San Francisco's Public Transportation Ridding in a Bubble
Hello Everyone, here at SF District 3, North Beach, Russian Hill, Embarcadero, San Francisco we find many people's stories about many things and many pretend that some of the stuff happening here is just the imagination of some.
Therefore, we can all go have fun in the games, in the restaurants, in the night clubs enjoying a good glass of beer or wine and then go back home, sit back on our couches, turn to our TV sets and flip through the stations to watch the "News" looking forward to end our night just laughing about many things.
Not Ms. Bell, (This is not her real name but the name we decided to give her). Well, flipping through the TV channels, for some reason, I can never find anything that it is as close as this, said Ms. Bell, our San Francisco resident living in the City, in a street routed by our public transportation for 31 Years.
"For 15 Years, SFMTA Muni, our San Francisco Public Transportation have been riding in an unconstitutional environmental bubble, ignoring every space surrounding and beyond their buses. They drive these buses pretending that buildings and houses do not exist around them. Yet, you do not hear or see many people talking about it." But not Ms. Bell, long time resident of San Francisco, she does remember lots of stuff from the neighborhood.
Today, we are interviewing an old timer San Francisco resident that remembers when our Public Transportation used to take people from and to their desired destination with respect, class and style. In the past, our area used not only be beautiful in pictures, the buses used to slide through Union Street, said a resident and bus rider; (She ask us to not publish her name); and we would never hear them beeping, whistling or shooting air compression noises from inside of our homes, said Ms. Bell. We would never hear their motor engine. When the drivers stepped on the brakes at the intersection, it used not screech or blow any air compression noises. We used to not hear anything. The bus used to come and go peacefully. - ...And when was that Ms. Bell? Not too long ago, I think it was after 2000 that the City of San Francisco acquired these new electric buses, and then she whispered, "Monsters Machines", and then she reaffirm that quietly, "noisy monsters."
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Then I asked: -What about an environmental review plan. Did people complain about these buses invading their living spaces with noise? San Francisco is a very acoustic town; especially because of the hills; sound travels everywhere and with more intensity here. She gave me this long look at me and said; In the summer, I can hear the sea lions screaming all the way from Pier 39. Yes, I agreed, North Beach is a very acoustic area surrounded by 3 Hills. They ignored all that, she said.
Yes, some people complained but they all mumbled and cover up the complaints.
I asked her: - Did you know at least what these noises are for? I am not sure because they all cover up and did not tell us why they have to virtually and acoustically ride with that bus inside our homes, but I found out from other sources of information that, apparently they have these noises because the ADA and some other group lobbied and ordered all this for the blind. Then, San Francisco City Hall covered their eyes and shut down their ears toward all health and acoustic environmental reviews and voted ok. I heard these noises is for the blind! For the blind? I said! Yes, she said. Then she continued, - How many blind individuals do you think we have in town? Do you think everyone riding on that bus are blind? She asks me with an inquisitive expression on her face! - I said, no, I do not think so! We have so many alternative technologies, don't you think they could find something that does not violate other people's rights? Even the blind that I respect could protest about these things. I think people with disabilities could take a more proactive role on health and environmental issues. People these days are a lot different from those that fought in the Civil Rights Movement in the past. It seems that they all forgot about their rights and what are the limits of things in life and worse, they are easily manipulated by the media, she said. Now, people that lobbied City Hall and the Federal Government are giving more power to machines than to humans. Accidents continue to happen, obviously because this is not the way. They keep playing with these false warning noises like is a play toy. You never know when you are going to get hit and harassed by their system. These are all post- Reagan Administration generation and from the public to the government, they are all uneducated about noise.
We talked for more than two and a half hours around the subject and I was very surprised to know how much she knew about our transportation dirt works in the city. She ends up our conversation by saying; They all tap themselves in the back and recently I just saw this public relations campaign to make Muni look like they are the greatest transportation in the world. All lies, she said, all lies! It is a corruption --worse, it is an unconstitutional legalized corruption right under everyone's' nose and very few people are willing to do anything about it.
There you have, we do believe that to be the truth of what is really happening in our District 3 because we have proof on film and despite many others willingness to cover this up, we will not!
SF District 3 was created to help and support our neighbors towards their quality of life issues.
You can contact us on Facebook at; https://www.facebook.com/sfrdistrict3/
If you would like to see more videos on the subject, you can find some here;
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc29JvtWQaO6J5y16zL0pAAPTMMfwjtR8
Ideas and suggestions how to make a public transportation that serves the public but do not violate their rights are welcome!