My most recent focus-group adventure had me traveling to 1199 Bush Street. Having taken the 31 and walked up a steep hill through the Tenderloin to get there, I didn't really want to repeat the trip. Plus, I had to move my car, and it was parked on Central Avenue near Oak Street. I had seen the stop for the 3-Jackson on my way up the hill, so I figured I'd give the bus ten minutes, and if it didn't arrive, I would walk to Van Ness.
The bus came almost right away, and I was surprised by how many people were on it. In my mind the 2, 3, and 4 bus lines were all kind of lame because they basically mirrored the 1-California. But during my short stay on the 3, I realized that this bus serves a vital need. About four blocks after I boarded, literally fifteen teenage ballet students boarded the bus. I work with teenagers at my job, so I was really annoyed that I would have to endure them while on the bus as well. But instead of being completely annoyed by their, like, conversations, I was fascinated by the clear social hierarchy at play. I was also saddened by all the eating disorders I saw already in full force.
I was kind of surprised and dismayed when the bus turned on Fillmore; I knew it had to reach Jackson Street at some point, but I was hoping to get to Presidio Avenue as directly as possible. Almost all of the dancers got off the bus at the same stop, and they seemed to go into the same huge house--is there a teenage ballet boarding school in San Francisco?--so the interesting part of my ride was over. Before I knew it, though, we were at Presidio Avenue, and I got off the bus.
It took forever for the 43-Masonic to come, and during this time, I saw three more 3-Jacksons pass by in the same direction I had ridden it. The 3 does serve a useful purpose, and at least in the afternoon, it runs often. Good for it! read more