✨Personal news✨
I’m joining the
@genzforchange
team as the Head of Instagram and X Strategy! Really excited to elect progressive youth + call for divestment, protect our climate, protect labor, and more! Big thanks to
@EliseJoshi
and the whole team, who I love already
Here are photos of wheelchairs and walkers Mayor's Breed's teams stole from disabled homeless people in recent weeks as part of her crackdown on homeless encampments. 49% of homeless people in SF have disabilities.
It is widely documented that people with autism often have a natural affinity for trains, and BART couldn't be more thrilled to celebrate that during
#AutismAcceptanceMonth
.
See where the announcements are playing and listen to the recordings:
There's criticism over a plea deal for a driver accused of hitting and killing a 4-year-old girl and seriously injuring her father in SF last August. The driver won't face jail time after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge.
each of these driveways leads into a garage, where you are supposed to park your car. if that doesn’t work for your lifestyle, you may use your garage to hold a bike, or dedicate the earnings from selling your car to bus fares. hope this helps!
overheard on the amtrak cafe car:
*60 year old white guy walks up to asian family*
“are you from the philippines? i was stationed there during the war!”
First day of work at
@SFBART
(manifestation works!). I’ll be producing family-oriented content because public transit is for everyone, whether young or old. If your family has a special BART story, rides together, or you just wanna get grandma on the train, message me!✉️✉️
TW: grooming and sexual coercion
Last year, I was groomed and sexually coerced by a prominent Bay Area and Toronto transportation and political advocate, Ethan Mizzi. I have attached my statement, a letter to my former self, below.
.
@Metra
genuinely horrific experience riding today. bike car doors didn’t open (no announcement at all!) so my partner and my partner and i had to sprint to the next car while your conductor *shouted* at us incoherently to get on. 1/3
wow telegraph sucks rn with all these cars stalling illegally. it’s unfortunate that people aren’t taking over the street tomorrow to show how much better this could be…
newsom thinks that these vetoes will help his presidential campaign when in reality he’s destroying his relationship with just about every advocacy group in the state
@rustbeltenjoyer
Heard a fascinating stat along the lines of “due to increased travel costs associated with cars, higher utilities, and less public assistance, it is actually more expensive to live in a texas city than a California one”
@SAMUELJWEINBERG
my girlfriend kept telling me i was showing up way too early to the airport so i gave in and took my time leaving and then i missed a flight lol
once we get onto a non-bike car we are forced to leave our bikes in the accessibility area. this is obviously an issue. same conductor comes to check our tickets and scolds us for not getting on in time despite our sprint and their error, then interrupts me and walks away!! 2/3
voter turnout groups are severely missing out on making people obsessed with their voter “streak” where having a perfect voting record is bragging rights. gamify everything and gen z will do it
Learned how to ride my bike when I was little by riding to Caltrain. Would go from Hillsdale to Burlingame and get donuts at the donut shop next to Washington Park.
✌️ out gallery cars, here’s to a faster, quieter, climate-friendly future!
we were shocked, frankly. first time on METRA and they wasted no time being outstandingly horrible. unfortunately i’ve been told this is pretty normal here. sooo many things could’ve gone better here. make an announcement, have staff help, train your folks, etc 3/3
my grandpa rode
@SFBART
for the first time in decades today! i tried to push him to give some criticisms but he seriously had nothing bad to say. “it’s clean and everything” even. for a guy who will find anything to complain about, this was a massive win in my book
It’s officially March meaning I’m looking for summer work so if you don’t know me, hi! My name is Ren, I’m an urban studies and public policy student at UC Berkeley, a public transportation and housing activist, and political organizer 🧵
🚨Warning to women in SF 🚨
I love Waymo but this was scary 😣
2 men stopped in front of my car and demanded that I give my number.
It left me stuck as the car was stalled in the street.
Thankfully, it only lasted a few minutes...
Ladies please be aware of this
actually SF should be more hostile to cars, it’s a win-win because cyclists and pedestrians will get to live and drivers can keep acting like the victim
Some drivers say San Francisco is at war with cars.
