MUNI – 30X Marina Express

Express bus to & from Marina & Financial District. It used to be super crowded in the mining & evening commute but recently MUNI added new extended buses for this route. This seems to ease out some of the congestion.

The 30X is not a Muni bus. Well, it is but it’s not. So the 30X goes express from Marina to Financial District and only runs during certain hours. It bypasses Chinatown and the Wharf unlike the regular 30. This bus is full of rich people from the Marina that take their fancy bus directly to the Financial District (not saying I’m not one of them). This bus SMELLS different than regular Munis (the 45, 22, 30 etc) and is CLEAN and easy. It’s an exception to every Muni rule. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a homeless person, vomit, trash etc on the 30X. Highly recommend if you can swing it with your commute! NOTE– it stops picking up at 6:18 PM in Financial District… so it’s basically assuming all of us are off of work by then. Also gets very crowded!

Five stars for the recent schedule change to extend the 30x to 9:45am! The city is finally adjusting to accommodate late rising tech workers. I used to miss the bus all the time before when the last run was 9am.

You can’t be picky when it comes to public transportation, especially when it takes you directly from Marina to FiDi, bypassing Wharf and Chinatown. If you live in the Marina then the 30x is your best option to commute downtown. Otherwise, you’ll have to catch the 30 slug line.
The crowd is rather pleasant. Riders look like they’re from a J Crew catalog and everyone is polite.
However, the buses reach past its max capacity pretty quickly, skipping its last few pickups. Also, the bus begins and ends early for its outbound route. I envy you people who leave work before 4.
If you get motion sickness, be careful. The bus drivers tend to have a heavy foot.

Dear 30X Drivers, Please look at bus stops to pick riders up. DONT just act like you didn’t see anyone, bc there is riders at every stop.
Dear Muni, get an Double Length bus on the 30x line ASAP. (Just like the 41).

I got one word to say when riding this bus: Chaaarge! You have to do it otherwise you are stuck with the 30 Regular which is no good in meeting the demands of tourists, work breakers, and locals. This bus is not fast enough to meet the standards of 160x Johor Bahru– Jurong East from SBS Transit. Don’t tell me this bus is a pathetic excuse because it is a life saver especially if you get stressed easily

A clear example of not enough supply to meet the demand. Muni needs to start running more of these during peak commuter times, primarily in the morning. I frequently see full buses pass me (they are too full to stop), sometimes 4 – 5 in a row passing me in this way. I will walk in the opposite direction 6 – 7 blocks just to squeeze into a bus that hasn’t quite filled up yet.
Muni, you are ridiculous. Fix this.

Pros
1. Gets you to FIDI in 15 to 20 minutes
2. No smelly people
3. No homeless person
Cons
1. I agree with previous poster. I and my several buddies never offered seats to women on this bus because women take it for granted. Women and Men are equal per Feminists, so Women shouldn’t be just given seats, especially when they are not even appreciative. But this is why I date only foreign women, even though I live in the Marina
2. The bus needs to run more frequently. It is a struggle to get on the bus between 8am and 9am. Ridiculous.

I work out at 7 in the morning at a to-​be-​reviewed incredible fitness place in the marina. I sweat. Hard. But that has no comparison to the sweat induced on the über-​crowded 30x. Because over 70 people are packed like sardines on a bus probably designed for 50. Good thing most of us are in decent shape, otherwise the experience would be even worse.
As for the route itself, it’s the only bus line that runs frequently (that is, when the bus is actually scheduled to run – why in the world does this end at 6:14 PM from FiDi??) This is a well-​groomed crowd of elitists that never seem to acknowledge each other or show common decency. I am a male who stopped offering my seat to women of all ages as I never once get a thank you. And when I dress down to work, people look at me like I’m homeless. By the way folks, just because I don’t wear a button-​down doesn’t mean my frumpy shirt was bought at Walmart (instead bought on Chestnut). Do I have to tuck in my jeans so you know they are 7s? Yeesh.
By the way, this may be the most attractive set of women to ever to frequent a bus line in the United States, so in terms of eye candy, yeah, it’s pretty incredible.

Muni should really change the bus number from «30» to something else. Every other morning, there is one unsuspecting individual or group of individuals who get on the 30X, thinking that it’s the regular 30, or that it takes the same route as the regular 30, but faster. So they get on the bus fully expecting to go to Fisherman’s Wharf, when suddenly the bus takes a right turn at Van Ness and Chestnut. At that point, they get nervous. They ring the bell stop, thinking that they’ll just get off and walk back to Van Ness and Chestnut… but the bus doesn’t stop. It keeps going and going for another 10 minutes, through the Broadway tunnel and all the way to the financial district. The unsuspecting individual is losing their S**T but usually has enough self-​control to not cause a scene on the packed standing-​room only bus. It’s usually easy to tell who these unsuspecting individuals are. They’re the only ones on the bus who isn’t a 22 – 35 y/​o who looks like something out of a Nordstrom catalog – or trying to look like something out of a Nordstrom catalog – and isn’t hitched to their mobile device.
Oh yeah, the 30X needs to run later and more often

