The Best Bus Line in America. Period. Fight Me! This gets you back and forth down Geary from Sutro Heights Park to Salesforce Park. This is a world class transit corridor. read more

MUNI - 38R Geary Rapid - The Western Jumping Off Point - Public Transportation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very stuffy yesterday (Sunday) morning and packed at 10:00. Hard to breathe. Many open windows didn't help. Outside was very comfortable. Only inside was bad. Yikes! read more

I loathe SF public transit, more specifically anything MUNI. But when I'm forced to bite the bullet, I find myself more often than not on the 38L Geary bus. Whether I'm hanging out downtown, relaxing in the Richmond, or frolicking in the Tenderloin / City Center, this bus is the one to take. Plus, it's way faster than the regular 38 Geary. When traffic is flowing, its only feels like minutes before this bus hits the downtown area from its starting point. Not all buses are created equal. I can name far too many buses that have their share of frequent shady characters, shoddy bus routes, and infrequent times. Thankfully for the 38L, these things aren't ever really an issue. There is one issue. Because everyone loves the 38L, it tends to be one of the more crowded buses. Getting a seat is near impossible during rush hour and many of the stops are stacked with eager commuters. Listen to the automated Spanish and Cantonese prompts while holding onto the rail straps for dear life. Ignore the delinquent teens and give your seat up to the elderly Chinese woman. She probably rides the bus way more than you do. read more

If taking 38 Geary bus is my only option and 38AX is not running, 38L is great (but does not run on Sundays)! Same kind of crowd as the regular 38 (some business professionals, students, tourist, San Franciscans, vagrants, and kids) and some of the buses (more on the regular 38) smells funny (urine mix with sweat and dirt). 38L runs pretty frequently on schedule so waiting for it is not a problem. I really like that it doesn't stop at all the 38 bus stops, so the trip downtown to and from Outer Richmond does not take forever. read more

For passengers who want to get between Downtown and Richmond District faster, the 38L is here for you. It is much faster than the 38 local since it makes fewer stops providing the quickest service possible. It is easier to get a seat on this route which is always a good thing. Overall, very good experience with this bus route. Why? The 38L makes limited stops providing efficient service between Downtown and Richmond District. read more

My first car! Not. Well maybe, I'd wanted to be a bus driver when I was younger. The Limited gets me to downtown in a reasonable amount of time from the outer richmond and luckily I live by the terminal. What sucks that the line still does not run on Sundays. What's up with that?! Minus one. I do commend MUNI for extending service into the evening. I HATE having to step on a regular 38 and knowing that it's going to take an hour to get home. What a waste of time. I liked the older buses though. The ones that run right now squeak like crazy and the upkeep is just terrible. Exposed toxic lights, MISSING lights, GRAFFITI, useless cameras, stinky rear seats, stuck windows, and the list goes on. Gone are the "friendly" reminders from the automated announcements. It's basically all the same 2 or so reminders to hold on, reserved seats, and yeah... read more

MUNI - 38R Geary Rapid - Public Transportation Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very crowded bus line - we NEED more Fare/ticket Inspectors(Police)!! So many people (they know who they are) board the line WITHOUT Paying! Or even pretending to pay, then have the nerve to take a seat on a full bus. Or even more crazy -- claim she can't stand so asks people to give up a seat for her (A freeloader). More Police. We saw the Muni inspectors board a 38 and arrest/fine 5 people! All got huge tickets! Love it. The second time these thieves get caught -- the fine should Double! The Automatic announcements on the bus should say -- IT's ILLEGAL to not pay for a ride! (not the stupid - it's time "'to pay your fare share". Such a stupid Muni marketing campaign. It's ILLEGAL not to pay. All these Freeloaders hurt ALL of us. And cause all of regular payers to pay more! More MUNI Police and arrest these people and keep them overnight in Jail! That'll stop these thieves. read more

When I'm feeling a little disconnected from the city I call home, it's nice to know that I can get on the 38L heading downtown at 8:30 in the morning and regain that contact with San Francisco. That close, personal, intimate contact. With all of you. It's like a citywide group hug that takes you to work. C'mon, closer, don't be shy. We're all San Franciscans here. read more

I'm so torn. On the one hand, it gets Boy and I to work fast, which is terribly important for those mornings when we're at each other's throats but work in the same building and are thus forced to commute the 15 minutes downtown together. On the other hand, I feel like I am contracting strange illnesses, being targeted for assault, and getting touched inappropriately the whole way to work (believe me- these are not the sort of people you want to be felt up by). With it's strange mishmash of agro pre-cofee fidi drones, folks who have just gotten the boot from the local shelters, and psych patients from the VA (god bless them), this is one bizarre bunch. And smelly, too. It's like mobile group therapy except no one's been taking their meds and thus has nothing useful to offer. Seriously, the ride back home (inbound) in the evening is fine if you catch the tenement on wheels as far down Market as I do but the morning ride (unless you get on before 8 a.m.) is a claustrophobic nightmare. And smelly, too. At least it gets me where I'm going fast. read more

