Pretty strange ..this bus is at civic center goes on Polk and back to civic center ...runs often from civic center ..so many bus lines ..that's good ..model of bus transportation city with sunny days read more

Two reviewers brought up a very good point which I agree with. This route isn't as scary as I'd assume it to be. Also, it isn't super crowded compared to the 30, 47 and 49. If you are headed to Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Main Library or Asian Art Museum, then the 19 Polk is here. One other point I highly agree with: This bus starts clearing once it reaches Market St and Larkin St. Other than that, this route isn't even that bad. This route has stops just 1-3 blocks from San Francisco General Hospital. If you work at SFGH or you're there for any reason, the 19 is here for you. 19 Polk to Navy Yard read more

I take this bus to and from McAllister to Polk everyday. Some crackheads, they don't bite. Bring a mask, sometimes it smells.

Bus #19 has been skipping me almost everyday at Evans & cesar Chavez. Only a few times have they actually stopped to pick me up. Every morning I try to catch this bus. It is a 50/50 chance that it will actually stop & let me on. I have put in multiple complaints to muni and I'm still getting the same result. If you have to catch bus #19 going towards downtown I suggest you have a plan B just in case the driver doesn't feel like stopping that day. read more

This is the bus I take to go home after testing for Sfgov off of Connecticut. The neighbor there doesn't have very many buses and is right next to the projects. This is also when all the crazy people get on board all the way to market street. Then the bus turns off the Polk where things improve. read more

MUNI - 19 Polk - Cesar Chavez and Connecticut - Public Transportation Near Me

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While I don't ride it a lot, This bus comes in useful. I ride it from the Fishermans Wharf area over to Civic Area, This saves me a walk up and down steep hills. This bus gives interesting people watching both on the bus and out the window. Really on a tired day busses are a nice way to see parts of the city, and decide where you want to come back and enjoy. Ok maybe not the 19 most of the views aren't that attractive, Riding it saves me going through it and gets me to where I want to be faster. Tip catching it in the Fishermans Wharf area practically guaranties a seat as that is the start of the line. read more

19 Ohhh I LOVE the 19. Anything can happen. If i am bored I'll buy a tall can and take a ride on the 19. I have seen and heard some of the funniest stuff in my life, my favorite is still: "Man in the bus to the woman going on the wheelchair ramp: Hurry up already, we don't have fucking all day Woman mumbles and laugh Man: C'MON.... Once the ramp stops the driver shouts out "feet up". The man's feet are still not up, the woman drives over his feet, the man yells: I JUST FUCKING GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, YOU ARE PUTTING ME BACK IN THERE ASSHOLE!!! The woman mumbles. The man screams again: you need a fucking designated driver for that thing. The woman mumbles.... And so on....." I was sitting in between and it was funny. I also find it interested that the police stopped the bus 1AM and arrested a woman that always has an excuse for not buying a ticket......two days later the same thing happens again. MAN I LOVE THE 19! read more

Once upon a time, I rode this bus everyday. I witnessed many interesting people in my daily travels. However, I never saw a homeless guy jack-off and bust a nut on someone's forehead. I'm sure it has happened, I just haven't been lucky enough to witness it. It would be great, as long as it wasn't my forehead! http://youtube.com/watch?v=bI55ie5Eo7E However, I have seen my share of tranny whores on this line. Hysterical and educational. A lot of them don't have front teeth. Could be a byproduct of crank, or it could be a helpful tool for work. Or both. read more

Yeah, 2 stars, 19 Polk. And you're lucky you get that. The ONLY redeeming thing about this bus is that it drops me off right in front of my school. Well, the one other thing is that it's never overly crowded. And thank God, because at least 1/2 the people who ride (or probably live on) this bus haven't bathed in weeks, or have just used the back row as their personal toilet. yeah, it always smells bad. I make a point not to breathe through my nose when riding it. I wonder how often they hose down the 19 Polk. It NEEDs to be done hourly. I bet they do it monthly though. The bestest part is that I sometimes take this bus from Polk and Sutter down to McAllister. It's awesome waiting for 15-20 minutes in the loin with cracked out trannies running about. I love how safe I feel. Oh, and if you see me on this bus and you smell like urine (or worse), please don't try to strike up a conversation with me. I'm just not into it. Thanks. read more