What can be said about a bus line that would be productive and useful? For potential riders, be prepared to wait.
I have ridden the 30x for almost two years now and can still recall the first time the 30x drove past me because it was too full. It was rainy, which is always more full than usual, and the bus was stopped at the light just before my stop. I looked desperately at the bus driver in the hopes to get acknowledgment that I was there with just a look. But he stared blankly ahead, as if I wasn’t there, as if he wasn’t there either. I knew he hadn’t taken zombie form because he was driving the hulking piece of machinery in the rain, and the crowd of people crowding around his seat towards the front of the bus seemed active and unconcerned with his mental state. Oh, the people…
The bus was crammed full. Perhaps not to the state where other people needed to shove people in to shut the doors like I’ve experienced in China, but probably more than would be deemed safe. The light turned green. The driver still hadn’t acknowledged me. As he approached and it became apparent he wasn’t going to stop i wondered if he had he even realized I was there. That’s when it happened, he glanced to his right at me and must have seen my cold wet desperation in my eyes. He slowed down, tilted his head gesturing backward and gave me a thums up indicating the same. Then sped off. He was implying there was another bus coming.Great.
I watched three buses pass me that day and started doing what I call the 30X hike. Myself and a group of fellow riders will walk stop to stop up the line with the hope that we will get on the bus before it gets too full and stops picking people up. It gets you a little walk and distracts you from being too upset from the fact that you would be at work if the first bus could have picked you up. Doing this I also know that I have on average one to two buses pass me daily, three when it’s rainy, and have had two days when five buses passed me.
The Marina will not allow the extended buses on chestnut because it would require the bus lane to add another parking spot length to the bus stops. Frankly, I’ve started driving in on days when it rains. Basically, the opposite of what the bus system is supposed to provide.
Regarding the ride itself, the people are considerate, involved with their iPhones and dressed in their work suits and work attire. It’s a decent and quick ride even if it is cramped.

The smell of booze emanating from the riders on Friday mornings can be quite intoxicating.

mr. grouchy pants bus driver… Clipper is still brand spankin’ new and we’re all trying to get used to this system. No need to snap at me and tell me «you need to learn it».
seriously?

Yeah, this bus is faster than taking the 41 Union. However, I always know that I’ll get a seat on the 41 at 6:30AM. The 30x? Not necessarily.
If you take this line in the morning during rush hour? Forget it. You’re screwed unless you get on at the very beginning of the route. I’ve had to walk back 10 blocks to get a bus because it’s passed me up so many times. When I did manage to get on a bus, I could barely get into the bus much less get a seat.
It’s a little better at night (since I get on at the beginning of the line), but if you get on later, you’re guaranteed standing room only.
Did I mention the time the guy closed the door on me when I had my arm and bag inside the door and I was outside? He claimed he didn’t see me (yes, I was boarding at the front door), but he was laughing. Hmmm…

The 30x. If you’ve ridden any other lines in the city (including the dreaded 30 line that goes through China Town), there’s plenty about the 30x to appreciate.
1) Frequency of busses (though this is also the hugest complaint — we need more!)
2) Atmosphere — if you appreciate a potpourri of fragrances over the smell of urine and BO, you’ll have no complaints.
3) Gets from Marina to FiDi relatively quick.
The perplexing part of the 30X? The high frequency of times the bus passes because it’s too full. When you do get picked up, it’s normally a sardine can (throw out any notion of personal space, and just go with it). Then there’s the folks in the back that NEVER scoot back, thus clogging up the front and the mass of people at the back door. Hey guys at the back that pretend you are oblivious: Scoot back! Thank you!
The environment is mostly 20-​somethings and 30-​somethings, professional, everything from business-​casual to dress-​casual. The ratio of single-​to-​married just about matches the city… I’d guess about 6 singles to 1 married person.
Here’s what I don’t get: What’s with the weird social sub-​culture on this bus? NO ONE TALKS TO EACH OTHER! Eye contact is minimial, except the occassional flirting that goes on, but mostly it seems there’s an avoidance for anything that resembles being social (eye contact, smiles, small talk, etc).
And call me old-​fashioned, but I’ve never seen so many women standing with multiple handbags, while 22-​year old, fit and healthy men sat. I know, I know… that is truly old-​fashioned, but is chivalry really dead?
With your public transportation options, it’s still the best ride to work.

