»In which I slag on MUNI

The time: 1745 today
The place: Market St., the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, Civic Center, et c., et c.
The quotation: "I just got on the bus. I had to wait forever."

Why does this quotation sound so out of place for rush-hour in the bustling nerve center, brain, and shopping heart of a metropolis? How come bus-riders and I waited a quarter hour for any of five lines that should have stopped along Market St. during the height of rush hour? The mind boggles, but then again, it does'n't. MUNI, which faces ongoing management and fiscal problems, degrades daily: the quality of service, the ontime record, but worst of all, the public perception. MUNI, an agency that cannot effectively collect fares critical to its revenue, has already increased fares twice in the past three years; at the same time, it cannot meet its reduced service levels. This means more people waiting longer for fuller buses.