Dear 19, We've been together for six months and I feel it's time for a breakup. It's very hard for me to know where to send this letter because sometimes it's quite hard to find you. There have been so many times when you've said you would be there and then just weren't....... And, of course, those times where I was there on the side of De Haro, waving you down and you decided you just *couldn't* pick me up at that moment. I guess the burden of me was just too much to bear. I know. I'm short. I wouldn't see me either. So, thanks 19. In between all the times you've abandoned me, you've done OK. As I'm leaving permanently tomorrow to establish relationships with other bus routes I just wanted to let you know its been real, you capricious elusive beast you. read more

Riding this bus is like a tour of historic scum and sleaze, spanning the last 150 years, along Larkin and Polk. In San Francisco's long history, you can see evidence of wear and hard use and along this line. I love it. read more

Believe it or not, it took me six-and-a-half years to ride the 19-Polk. No, I wasn't afraid (I used to ride the 9 three days a week), but I really had no use for this bus. Moreover, it generally angered me because it often got my hopes up when I was waiting for the 21 right in front of The Orpheum. OK, so I know that the 19 is a regular old bus and the 21 is electric, so it's easy to tell them apart, even from a distance, but it also seems kind of ridiculous that the 19 runs as often as it does while the 21 seems to just disappear after 7:30. Anyway, I rode the 19 last week out of desperation because I thought I had dropped my debit card on the street, and I didn't have enough cash to take a cab. Do I really have to set up this story? I guess I do. Picture it: It was raining, and while trying to balance my umbrella, I pulled my Muni pass out of my wallet and dropped it in a puddle. Oh, I should tell you that this was at the corner of Hayes & Divis, and I was on my way to a doctor's appointment. After fishing my Fast Pass out of the puddle, I boarded the bus and tried to figure out a way to separate the pass from everything else so that it wouldn't be ruined. An hour-and-a-half and a doctor's appointment later (Vitamin D-deficiency, who knew?), I was at a post office in Nob Hill when I realized that I didn't have my debit card. I don't ever not have my debit card. A little bit worried, I noticed that my wallet seemed much lighter than usual. I went through my cards, and although two of my credit cards were there, I didn't remember whether all four should have been in my wallet. I was frantic at this point, so I went outside and realized that I wouldn't be able to hail a cab because I didn't have enough cash. And I couldn't get cash without my debit card, which was either lying in a puddle on a sidewalk on Hayes Street or being used by someone to buy something expensive. This is a debit card, mind you, and I'm not fully employed at the moment, so it was a big deal. I walked in the general direction of home and decided to catch a bus on Van Ness and then the 5 at McAllister. But as I passed Polk Street, I noticed that the NextMuni sign said 3 minutes, so I sat down and waited. I ended up waiting for about seven minutes, but I was glad when the bus did arrive. The bus was jam packed, and even in my scared-that-my-rent-check-would-bounce mood, I was able to notice and appreciate the wonderful service this line performs. I saw junior-high kids teasing one another, grandmas with their pink thank-you bags, homeless people, and even a guy in a suit trying to close a deal. OK, so that guy may have just been lost, but I really never thought about how important it was to have a direct bus line running from Fisherman's Wharf to Hunters Point. When I finally did get home, my debit card wasn't in the puddle. The last place I had used the card was Herbivore. Expecting the worst, I walked in and asked Leah whether she had seen my card in the lost and found. She said she hadn't and proceeded to pull out a card from the cash register that--wasn't mine. She apologized and looked through each of the cash slots, and there was my debit card, between a fifty and a hundred. So I didn't really need to take you, 19-Polk, but I'm kind of glad I did. read more

Spare yourself the next theater ticket and take the 19 bus instead - way cheaper and much more fun and entertainment. The other day, I was sitting next to a gal in her 30s-40s who claimed to be the daughter of The Undertaker (of WWF fame) while her grandfather was the devil and her brother Hades, lord of the underworld. Yeah, right. Another day, a potentially Jewish guy felt treated wrongfully by the black bus driver who dared not to open the doors anywhere but at a bus stop. So the potentially Jewish guy - by his own claims - dropped the N-bomb a few times before he exited at the next regular stop. Going north towards Aquatic Park, however, the ride is nicer and much more mellow. The only caveat: sometimes it seems as if the bus you need never comes while the one on the other side of the street passes by at least two, three times before disappearing in a time-space rift. For those cases, bring time and reading material. Also, the bus can be a bit dirty, sunflower seed shells all over and such. read more

I live in Sacramento but my family and I love to visit SF especially to get Victor's Pizza on Polk. Unfortunately for Victor's it is on the 19 line and we have used that bus in the past. Last time we rode it we decided never again. My poor 13 year old daughter got her butt grabbed, there were loud raunchy young black girls using profanity, stenches from farting and someone eating their Panda Express on the bus. It also took forever to get from Market to Victor's, it felt like an eternity. We felt like we needed to be hosed down a la Silkwood after riding that bus. read more

