From San Francisco: "MUNI driver gives the gift of patience," by Shoshannah (via Muni Diaries)

I am lucky to live close enough to my job downtown where I can walk to work most days. But yesterday, the Monday before Christmas, I had early morning appointment in Laurel Village. When I was boarding the 2-Clement, an elderly man with a cane was slowly making his way to the bus—it was obvious he wanted to get on the bus, too. (Read more here.)

From Albuquerque! "Retired Driver Charlie Maes Continues 41 Year Christmas Eve Tradition of Jokes, Facts and Carols." (City of Albuquerque > Transit > News)

Although he retired in 2000 after 27 years as a bus driver, Charlie Maes still loves to come to the Albuquerque Convention Center every Christmas Eve and jump on two of the Luminaria Tours.  And he continues a tradition that has made him famous among tour goers for his jokes, patter and Christmas carol singing. (Read more here.)

From a description of Seoul, South Korea, “the world’s most wired city,” by Lauren Collins

Passengers watched live television, via DMB [Digital Multimedia Broadcasting, a digital transmission technology developed in South Korea], and read comic books, the best of which were now available exclusively through the Internet search providers who commissioned them. Trains arrived every ninety seconds, announced by piped-in birdsong. On the platforms were kiosks with forty-six-inch touchscreens. They showed movie trailers, monitored exchange rates, dispensed coupons, and made restaurant recommendations, Nearby, a resident could order groceries from a virtual supermarket by scanning QR codes [Quick Response Codes, a matrix barcode] that corresponded to the desired items, which would be delivered to his house in a matter of hours. A commuter who needed to connect to a bus could check the availability -- not on a bus schedule but on a digital map that charted buses in real time. Even though millions of people rode buses, you hardly ever saw crowds waiting at a bus stop.

Lauren Collins, from her article “The Love App: Romance in the world’s most wired city,” The New Yorker, November 25, 2013, p. 88.

From San Francisco: "Bus Report #780," by Rachel

Early, early in the morning, and cold.
As I trudged up my street I saw my 38 Geary approaching and knew I'd miss it, ah well, there would be another one along soon.
But wait! The driver slowed down and pulled in to my stop, caught my eye from across the street and smiled.

(Read more here.)

Desert Bus For Hope 2013

This year’s Desert Bus For Hope event ran for 6 days and 11 hours and raised $523,500.00! You can read how this “most successful charity gaming marathon in the world” works, and how it has grown over the last 7 years, right here. The Desert Bus was featured in the Christmas 2010 Bus Story # 215.  

From San Francisco: "Honor SF Muni Bus Driver 833," by designtherevolution

Today I had one of the coolest experiences I have ever had riding Muni. The driver kept everyone informed of all delays. “we have one car ahead of us… their doors are closing. We’ll be moving in 5 to 10 seconds” he said, and he was right. (Read more here.)