San Francisco Muni Drivers Dropping Passengers Off Too Early

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - It's a practice known as "switchbacking," when a San Francisco Muni driver shortens his or her route, dumping passengers off before their desired destination.

KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:

The practice is meant to help drivers make up time, but riders who get dumped off wind up late. And, it's a practice that's on the rise.

Switchbacks, also known as short turnarounds, are happening most often on the busiest routes - the N-Judah, M-Oceanview and L-Taraval, to name a few. In fact, switchbacks nearly doubled from last year to this year on the L-Taraval, prompting riders to wonder whether they're getting shortchanged.

"They have a schedule and they're supposed to have ten trains that go out to here by twelve o'clock at night. And if they don't do the ten trains, it's like okay, do I get a refund? No," remarked one woman.

"Well you're expecting to get a ride all the way out to Ocean Beach. And if it doesn't happen then you're going to be disappointed, you know, that you didn't get to where you wanted to go," added a man.

"So you're either stranded or you're late?" asked KCBS reporter Holly Quan.

"Exactly."

"What we have been doing is only doing this when there's a car less than five minutes behind," offered Muni spokesman Paul Rose, who added that the transit agency is working with drivers to give advanced notice of short turnarounds to riders.

"Often times operators know before they start their route but there are a number of people involved in making this decision, it's not the operator's decision."

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