Oh the 19 Polk, how we have had some good times. there was the time someone pulled a knife, and we all were held hostage for an hour. And then there was that time we were going up Rhode Island street and someone smacked their head open on a metal pole, we all waited for the ambulance to show up. There have been late nights waiting in the TL outside of KFC, and early mornings waiting in protero hill. The 19 is never on time, but it sure gets you where you are going HELLA fast. They must have magic bus juice in there, because I have no idea how I made it across town in under 20 minutes during rush hours, but cheers to the 19 polk. read more

Maybe if I wanted to arrive to work or come home smelling like someone's BO, I might give the 19 Polk another shot. I've given it too many chances, far too many to count. It's time to finally give up on this line and just walk it. Each time is one disaster after another. Sometimes it runs once in 30-40 minutes, longer than it takes to walk. Sometimes sketchy riders take their frustration out on me and randomly yell at me. But most often I get the pleasure of riding in a crowded bus, standing up against some funky smelling boozed up fella. It gets hard trying to hold my breath during the entire ride. With the option to be confined to a bus that smells like a moving toilet or walk through streets actually filled with piss and human feces, I'd rather be walking in the streets. The reason it gets an extra star is from my one good experience on this bus. One night during a ride past the police station and towards the Civic Center, some kids in the back had 3 boomboxes playing Blackstreet's "Never Gonna Let You Go". Like a music video from 1994, the whole crowded bus busted out singing along with the chorus. It was a surreal moment and moments like those are the only redeeming factor to this bus line. read more

I like the 19 but it is totally unreliable first thing in the morning. When I come home at night it is totally packed. Once as I was about to sit down this guy grabbed me, pulled me out the way and sat down saying I had to be faster. I like the 19, but the 19 does not like me... read more

The 19 runs directly past my street, and stops next to my school. And yet I walk. Even in the rain, even when I'm late, even though I have a muni pass. Basically, I'll take the 19 if I happen to be walking past the bus stop when one happens to come by. Why? There are scary, crazy people on the bus. Not the friendly sort of crazy, but the type that follow you off the bus, grab at your bag, and scream what sound like accusations at you in some alien slang-sounding psuedo english. And there's this smell, a mixture of old urine, gin, and wet dog. So yeah. Not a fan of the 19. read more

Dudes. This one time, I was on the 19 in the Loin and the bus rear ended a tour bus. The ensuing sequence of events: Jaded City Dwellers: *blinking* *sighs of disgust* *gathering of packages and disembarking from bus* Katie: *sees nice pregnant lady trying to get into her car, which is now pinned in at the curb by the behemoth 19 bus* "OMG are you OK?!" Nice Pregnant Lady: "Oh, I'm fine, I was just getting some Lee's Sandwiches, then the bus... wha...?" Katie: "Yeah, it crashed... well, if you're OK, then..." *sidles through narrow corridor between bus and parked cars to sidewalk* *DISTRACTEDLY RUNS SMACK DAB INTO CRACKED OUT 98 POUND TRANNY IN BLOND GLAMOUR WIG MOST LIKELY CULLED FROM DUMPSTER* 4 stars for the stories, Miss 19 Polk! read more

Why are there two separate review groups for the 19? hmh What I really want to know is how is it the people who ride this line don't realize they are not the only people on it, or should I say, on a bus; a public bus with public service, catering to the public more than one at a time. Each person on this bus was basically clueless that they were in some way making moving through the bus a basic impossibility. How, when people are literally stepping on you, over you, pushing you out of the way, swearing at you, calling you names and elbowing you, do you not feel the call, the NEED to get into a place where this treatment stops? I would take this as a cue to GET OUT OF THE WAY. Today the bus was full of women with strollers and no kids, girls with giant totes on the floor, suitcases, backpacks and the feet of those who were sitting. There was no room to walk in the aisle. And let us not forget the dude with the speakers for his ipod playing rap so loud you could understand the words and rap along. As we boarded the bus it was a battle to get to the back of the bus where of course, there was plenty of room and some seats. From this seat (center back) I was able to watch the melee that was boarding and trying to get past the various 'roadblocks' of strollers, various luggage and feet. People were literally having to climb over each other to get anywhere including out of the bus, as there was the usual blockage that stops at the back doors. My next question is why doesn't this line have a regular schedule? It's busy down that way. read more

