Students prepare to board a long awaited downtown-bound train in front of San Francisco State.

People love to complain - it's just human nature, I guess. Recently, San Franciscans have been voicing their displeasure with MUNI, the city's public transportation system. With all the political fuss over MUNI's state of decline, citizens have become convinced that MUNI just plain sucks. Sure, the buses never run on time. We'll all agree that there aren't enough trains running during peak commuter hours, and lately, with all of those well-publicized accidents, MUNI seems a little dangerous.

But let's be honest here. Have you ever lived in a city where the public transportation is good? MUNI is decent compared to the transportation systems in cities even larger, square-mileage-wise, than San Francisco. Here, you can at least get yourself from one side of the city to the other, even in the wee hours. Bus lines run on nearly every other block and you can ride all of them (more than once with a transfer) for only $1.

The budget cuts and the poor management were bound to have their effect sometime. Beyond voting for a "solution" this November, there's not much an average Joe can do about the way MUNI is run. All we can do is try to get to work or school on time, and to make it as easy as possible on ourselves and others.

But, while riding around the city, I've noticed a general confusion involved in the ins-and-outs of the offs-and-ons - or, more simply, MUNI etiquette. Just where do you wait on the streetcar platforms? How close are you allowed to stand next to the other riders? Can you push people who crowd in front of you? I'm convinced that all the rude things people do to each other on the city's buses create a more hostile commuting atmosphere, and hence, a seemingly longer, more problematic ride. With a few pointers, we can all learn to ride the bus like the MUNI veterans, and hopefully, with some cooperation, shave a few minutes off that commute, too.

GETTING ON

Whether waiting for the underground train (MUNI Metro, or more commonly referred to as just plain "MUNI") or one of the above-ground buses, it's a good idea to position yourself approximately where the doors will open once the train or bus arrives. On MUNI, it's usually just to the right and left of the overhead signs that indicate which train is coming next. Most buses stop right in front of the bus shelter, so standing just to the left of the bus stop post is pretty safe.

When the vehicle does arrive, PLEASE LET THE OTHER PEOPLE OFF BEFORE YOU TRY TO CROWD YOUR WAY ON! Granted, some riders are slow to realize that they are actually at their stop and will jump up and try to run off at the last minute, but please just step aside and let them off first - it saves a lot of time for everyone. For instance, one time I was trying to get on the 22 Fillmore at Haight and Fillmore when an older lady with about 30 bags of groceries realized it was her stop. As I was already on the top step, instead of just turning around, getting off and letting her by, I tried to squeeze by her, foolishly thinking that she'd make enough room for me. Instead, I ended up nudging her off balance and sort of catapulting her and her gang of groceries into the crowd of boarding passengers. Besides being chastised by my fellow MUNI riders (an ugly scene in itself), it took a while for people to pick her and her bags up and to help her along. If I had only moved for her in the fist place, we would have been on our way in no time.

QUEUING UP