailey explores that very difficult question on stage at Muni Diaries Live, where she shared a tale about an unexpected turn of events on the bus. Keli is an award-winning journalist, performer…
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Ep. 135: Leading the flock of Muni converts on Halloween
Storyteller Ilyse Magy has hella Muni bonafides: she was the first paid "staff member" of San Francisco Transit Riders, where she helped pressure city officials to actually ride the bus. But one Halloween evening, when Ilyse found herself evangelizing the value of public transit, the Muni gods…
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Ep. 134: An evening with Mr. Boston, Muni operator
Many of you might know Mike Delia better as Mr. Boston, an operator on the F-Market and an impressive list of standard lines across town. Hailing from Massachusetts, he got bit by the transit bug when he was just 5 years old, riding the bus with his father, who was also an operator. You can often...
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Ep 133: Searching for one long lost Muni shelter
Here at Muni Diaries headquarters, we don't often talk about ourselves because, after all, Muni Diaries is about your stories. But every once in a while, something happens that still makes us go, "I can't believe that went down." So today, cofounders Tara and Eugenia are sharing the story of how,...
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Ep. 132: Meet the new additions to the Muni Diaries crew
You might have seen these two awesome people who joined the Muni Diaries crew earlier this year, and in today's episode, you'll get to know more about our new editors, Kat Siegal and Sarah Katz-Hyman. If you are a part of the local Transit Twitter community, you are probably already familiar with...
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Ep. 131: Broke-Ass Stuart opens up about 20 years of documenting San Francisco
If you live in San Francisco for any length of time, you can't not know Broke-Ass Stuart. Stuart Schuffman (and his team of writers) have been writing about San Francisco for two decades now, and he is celebrating the occasion on Oct. 13 with a big 20th Anniversary Party. We took the opportunity…
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Ep. 130: Becca Henry's unbelievable New Year's Eve on BART
Comedian Becca Henry say she is San Francisco born, raised by wolves, and got her start on stage performing comedic burlesque before buying new bras and making her way into standup. In today's episode, she recounts one wild evening on BART on New Year's Eve before she was heading to a…
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Ep. 129: Of trauma and forgiveness at a 22-Fillmore stop
San Francisco native and San Francisco Standard journalist Meaghan Mitchell takes the stage, sharing this life-changing experience from her youth at a 22-Fillmore stop. A reminder that stories on Muni Diaries can range from sweet and quirky, to weird and funny, to powerful, at times…
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Ep. 128: BART Board by day, Muni superhero by night
When BART Board Director Janice Li saw a fight break out on the bus, she took matters into her own hands. But what she saw after making a public information request for the bus footage (which anyone can do, BTW) was something else entirely.
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Ep. 127: Katie Haverkamp and LeBron James (the cat) just can't quit SF
The world's biggest Boat Tram fan Katie Haverkamp (mom of Muni-riding cat LeBron James) returned to the Muni Diaries Live stage to explain why she can't quit San Francisco. Spoiler alert: this lady has got zero commitment phobia when it comes to her love for this city.
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Ep. 126: Hayden Miller's wild ride
Safe streets advocate Hayden Miller joined the Muni Diaries Live stage for the first time in April 2022. He might be in high school, but his expertise was known to a n00b Muni operator, who leaned on that knowhow for driving directions (seriously). All ended up in some...uncharted territory.
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Ep. 125: A Muni operator you really need to meet
We're thrilled to bring you a live taping from our return to the stage at Muni Diaries Live on April 7, 2022! In this episode, Muni operator MC Allen explains how he went from transit fan, San Francisco devotee, to a Muni operator who went absolutely viral on Twitter. This is a story that we want...
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Ep. 124: Two poets enter, one poet leaves...it's the Muni Haiku Battle!
If you've been to Muni Diaries Live, you know we end every show with a Muni themed poetry throw down called the Muni Haiku Battle. After taking a two year break from the stage during the pandemic, Muni Diaries Live is back at Rickshaw Stop on Thursday, April 7, 2022! We are so excited to be back...
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Ep. 123: Returning to the stage with Meaghan Mitchell
We are back! And in more ways than one. We've been busy cooking up a little something for you, and we're ready to let the cat out of the bag! Muni Diaries Live is returning to the stage on April 7, 2022! It's been almost exactly two years since our pandemic-induced hiatus, and we can't wait to…
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Ep. 122: Finding the silver lining in teaching on Zoom
Educator Kelly Gregor Hartlaub had been a librarian for some time until the pandemic hit, and she was suddenly called to become a teacher on Zoom for distance learning. Her first task as a Zoom teacher? Sex education. And that wasn't even the hardest part. Kelly shares the challenges of teaching…
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Ep. 121: How the beloved Boat Tram became a real boi
We're bringing you a blast from the recent past from the stage of Muni Diaries Live in 2019. Storyteller Chris Arvin is a product designer who is passionate about cities and public transit. You might know Chris from the the adorable pins, stickers, Clipper card covers that they've designed at…
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Ep. 120: Aruna dreams of kimchi
Aruna Lee is the founder of San Francisco-based Volcano Kimchi, whose organic kimchi and sauces are made in her "Fermentation Lab" in Dogpatch. Aruna grew up in a Buddhist monastery in Korea, where every meal included an assortment of kimchi. When she arrived in San Francisco in 2001, doing...
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Ep. 119: A print magazine of our very own: Meet the San Franciscan
Proving that San Francisco is still a place that cheers on grassroots ideas, Erica Messner and Amanda Legge launched a new magazine about our city and called it, The San Franciscan. Launching a magazine (a print one, at that) is no small feat, especially in the pandemic. Erica and Amanda share…
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Ep. 118: Opening Night at Rickshaw Stop
After shuttering for more than a year since the start of the pandemic, San Francisco venues finally opened their doors for the first time this summer. We talk to Rickshaw Stop managing partner Dan Strachota about their first indoor show and how things have changed for independent venues. Dan also...
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Ep. 117: Combating amnesia: a conversation with Shaping San Francisco's Chris Carlsson
After 15 months of COVID-related restrictions, San Francisco is opening up this week. There's no time like the present to look at what our history can teach us about pivotal moments like this. On the podcast today, we chat with Chris Carlsson, the director of Shaping San Francisco and the...
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Ep. 116: When true love leaves you in stitches
Storyteller Kathleen Auterio moved to San Francisco from Massachusetts to do new things, just like in the BeeGees song. It was 2000, and everything seemed to be on track: she had an apartment, a roommate, and a job at SFWeekly doing the adult ads in the back of the paper -- a job that accepted…
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Ep. 115: Facing my Moonies childhood in San Francisco
Storyteller Teddy Hose grew up in the Unification Church of the United States, whose followers are more commonly known as the Moonies after founder Sun Myun Moon. His father came to San Francisco as an artist in the 1960s, living in the famed artist commune in the Goodman Building on Geary and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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. To submit your own story, or read more bus tales, visit MuniDiaries.com.
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Muni Diaries
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Muni Diaries have?
Muni Diaries currently has 163 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Muni Diaries about?
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. To submit your own story, or read...
How often does Muni Diaries release new episodes?
Muni Diaries publishes regularly with 163 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Muni Diaries?
You can listen to Muni Diaries on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Muni Diaries?
Muni Diaries is created and hosted by Muni Diaries.
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