Title: The Muni Chronicles

By: Karly Mossberg

Descripton: My project, titled "The Muni Chronicles" is an audio tour in form of a podcast. My project will investigate the connections between Muni passengers and hopefully will coerce the listener into examining their fellow riders in a new light, as well as heightening their awareness to the happenings around themselves on public transportation.

I collected research by way of voicemail and email, posting stickers on popular bus routes (5, 38, 49, 47, 33, and 30) and creating a post on craigslist, encouraging viewers to share their Muni adventures and stories. Both the 47 (Van Ness) and 30 (Stockton) are lines that run around campus, thus I have chosen my site via this route that will visit both bus stops. From both phone calls and emails, I collected a plethora of overheard funny conversations, tragic mishaps, and generally pleasant experiences that have occurred on the Muni.

Map: http://inyourpocket.pbwiki.com/f/MAP.jpg

URL: http://inyourpocket.pbwiki.com/f/munichronicles.m4a

PDF: http://inyourpocket.pbwiki.com/f/munipdfrevised.pdf

Research Documentation: (pictures of stickers posted on bus stops to be posted as soon as they are developed)

(pictures of sticker sketches soon to be posted)

Sample e-mail:

So, I was riding over to the Haight with two friends last night. At Haight and Stanyan a dude got on with his backpack and this very large, gnarled wooden walking stick covered partly in leopard-print fabric, and took a seat right across from me. Perhaps he was just now getting home from Burning Man?
"Cool stick," I said, meaning it. You don't just see a stick like that everyday, mind you.
He looked at me suspiciously, then said cautiously and quietly, "Thank you."
I looked back to my friends to resume the conversation we were in the middle of and they both had that look of threatened laughter on their faces. Without any shred of self-control, I burst into giggles. For some reason, this was hilarious. I am *usually* very sensitive to how my actions will affect others, and how my laughter could potentially make someone feel like a heap of crap. That said, this was an uncharacteristic break from my sensitive side and I laughed uncontrollably for a moment, unable to look at either Stickman or my friends in the process. 
As if this little scene wasn't enough, at the very next stop, Haight and Cole, a guy got on and walking to the back of the bus, where all this nonsense was going on, said, "Whoa! That stick is rad, man!" As you can imagine, I, again, lost my cool. I'm surprised that Stickman didn't use his stick to bop me over the head, as I probably would have done had our roles been reversed. 
Instead, however, he turned to the stick's second admirer and explained, "This is actually a wizard's shaft." We got off at Ashbury and Waller, which was, fortunately, the next stop, because I was still laughing.....
Now, however, a whole day removed from this slightly embarrassing scene, I'm worried about the wizard's shaft's power to put a curse on me.

- 25/female/volunteer worker

Sample Voicemail:

"Overheard on the 38 just last night:
"Oh, man....It was awful! I was lying there in the dark, and I hear this 'click-clicky' all over. I switch on the light and they all go flying. Everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, in my bed with me....Oh, it was horrible.""

- 19/male/student