How I Amuse Myself On (and Off) Public Transit

[ase]

I have invented a new game I call BEAT THE BUS. If you've ever dealt with Muni you know the rest. For those poor souls unfamiliar with San Francisco public transit, game goes thus:

PIECES
Two (2) bus stops, preferably with muni alerts. Alternatively, NextMuni texting and/or a dataphone may be substituted for the alerts.

GAME PLAY
The player arrives at the stop and checks the muni alert. House rules sometimes indicate a ritual utterance at this point. Player proceeds to target bus stop on foot. If player arrives at target stop before the bus, player wins. If bus intercepts player, player pays $2 or flashes monthly pass to win. If bus passes player, player loses.

While I recognize this may not be to everyone's taste, I think this is the best game ever under the following conditions: bus stops up to two miles apart, it's not raining, I have a backpack for the inevitable tons of bulky grocery or other items, and I'm wearing good walking shoes. Also, I totally won tonight by 5 minutes. Endorphins for the win.

Comments

[azurelunatic]

This is hilarious.

[onyxlynx]

I do that all the time, although usually without the alerts; sometimes I win. Mostly I am the illustration of Solnick's Law (inverse relation of departure of [mode of public transit] and arrival of [passenger]).

Here from bayarea comm

[pseudo_tsuga]

XDDD

[ashcomp]

I *think* I understand that post, but "muni alert" and "NextMuni text" are just guesses.

So quickly they go native.

[ase]

Muni = bus. NextMuni is the electronic / SMS alert system.

How's MD? How are you doing?

[ashcomp]

MD is pretty much OK. The Feb. snow was actually pretty hard on the grounds, here. One of the trees right next to the house on the east side (right side as you look out to the road) came down--fortunately in the least harmful direction. It fell back toward the garage, damaging the dogwood and holly trees that are under it. This was not the large annoyance closesest to the garage that I *wish* would come down. . .we're on a wait list for a tree company. They might make it by the end of this month. That snow brought down a *lot* of trees.

Snow also broke the spine (ridgepole?) of the rusty old shed that lives behind the garage. Guess there's a new shed in our future.

[ase]

Guess there's a new shed in our future.

Record-breaking snow as suburban renewal? I'm glad to hear none of the trees or branches fell on the house, or the garage.