Muni Writes “Doctors Notes” to Excuse Riders' Lateness

It's a little-known service offered by Muni. On those days that the transit agency makes you late to work, school, or an appointment (otherwise known as "everyday"), you can request a "doctor's note" to excuse your lateness.

All you have to do it walk up to a station agent and request one of the slips of paper. Riders who knew about the trick posted one example of a hand-written note online. "Sorry for your inconvenience," reads the half-cursive apology from station agent 7828. That's more contrition than most riders get in a year.

There was no shortage of delays on Monday and Tuesday, with repeated slowdowns bringing Market Street to a crawl. Muni blamed mechanical problems and difficulty with overhead wires as trains backup up along Embarcadero, according to the Appeal.

For what it's worth, the delays were cleared up in time for the evening commute, according to officials. There were no reported delays in bike lanes, which raises the question: why exactly are you paying for that monthly Muni pass?

Service may get even worse before it gets better. Drivers have filed suit against the City to prevent it from bargaining away their cushy work rules. If there's an impasse during labor negotiations, an independent mediator will decide the outcome, and will be required to consider the impact on customers.

That's not fair, the drivers' union says. Since when has customer service mattered to Muni?

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us