I used to live on Polk Street, between Greenwich and Filbert, on Russian Hill and I could tell you some funny stories about the 19 line. Most of them involving some drunkard after a night of revelry on many of the fine establishments littered along Polk or some random chatty crazy person that just decides to hop on for the warmth. First off, the damn 19 is the one of the most unreliable, infrequent routes on the whole system. The chart on the bus shelter would say every 15-20 minutes and 30 minutes later, I would still be waiting! Yet, Roland does make a good point, the entertainment value alone makes it worth the trip, at least once. It goes through the Tendernob (if that is even a word) and some of the characters that you'll see, hear and smell will just make you shake your head in amazement. In fact, one day I saw a girl on girl smack down on this line right in front of my apartment. I was looking out of my bay windows that faced Polk because there was a huge commotion and I saw two girls going at it and a group of riders trying to break it up. Oh and the driver was in the melee, as well! See, you don't even have to ride to enjoy the free show!!! read more

I have yet to encounter any "exceptional" crazies on this bus ride, though I am relatively new to it. Granted there are more smelly types, more mumblers, and for no reason at all nonstop laughers. But eh, I get my fair share of those on the 47 or 49 down Van Ness. I ride the 19 from Polk down to Brannan and 8th. If you're going down Polk towards Market, not bad at all. It's the coming back part I hate. Up 7th is when you get riders that are scary. Everytime I get on the bus smells of weed and other gross unidentifiable odors. It's crowded and damp feeling, and just icky. You pray if you sit down no one who sits next to you smells. When you finally get home, you feel like you need a good soak in antibacterial soap. read more

Possibly the most diverse bus I ride on a regular basis. I usually take it to the Civic Center library and back, so here's the crowd I have to deal with on my way home, everytime. SOMA crackheads: They're already on, or they get on at the library stop. And they usually don't ride any further north than Geary. Tenderloin crackheads: Get on anywhere between McAllister & Geary, but don't go any further north than California. Nob/Russian Hill norms: I fit into that category. There's usually about 4 or 5 of us left once the bus crosses California. On occasion you'll find a tourist on their way to the Wharf, but you can usually find them on one of the Van Ness lines. read more

I always wondered exactly which half-way house the 19 passed by on the way towards Potrero Hill, 'cause the riders who would hop off.. just a few blocks south of Market........... simply priceless. Yeah. "Timeliness" wasn't a strong point for the 19.. but it was the bus that would get me from my apartment to the BOTH or Parkside. very useful. read more

WOW. The best thing about not going to school at Hastings anymore is that I can avoid the 19 completely. Quite possibly the most foul, depressing bus in the city. Don't get me wrong, the occasional poorly-made up drag queen or raving lunatic can keep things interesting... (that's the only reason I'm not giving it one star) but that doesn't make up for the asphyxiating stench that often fills the bus. People make fun of Michael Jackson for wearing that creepy silk face-mask thing in public... but I'm not one to judge. For all we know, he had an unfortunate run-in with the 19 and never quite recovered. read more

public transit by its very nature tries to give everyone something to complain about. that being said, the #19 is probably your average MUNI line- it's my main access to downtown from potrero hill + it comes when it wants to, so i often have to leave one or two buses earlier for cushion time in order to get to work on time. i have no problems w/the 19 if i don't have to be anywhere by a certain time. i like seeing the same young couple w/their baby; i like the kids who dominate the back + sing along with their phones; i like watching passengers fold up seats to make room for ppl in wheelchairs when they get on, usually once we get to mission + 7th. i'm so used to getting cussed out at work that it's nice to see strangers helping strangers without being asked. human decency is not completely extinct. read more

Bus Route #19 that goes down Polk Street, and Larkin Street is relatively good in the middle of the day. In the afternoons there are plenty of seats to be filled, and the bus moves through smoothely with no traffic. However, in the mornings and late afternoons when people are going to and from work, the busses are crowded, you can smell some sort of funky odor in the back, some of the drivers are surly, and traffic is congested and you're stuck in a crowded bus with your hands in your pockets to make sure you're not being pickpocketed. Yes, it goes through the Tenderloin, and though it seems like bad stereotyping, I sometimes I have to watch the hands that do go in my pants. read more

I take Muni all over San Francisco and the #19 is the most inconsistent and irregular Muni line there is. Calling 311 doesn't make a difference because many times they are completely wrong about the schedule and next bus information. So I either keep my fingers crossed and hope the bus shows up or walk up De Haro. 20 floors straight up! read more