Why, vicious Asian lady, must you elbow me? When there's a line to get on the bus there's no reason to scurry by so quickly, full of aggression and anxiety, like we are playing a violent game of football. We are all going to get onto the vehicle, no need to worry! Why also, must you step on my feet and ram your 15 bags into me, squashing my body into my unfortunate neighbor, just to be sure you'll get off 2 stops later? I am getting off there too! I feel feelings about your behavior. read more

Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris? Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior. I hate and I love. Why do I do it, perchance you might ask? I don't know, but I feel it happening to me and I'm burning up. -Catullus, Carmina LXXXV I do it because sometimes this can be the fastest ride in the city, potentially covering 5 miles in 30 minutes (which for Muni is damn near light speed). I do it because it can shave 10-15 minutes off of the Local. I do it because the drivers fly down Geary Boulevard, bouncing along the avenues, brakes hissing as the bus quickly stops, engine roaring as it jumps back into traffic. It is a mad beast, and it is carrying you home... It is a bus you can love. It is a bus you can hate. During rush hour, people pile on. The bus struggles to crest the wicked peaks of this hilly city, stops take a minute or more. Locals will pass you, their comparatively comfortable commuters seemingly laughing at your misfortune. People will bump into you. You will smell something indescribably foul: body odor mixed with urine combined with someone who clearly had garlic for lunch (aah...the smell of Muni!). You will burn up, through frustration, and because on a bus that can carry over 120 people, on a bus corridor that carries the most people in the city (53,000 per day) nobody thought to open a goddamned window. It is a bus, which, like unrequited love, can remind you that life is pain. Odi et amo. read more

Gets me downtown faster than any other bus in richmond. BUT DAMN, how crowded can a bus really get?!?!?! If you're taking this bus from downtown out to richmond, you KNOW it stays crowded until like.. 25th ave.. One time a homeless man who smelled like poop sat next to me and I got so scared that I ran through everyone on the bus all the way to the front. Ugh. -__- read more

The 38R is still four stars all the way around. I don't know that I actually expected anything substantive to change along with the name and number-letter designation, but then I hadn't ridden the 38 or the 38L/38R regularly in a while either. People seem to board more quickly than they used to, even from the front door. Getting from Geary & Divis to O'Farrell & Powell is a breeze. If you ever need to get downtown fast, it's worth it to wait up to an extra seven minutes for an R. read more

After moving to Sn Francisco this line is a savor and a nightmare all in one. First let's start with the savior part. When I'm running late in the morning and missed the 1, 1 BX, 2, & 4. I know that I can hall ass over to Geary for the 38 L to get downtown. Now for the nightmare, I'm not so great in tight spaces and OMG do they cram in on this line. I just paid to have my clothing dry cleaned and not I feel hot crushed and wrinkled! And why is it that I'm always next to the hippy that feels that bathing is a bad thing?, come on dude! I try to close my eyes and think of wide open spaces and fields of flowers. I'm brought back to reality! The person on the other side of me has bad breath,and happens to be a heavy breather. I struggle to try to open the window and its stuck, almost falling on the small woman that is sitting in front of me as the driver seams to weave i and out of traffic, I apologies and she isn't having any of that. When I get down town I look haggard, and feel shaken and abused after trying to fight my way to the door before the driver takes off again, driving like Mario Andretti between stops. So from now on I catch a cab and suck up the $20.00 to get to work. And it's worth every penny! read more

I don't have to take the 38L too often, but on the occasions I have done so I have enjoyed every minute. Not only because it gets you lickity-split deep into the Avenues, but largely because of the way in which it does so. Mr Toad's Wild Ride is the best way to put it. You can stand at the back and watch the whole length of the bendy-bus bouncing *dangerously* as she picks up speed. Or you can stand right in the middle, where the bus bends and gyrates the most, riding the plate like some X-gamer (bring wrap-around shades for extra effect). Or you can stand at the front and watch with glee and a certain amount of trepidation as the terrified cars, bikers, and wide-eyed pedestrians scurry out of the way. For, once she gets rolling, the 38L neither stops nor yields for no one. (I am not even sure she could if she wanted to!) Wherever you stand - hold on tight - it's and adventure that makes getting there a lot of fun! And all for just $1.50. read more

Oh, sweet sweet 38 MUNI line. What would I ever do without you? Your random scary people late at night, smug businessmen in the morning & confused tourists at all hours. Who would have ever thought you could fit 10,000 people on a single bus at 8am, 2pm, or even 2am. At least your seats aren't lonely, due to a lack of asses. You are never on time, sometimes 3 of you show up at once & yet you still remind me everyday that I should be careful with my personal items. Here's to you ol' lazy 38, my closest friend & worst enemy. read more