Seriously? This bus line causes so much anxiety every morning. I stand there wondering, «Is THIS bus going to stop»? The other morning, 5 buses passed my stop because it was too «full» and it certainly didn’t matter that with each bus that passed, I would walk down to a closer stop.
WHEN and IF you do get on, you are fighting for a little standing spot and praying that your face is not shoved into someones armpit or the oblivious guy with the backpack shoved against your spine. Oh, the joys of this bus line…
In general, the drivers are great and I’m sure they have very stressful jobs. I will say that the ride to downtown is usually pretty smooth and the drivers aren’t playing a game of «see how many people I can get to stumble around on the bus».
They do need to increase the number of buses during peak hours or think about adding an extension because this is a very busy bus line especially since they discontinued the 10 Townsend. Oh, trust me, I’ve complained to Muni directly and received one of those, «thanks, we’re looking into making your commute a more pleasant one» message. Talk is cheap … let’s see if they actually do something about it especially since fares continue to rise.

If I were a MUNI bus, I would want to be a 30X MUNI bus. I get to spend all my time in the glamorous Marina and the dapper FiDi, and I get to bypass Chinatown unlike my unfortunate cousin, the Regular 30. Nobody tags my windows. The people that ride me are pretty and they smell nice. No one pees on my seats or vomits on my floor. And from time to time my driver plays jazz music through my speakers.
So why the missing star? The line needs to start running earlier and also run later. Last one leaves the FiDi at 6:18!!! Who the hell gets off work by 6? Oh yeah, most people not me…

The 30X is no ordinary bus… Not at all. The 30X is more of a sociological experiment that attempts to answer the question, «What would happen if we crammed hundreds of young, well-​dressed, well-​groomed, testosterone-​fueled, eager professionals onto a crowded bus for 20 minutes twice a day?»
The second you walk on the bus you notice everyone’s checking everyone else out. Guys are trying to make eye contact with girls; girls are trying to position themselves directly in the sight of guys; and the married folks are wondering why they’re on this bus in the first place.
To make it seem less obvious you’re looking to meet someone, everyone on the bus comes equipped with one of two things: an iPhone/​iPod, or the latest gossip magazine. In fact, they won’t let you on the bus unless you have one of these items with you. And to those people who have the iPod going while simultaneously reading US Weekly… you’re not fooling anybody.
The bus drivers — who, for the most part, appear as enthused for their jobs as the circus clean-​up guy following the elephant performance — play their roles perfectly in cramming every inch of the 30X with Banana Republic-​clad 20-​somethings.
And they’ll cram everyone in the entire Marina onto the bus until they get to your stop. Then they’ll pass you due to a full load. And as the bus passes you while you stand there pathetically on the sidewalk, hundreds of starry-​eyed passengers look you up and down just as you’re about to voice the first syllable of your favorite curse word.
The ride home to the Marina in the late afternoon isn’t quite as entertaining as the ride to the work. I’m guessing this is because the three grande non-​fat, vanilla soy lattes that each 30X-​er consumed that day had rendered the rider spent and dysfunctional on the way back. Either that or your iPod battery gave out…
But the 30(se)X isn’t all that bad — it’s a great way to get downtown quickly, its pretty cheap, and most importantly… it’s a feast for the eyes. Just be sure to bring you messenger bag, iPhone, and your pick-​up lines…

I was meeting a friend for dinner and dreaded taking the milk run of a bus along Van Ness Avenue. THEN taking another bus down Union or Chestnut. I try
and learn of this bus. All I had to do was take BART to Embarcadero, and hop on at Market and Main. From there, it’s just a few stop before the bus turns onto Sansome, then to Broadway. Bypassing Chinatown. Next stop … Chestnut and Van Ness. Total time, about 15 minutes!
Yes, you will see a lot of Marinaites, who somehow still look freshly pressed at 5:00. I am certainly the most under dressed person on the bus, but too many people are reading the Financial Times, (no doubt they were too busy CrackBerry-​ing during the day), and also using said CrackBerry, and using their iPod, or checking out the other passengers.
It’s a great way to get from the office to the hipster Marina Gastopubs. The Marina doesn’t DO «bars» … they do GASTROPUBS. Whatever. Don’t think I’ll ride much, unless I’m meeting a friend. But I just might FIND a reason to get out there.

Damn you MUNI. I hate you like touching a hidden metal car seat belt buckle in the middle of July.
Go ahead and redesign the new buses SMALLER. Good job in taking a step BACK in making the aisle more ‘intimate’. I love dirty dancing with strangers. That and identifying what they had for lunch. Yum. «Ma’am, was that roast beef?»
Love how you listened to the Employee Suggestion Box. Have you seen their new driver seat? It’s like Captain Kirk was up in here. I mean, who was your consultant? La-​Z Boy???
I do love the new vaulted ceilings, however. Especially when I take my 8 foot girlfriend around. She really appreciates it. In fact, the entire bus appreciates it because only she can reach the sliding windows that are conveniently located up near the STRATOSPHERE.
And the new exit releases. Ah, how technically advanced are we here. Make the exit more confusing. I like how you’ve added another 5 minutes to my commute in training new passengers how to ‘touch the door’. Hey, the ones before worked for many years. There was no need to change. THERE WAS NO NEED!
Look, bottom line. Stop the redesign and use the budget to MAKE MORE BUSES period. If the shoe ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just make more shoes.