I like the 19 . It's only two blocks away from my house . I used to take it to school and back from school everyday when I was in high school . I like it because it's less crowded than the 47 , 49 , and 30 . I would recommend taking this bus if you needed to go to City Hall , the Asian Art Museum , or the Main Library . It takes you practically right in front of all those places . read more

Entertainment value is clearly 5 stars..... I have been riding this bus for almost 8 months and this bus has never failed. From the 'baby daddy/momma drama' to on-bus fight over some "ho", it has been quiet a six-month adventure. Do you think it is coincidence that the bus starts at the projects and goes right by the jail and courthouses? Also, the fact the one of the stops is within block of SFGH only adds to the excitement value. I would recommend getting an IPod to avoid listening to all the conversations. read more

Maybe it's because I've spent time in Detroit, but the 19 Polk doesn't bother me all that much. Yes, it is by far one of the most "lively" within Muni, but as of yet, I haven't witnessed anything massively nasty. (emphasis on yet...) Now there was the occasion when an aggressive older "gentlemen" reminded me not to stand in the stairwell, even though the bus was beyond crowded and he didn't move to make room for me. When I snapped back at him (real smart I know) I got reminded for the next 4 blocks to "don't get no attitude, today is NOT that day". over and over and over again. lordy be. Without the lovely 19 Polk in my life, I wouldn't get the joy of experiencing, with my morning cup of coffee, the cornucopia of "dudes in a dress", that SF has to offer. By this I mean an untucked, snaggle toothed, hairy legged "lady". By all means dress how you feel comfortable, but Damn! You are one ugly woman! I love the 19 Polk, not only do I get to work late, but I've learned everything I'll ever need to know about posting bail, just in case! p.s. it smells like pee...a lot read more

This is the line most conveniently located to my pad, but yes, it is the ghettoist of um all. I have been followed off this bus before by a scary drunk man. The drivers on this line do have exceptional attitude - but really I can't blame them. read more

This bus lines is a fairly good bus line. I take this bus from Evans & Phelps to downtown aft I get off of work. This has it's negatives positives. The positives is that it gets me to the downtown with out any problems and it stoops off in the downtown near the Civic Center BART station. The negatives are is the bus goes past the Potrero Hill apartments that are on the top of Potrero Hill. The people that get on from there are not always the friendliest of people and when the bust stop at the De Haro & 17th street bus stop during the week and school year. My kids get on the bus. Many of those kids have a dirty mouth and yes bad words and sometimes the N word while riding the bus. read more

The 19 Polk is a great line to catch if you live in Russian Hill/Nob Hill/Polk Gulch as it runs on Polk across Mission and down 8th. So, if you want to go to the SF Design Center, Expo, Bed Bath Beyond, Trader Joes, Nordstrom Rack, this is the bus to catch. It runs a bit more slowly than the other lines - I waited 8 minutes for it today (Saturday at 2pm). But, it got me to 8th and Brannan, so it was convenient. The usual smelly/homeless contingent, but it was tolerable. read more

The 19 is one of the most INTERESTING bus lines I've been on in SF. You've got crackheads, ghetto dudes talking loudly at the back, girls who won't get off their cell phones and some people who seem as though they've seen better days. There's often a bad case of BO, too. It's kind of depressing, actually, and more than a little frustrating, especially when the bus is crowded and full of people who think it's absolutely OK to broadcast their personal information to a bus full of people who honestly don't give a rip. It is just so obnoxious. The only reason why I take this bus is to go from the library to the 2-Clement stop without walking through the TL. read more

The #19 Polk makes me want to cry. After taking it daily for almost one year, from Potrero, I have decided that I will not be riding on it. Ever again. All the reviews and stories are true. The people and situations change, but the drama and depression are constant. It's a downer and should be avoided. Walk. Take a cab. Drive a Hummer or bum rides from strangers. Don't ride this bus. I hate the # 19 Polk. read more

From Polk/Sutter for a quick breakfast to practically the doorstep of Trader Joe's in soma in about 10min - the 19 made my morning.

i love the 19. i take it almost everyday and it is endlessly amusing when a family of tourists coming from the wharf ends up next to a really friendly, unshowered tenderloin man offering his warmest wishes for their visit. it's not postcard, but it's kinda cool. read more

BEWARE. Many here are trying to be funny and amusing instead of warning people. I have seen 2 women get mugged on this bus, one was sucker punched in the face and busted a lip and lost a tooth. read more

seems to run very irregularly e.g. 44 minute wait for the next one! and this happens all the time - you'd think Muni would come up with a solution, but sad to say this bus doesn't go through neighborhoods that supervisors live in... read more