They feel under siege in a city becoming less hospitable to vehicles amid efforts to make streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
watching people harass my boyfriend and try to get him kicked off his commission seat cause he put a tiny cone on an AV (not even big enough to disable it!) you are all so unserious this hurts nobody
do people realize that saying “stop making merch and run more service” is the transit equivalent of “stop eating avocado toast so you can buy a home”? lol. it’s just such vastly different costs, and believe it or not marketing helps bring in revenue, which helps run more service
hot take but i really hate this culture of “just shut up and run more trains” whenever a transit agency dares to do something like a free swag giveaway or bringing out heritage trains. getting mad at the people who are just trying to make transit fun isn’t gonna help anything
Appalled that I just had to beg Berkeley City Council, my representatives, not to legalize homeless encampment sweeps (with no mandate to offer shelter first).
I was briefly unhoused once. I don’t think I’d have survived if I wasn’t taken in by friends. These sweeps are deadly.
natalie just texted me this graphic (per rider subsidy) and oh my. transit funding exists as a way to get commuters off the road to reduce congestion for car-brained politicians. elect transit riders this november!!
.
@Amtrak
if I ask really nicely will you please run a second Starlight train? Signed, someone who needs to get from the bay to LA overnight in a few weeks
(Bonus points if you call it the Coast Daylight!)
reminder that myself and other gen z-ers were in early middle school when trump was sworn into office - extremism is for many of us all we know and we’re so accustomed to it. parents, teachers, etc. it’s your job to explain that this isn’t normal and never was.
I've been labeling where people's beliefs appear on the Overton window as of last week for my audience of 2.6 million (mostly) student followers on TikTok and it feels so right. After January 6th, it's important for young people to understand that extremism isn't normal.
thank you all for the outpouring of support. many people have indicated to me that they’ve also had inappropriate experiences with ethan. the best way you can support me is to share my letter so that other survivors may see it❤️
TW: grooming and sexual coercion
Last year, I was groomed and sexually coerced by a prominent Bay Area and Toronto transportation and political advocate, Ethan Mizzi. I have attached my statement, a letter to my former self, below.
Happy to announce I’ve been appointed to Berkeley’s Transportation & Infrastructure Commission under Councilwoman
@CeciliaforBerk
! And biggest shoutout to my predecessor
@noelanifix
. Let’s get to work!
(PS is it safe to say i’m the youngest ever T&I commissioner?)
i think we need a support group for trans kids of tech ceos. someone i love went through a similar experience and it’s heartbreaking and traumatizing. your child is not your mini me, stop treating them as an embarrassment because they don’t fit into your mold
Class of 2027…WELCOME TO UC BERKELEY! From every corner of campus, current students are celebrating with you! See you ON CAMPUS! 🐻🥳
#IAmBerkeley
#classof2027
It is not progressive to side with literal J6ers and deprive families from open space. Your car is a privilege and you are not entitled to drive it on an eroding beach that costs millions to maintain
Gross. Siding with republicans to oppose Prop K & preserve the car-dominated status quo bc it's "dividing" sf is the opposite of progressive - it's cowardice & just maintains the division
@davidjacoby
@SFMTA_Muni
if only you had a garage. also getting by with a $108 ticket after 10+ years of illegally encroaching is called lucky. thanks Muni for enforcing!
in personal news, my girlfriend and all-time favorite bus seatmate is off to school in new york city. shes taking the train there and i couldnt be prouder. go natalie!!
i found this kid on the train in toronto, says they’re interested in transit and a big fan of mine. they’re just starting out so let’s give them some love!
@sanpabloavenue
no way my hourly bus that usually has 2 riders suddenly had a full bike rack🫣 it’s 9:30 pm, i’m 2 hours from home, and i have 8 am class tomorrow. fund transit because i can’t with GGT hourly runs anymore
ac transit director chris peeples just called me out personally on a board meeting for opposing fare increases bc my school provides a pass.
i didn’t think i had to spell it out for a BOARD DIRECTOR, but what happens when i graduate in 3 years? i can’t afford the increase
@SAMUELJWEINBERG
i get you’re trying to do right here, but criticizing him only villainizes and amplifies the act (which, if your argument is “don’t amplify this guy”, you’re totally amplifying him!). + look at your replies, next to nobody agrees with you. listen to other ppl & pick your battles!
