Thread by @that_mc

Finally watching Shang-Chi, here as a bus operator to rate the SFT transit factors of The Bus Scene:

SFT (San Francisco Transit?) is using a New Flyer D60 articulated 60 foot motor coach for the 1 California.

But the bus is headed south on Noe at 21st St, they are seriously off route!

I like these brushed steel and green cushion seats, they look nicer and harder to clean than muni's

That's a real ad for the jazz and blues festical you can find in muni buses

As a bus operator, this is the moment I pop my parking brake and open the doors.

This would Definitely Happen

Energy sword arm man cuts through the floor of the articulating section. Also wears sensible boots for working on a bus!

This cuts through an air hose under the bus!

Our bus operator, played by Michael-Anthony Taylor, discovers his service brake isn't working. He's mashing on the treadle (pedal) and not stopping. That's terrible! And he's wearing earphones. That's terrible. He definitely could be charged with an avoidable incident by SFT.

He should be reaching for the Parking and Emergency Brake on his left control panel:

Cap number 8964 would be a part time operator at muni, but SFT might have a different scheme?

Now we are heading west on California at Mason St, and this is a serious hill. There could very well be cable cars in the way. Not to mention this has been a 40 minute bus ride from 21st and Noe, minimum.

Quick digression on how Air Brakes work. Energy sword arm man cut the brake lines, which would let all the air out of the system. When this happens, a backup, mechanical brake called the Spring Brake activates.

The spring brake held open by air pressure. If there is no pressure, the brake is applied, and the wheels will not turn. Air brakes have a warning, that is audible as a very loud, continuous buzzer, whenever the air pressure drops below a certain threshold.

A bus operator will stop the bus when this low air pressure warning goes off, because if the air brakes keep loosing pressure, the spring brakes WILL activate, and the bus is going to stop very very suddenly.

Bus operators don't want to stop very hard because that's how you get Falls On Board.

When bus operators want to know what's going on inside our passenger area, we look in the mirror up top, not over our shoulder

This helps us keep our attention on steering the bus, to avoid cars that will definitely make illegal left turns in front of us all day every day. Powell and California.

OUCH

Operator wasn't even wearing his seat belt! Workmans Comp not going to cover this. Also: Fall on Board.

This is top quality bus driving. Also get the line "Every time I try to drive a bus I get yelled at" which a) lol and b) that's just being a bus operator. We get yelled at whenever we try to drive a bus too.

I'm going to take this part by part. First of all, I want to get into the operators seat this easily just once in my entire life.

This space isn't empty, there's a big compartment with computers and electronics in there.

Operators lunch!

Seat Belt, should have been fastened!

This is the parking and emergency brake. This is what the operator should have pulled way back when Shang-chi threw the first punch. If you are ever in a situation where you are unexpectedly in a run away bus and need to stop it, this yellow handle is the thing to grab.

Some operators really do sit with the seat all the way down and the wheel up and forward, but I find this very uncomfortable, like driving with your chin. When a bus operator takes over a bus, they immediately start by adjusting the seat to their preference.

Shang-Chi knows how to check on the passengers!

Every bus has a fire extinguisher, and we check every day before we pull out of the yard. It is intended for exactly these situations.

Every bus operator cheers when the scooters get mashed to shreds.

I think this is more or less how an articulated section would react. I don't actually operate articulated motor coaches, so IDK

This is Stockton at Bush, on top of the Stockton Street Tunnel.

I have no idea if this is what's down there.

The rear view mirrors are bus operators best friends. We cannot safely turn the bus if they aren't adjusted properly. I would take a moment to check and make sure they are how I like them after this.

This is how everyone asks to be let into the bus when we aren't at a stop. Too real.

I'm impressed that she knew how to operate the door lever. When the doors are open, an interlock activates that prevents the bus from moving. This would also have been an option to try for an out of control bus. Also, that's where you keep your coffee canteen, true facts.

DON'T LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER WHILE DRIVING! The hazards are ahead of you. Aim High in Steering, everyone.

Now we are heading into the Stockton Street tunnel. This is MC Escher's Hill, apparently.

I Laughed. So. Hard. at the stop request gag. Saw it coming from miles away OMG. On Muni, someone would absolutely have used this within 20 seconds of the start of the fight.

We are finally coming to a stop at Larkin and North Point. Quite a ways to warp from Union Square IMO.

This is the look I give passengers when I stopped too far from the curb. Good bus stops are hard. I hope you enjoyed my thread as much as I enjoyed this scene.

Unfortunately I think this guy isn't going to keep his job as a bus operator, though. I'm glad he's ok, that was a nasty knock he took. Let's hope he lands on his feet. Maybe he'll drive charters?

I need to add a coda to this thread. First of all, amazing to see it get so much attention. I did not expect this. I guess this is where I make a soundcloud plug?

But really I just want you to support public transport by riding the bus more and driving a personal car less. Support policies that fund public transport, and support policies that prioritize people over parking spots.

And thank your operator when you get off the bus. Every "Thank you" makes our day on the road a little better. I'm still a rookie operator, new to the job, but it make a difference to me.

Also mad props to all the talented people involved in bringing this scene to the screen: @SimuLiu and @awkwafina and Michael-Anthony Taylor and @big9nasty (energy sword arm man, or razorfist, I learned)

Brad Allan and Andy Cheng, choreographers for the scene, and the stunt performers, and the stunt driver (Kial Butler, Andrea Berchtold, and Cameron Ambridge have stunt driver credits in the film)

And also the special effects teams that put in I am sure untold hours to bring this scene to life. Huge congratulations and thanks to those who brought us this entertainment.

And THANK YOU each and every one for riding Muni.