Drivin’ cab

Posted on October 31, 2007 by kfarr

Taxi + Japan = Money

Today,

  • I drove 381 — a van!
  • I picked up an 80+ year old woman with an unrecognizable Slavic sort of accent. She was born in China but her family was originally from Russia. Any country I name, she’s been there. She hates the NHS with a passion and sees no value in any form of socialized medicine. Her sister was diagnosed with cancer in the UK and couldn’t get any medical aid. Her sister then jams a pair scissors in her neck. Suddenly, she gets great care! Score one for socialized medicine!
  • I learned the Indian Consulate in San Francisco is in the Inner Richmond. How weird. They also have a crappy website complete with an animated gif of their flag.
  • Seemed to be Japan Day…
  • I picked up an older Japanese man who recently suffered his 3rd stroke but seems to be doing great aside from needing a cane for stability. He was heading back home from Japan Town to 19th/Judah. He is a prolific reader — we had a great chat about shitty books and great books. He mentions Grapes of Wrath which happens to be in my bag. He gives me a $10 tip. My roommate says I should buy some grapes with the ten bucks.
  • I picked up a white middle-aged dude at the CalTrain station. He’s going across town to be an extra in a Japanese TV game show (for some reason taped in San Francisco). He stops by his apartment so he can get a change of clothes. He changes in my cab on the way to the taping.
  • I picked up a nice older Japanese lady from the Kaiser who thought she had a heart attack this morning. Turns out she was just suffering from a major case of stress. She lived through the American bombing of Tokyo during WWII. She had dreams of leaving Japan and living in the US of A from a young age (even despite the war). Got a work visa at a young age and then met a nice American guy. Now she’s living the dream in Pac Heights! Said if she ever lives in Tokyo again she’ll have a heart attack for real.
Posted in taxi, work | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News Flash: French are skinny ’cause they walk.

Posted on October 30, 2007 by kfarr

Berret? Eh?

I came across this article, dugg from the Santa Barbara Independent. The confused author claims the French are skinny because they eat slowly and are chatty during meals.

Bull! The French are skinny because they walk!

France (obviously) consists of old cities — cities designed before the advent of personal vehicles. Even Frenchies who live out in the sticks take transit into densely populated cities for work or socializing, then walk significant distances to their end destinations.

Yet again, transit trumps personal vehicles.

Link

Posted in transit | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ridiculous sums of federal capital money encourage foolish transit projects.

Posted on October 26, 2007 by kfarr

Money Grab

Inflated federal funding for the capital costs of transit projects brings about wasted spending, poor planning and poor service for transit riders in the United States.

Continue reading →

Posted in econ, politics, transit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Only in the ‘Burg

Posted on October 26, 2007 by kfarr

Miller High Life Hunting Edition Can

Think back to the last time you went hunting in the wilderness of Allegheny County, PA (population 1,281,666 and home to Pittsburgh). Crossbow in hand, you creep deeper into the coal-stripped wilderness. Your companion, Bobby, throws you a cold brew to keep your spirits high and your senses fresh.

A shot rings through the air. Fear strikes your heart as you realize the flash of silver metal on the can was mistaken by another hunter for the intense reflective pupils of a male deer. Bobby lies dead on the ground.

The solution? Miller High Life Hunting Edition cans – where responsible drinking meets safe hunting. Colored bright safety orange, these cans ensure you never fall victim to friendly fire. Available at your local Pittsburgh area beer store.

PS. Tom and I theorize that non-hunting markets see the same orange cans marketed as a “Halloween” edition case.

PPS. Large text on the case packaging clarifies these fine brews should be consumed “after the hunt.” Let that warning speak for itself:

Miller High Life Hunting Edition Case

Posted in marketing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

There’s no free parking.

Posted on October 20, 2007 by kfarr

SFMTA parking enforcement officer

This excellent article in Slate discusses the hidden costs of parking. I won’t attempt to summarize, it’s worth reading in its entirety.