#UPDATE
Firefighters call it a "total loss". Fire destroys 179-unit affordable housing complex under construction in unincorporated Redwood City on Middlefield Road. No injuries reported. Neighboring homes saved.
MORE:
@nbcbayarea
my friend just sent me this video from
the subway in yangzhou china, a city most americans have never heard of.
he says it’s safe, clean, and reliable. no drug addicts or criminals.
in america this would be unthinkable.
what is the sickness that has infected our democracy?
I’ve worked on enough campaigns to know that you only try to drag down the opponent when you’re desperate, spiraling, and going to lose. Congrats to yes on prop k on running a positive, successful campaign that’s making your opponents freak out!
Unfortunately, today's 4pm Q&A for families at South Sunset Playground had to be cancelled. Prop K opponents showed up with a bullhorn and were harassing attendees. This isn't something we want to put families through.
Stay tuned for a future events to learn more about Prop K.
A candidate for Barbara Lee’s congressional seat is spreading homophobic lies so severe they had to be halted with a cease and desist, while supporting a guy who had no shame calling me a b*tch.
@lateefahsimon
on the other hand deserves your vote
@markmisoshnik
Thanks for the good question, Mark. What a teachable moment!
I've known Seneca Scott for years, and I can say without a doubt he's not anti-trans or anti-LGBTQ. In fact, he's a strong supporter of our community. He even started a queer hip-hop party in Oakland, funding it
amy had her first norcal public transit experience today, it was amazing seeing so many students not only using but comfortable on transit. it was safe, efficient, and the obvious option to get around campus. you love to see it!
first EMU bike experience! and oh my gosh its so easy. the near-level boarding was great, there’s ample space to sit and store bikes, and plenty of walkway room. it’s a shame the display screens aren’t designed better, lots of negative space yet text too small to read. still good
.
@rideact
this 6 bus just passed me up at dana and stranded my 85 y/o grandpa, who has a hard time walking, in the rain. the bus was early and i made eye contact with the driver before continuing driving. i’m actually convinced that ACT drivers hate passengers. fix your mess.
i’m on bart and there’s a little kid repeating back the announcements in his best announcer voice and asking his mom if he can take the “5 muni bus cause i got an A+”
grandpa and i rode
@SFBART
again, this time i convinced him to be a bit more on camera. you should watch our video to find out why he’ll be coming back
my grandpa rode
@SFBART
for the first time in decades today! i tried to push him to give some criticisms but he seriously had nothing bad to say. “it’s clean and everything” even. for a guy who will find anything to complain about, this was a massive win in my book
yesterday i was riding
@SFBART
to dt berkeley and a woman approached me at millbrae asking for directions to berk. told her to follow me and she we talked the whole ride there, she’s a freshman at cal so we bonded over school etc. was such a nice interaction, made my night
last year, state elected leaders were withholding funds vital to BART. folks who don’t ride the system threatening to kill it because they perceived it as wasting state money.
well, as it turns out, BART is actually incredibly efficient with its money
todays vigil was heartbreaking. we can’t keep losing entire families to car violence. vision zero means ZERO. not “these deaths don’t count because we said so.” it means you as a city get it together and stop making excuses for murderous design. NO MORE TEDDY BEAR MEMORIALS
I went to the vigil for the victims of Saturday’s car crash. It was somber and heartbreaking, but hundreds of people came in solidarity — a beautiful display of humanity.
SFMTA also shut down the intersection/area to cars. They should do that permanently:
glad
@Caltrain
is shifting to 30 minute (as opposed to 1 hour) service on weekends starting in the fall. this is the line for a 5 pm train from SF on a saturday (the train doesn’t even board for another ~15 minutes)