Link

It got me thinking about the cost of parking in the City, especially residential parking permits. Is $60 per year a market price? Or, is the City government subsidizing the cost of owning a vehicle and providing parking at below-market rates, foregoing revenue and significantly contributing to traffic congestion.

Here’s a quick ‘napkin math’ analysis:

Continue reading →

Posted in econ, transit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I want to pay (a bit) more rent. So do you.

Posted on October 20, 2007 by kfarr

San Francisco is notorious for its extreme tenant protection laws. Of course, these laws were designed with the best interests of tenants in mind.

Rent control is one of these extreme tenant protections. The concept is simple and noble: let’s keep affordable housing for our residents, regardless of income, by keeping rent constant from move-in.

What a noble ideal! But, what if the noble goal of affordable housing isn’t achieved with rent control laws? What if these laws make more problems than solutions? I believe rent control in its current form is harmful for the City and reduces the availability of quality, affordable housing.

Here are some of the ways rent control laws directly affect you and me as City residents:

Continue reading →

Posted in econ | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Oh, 1905. I miss you.

Posted on October 17, 2007 by kfarr

1905 ride on a cable car

While we’re talking about a century past, this video is most worthy of your attention. This fabulous first-hand film was recorded just a year before the 1906 earthquake. It shows a trip all the way down Market Street to the Ferry Building.

It’s a little long and has a few video defects, but it’s well worth a gander.

Link

Posted in transit | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Moving the City forward?

Posted on October 16, 2007 by kfarr

Then and Now

  • San Francisco 1900: Average speed of public transit 8.0 mph*
  • San Francisco 2007: Average speed of public transit 8.1 mph (SF Gate)

What went wrong in the past 107 years? How has the San Francisco City and County increased average transit speeds by only 0.1 mph in a century?

The photo comparison above shows a central travel corridor in the City, Market Street. It appears to have seen very little progression aside from the addition of significant individual motor vehicle traffic. Streetcars have been replaced by trolley buses. Pedestrian crossings seem to be a bit more organized now, although jaywalking is still prevalent, especially near 5th and Market.

Of course, what’s under Market Street has changed. BART is an undisputed success. As much as the MUNI metro lines suck, they do move at a reasonable rate (along the Market Street corridor) when there are no major disruptions in service.

So, why have our surface streets suffered from a lack of planning insight in 100 years? Why are cars given a free pass to rule our City?

I don’t know. Anyone?

*Max cable car speed 8.5 mph. I subtracted 0.5 mph for dwell (passenger boarding or disembarking) time. However, I figure very little, if any, dwell time actually occurred since there was no risk of liability claims from cable car injuries back then. People simply boarded whenever they pleased, even if the vehicle was in motion. (Check out this video about 10 seconds in. People board the car even as it’s on the turntable!)

Posted in transit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Work

Posted on October 14, 2007 by kfarr

Today,

  • I drove a van. I like the vans.
  • A doorman got mad at me because I didn’t pull in the building driveway correctly. Poop on you, Mr. Grouchy Doorman. Further salt was thrown on my bleeding wound when it turned out to be a no-show. Poop on you, No-Show Customer.
  • Two girls made me take Van Ness instead of Gough from near Washington to Mission. Van Ness is like pulling your own teeth while scraping your nails on a chalkboard and listening to this song.
  • I picked up a couple from a lower Nob Hill hotel who needed to get to Pier 33 to catch a ferry to Alcatraz in a hurry. They said, “We give you permission to drive fast.” My driving scared them a bit. I love whipping down the bus/taxi lane on Post.
  • I picked up a family of 5 and also took them to the Pier 33. One of the kids did the honors of shutting the sliding door. Thanks, kid.
Posted in taxi, work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Paper vs. Reality

Posted on October 14, 2007 by kfarr

Japan / NYTimes Story

A sad but strong reminder that significant disconnects exist between seemingly excellent performance of business units on paper when compared to the real world results.

Link

Posted in econ | Tagged , , | Leave a comment