Dear 38L, Just once I would like to get a seat on my ride to work in the morning. Oh and not get stuck next to a balding man with bad breath. Sincerely, Stephanie read more

In a past life, I had some nerd molecules in my DNA. There was this video game where I raised funny birds to mount & ride all across the globe. Almost, because only certain colors or breeds of the bird could access certain terrains. The best fastest anywhere-est one was called the Gold Chocobo. Well this is the Gold Chocobus. read more

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Dear Dirty Eight - You have your problems. You can be late. You can be hot. You can be smelly. And you can be packed full of people. But, you do get me where I'm going especially compared to the regular 38. And for that you get 3 well deserved stars. Keep on passing up those stops that we don't really need to stop at and get me home as soon as you can. Just try and keep the creepiness to a minimum. Thank you - An Everyday Rider read more

Don't settle for the plain ol' 38! Nooooooo!!!! Make sure the 38 you're catching is no less than a 38L!! You see, the regular 38 stops, like, every five feet, but the 38L only stops every ten feet or so. Sweeeeeet!! Think of the 38L as business class and the 38 as coach. The only reason I'm taking a star away from the 38L is because it smelled like sour milk this morning. read more

The 38-Geary line is one of the most used lines in the City. Rumor has it that it might have the highest ridership in California. I wouldn't be surpised. The 38-Geary comes pretty frequently throughout the day. I personally pick it up at 6th and Geary and ride it Downtown to Powell. The Limited gets me downtown in 25 minutes, give or take. This line is almost always packed. The bus can and will skip unrequested stops because it is simply at capacity. But it is almost always worth waiting for the Limited, as it skips almost every other stop. One can easily bypass two 38 buses en route while on the Limited. Since the 38-Geary is one of the most popular lines in SF, there is never a shortage of people to watch on this bus. Of course, you'll have to dig your head out of the adjacent man's armpit in order to look around. Geary runs through several unique neighborhoods- Tenderloin, Japantown, The Fillmore, USF, and the Richmond. To say that this is a colorful bus line would be an understatement. Even in the bus drivers. My personal favorite? The black driver who tells the riders to "Hold on, but not to each other. I get jealous." All in all, the bus line is packed. But Geary is an integral traffic vein to the City, so it is expected. Living close to the line is great because I can easily connect to any part of the city. And I don't mind shoving past a dozen tiny Asian and Russian ladies to do so. read more

I have witnessed the following: Older woman clipping her nails on the bus and letting the nail bits drop where they may. Man eating sunflower seeds and spitting out shells. Man hocking loogie and spitting it onto the floor. Little kid picking nose and grabbing hand rail thing. Bus is jerky as hell and always crowded. Tip Do Not attempt to enter the bus at the Trader Joe's stop with all your groceries from the hours of 4 til 7. It's a bloody nightmare! I will continue to ride this bus daily until I pony up and buy a car which will be soon. read more

You got to be quick when you are in a need to take this bus. Took a star off for low availability. Other than that it is fast and not as noisy as the regular lines. Most of the time Muni does try its best to not get any passengers or people who are getting off work angry and this bus is a fine example of it. TBH I had no idea how I ended up on this bus in the first place after work. I probably took it to see its good quality. read more

Buses are unique. In order to properly express my thoughts and feelings regarding buses, I must do it through poorly written parodies of popular classic songs. Here is my ode to the one and only 38L, to the tune of "Happiness is a Warm Gun." Note: if these kind of reviews annoy the crap out of you, I suggest you go now... She's not a bus that misses much Move so I can make my next stop, oh yeah... She's well-acquainted with the yank of the cord from a dude Who's just trying to make it to work on time The man in the back spitting sunflower seeds On the well-worn seats Skipping 3rd then Stanyan then some other street Then past Masonic Eyeing the chick as she makes a beeline To the single chair I need a seat 'cause I'm going down Down to the floor because the bus won't slow down I need a seat 'cause I'm going down... Homeless dude is on the bus... Multi-pierced chick is on the bus... Hot cooking student's on the bus... Worker drone is on the bus... Happiness is a free seat (the 38) Happiness is free seat (the 38) When I get, get on that bus And I flash my pass at the surly driver I know I better hold the fuck on Because Happiness is a freed seat (the 38...ad nauseum) read more

Well, well, well. It looks like all of the car sharing, shuttle van, and high-tech private shuttle services have forced MUNI's hand and caused them to take a giant leap forward in their transit offerings, after year upon year of stagnating and insisting that SFMTA didn't have any money to support improvements. Especially notable is the increased frequency of the eastbound 38 or 38L during morning rush, and the westbound 38L during evening rush hours. Much improved, much appreciated. MUNI's still got a ways to go before it's on a New York/Boston/Chicago/Philadelphia/D.C. service level. One huge and perplexing peeve: what's with the new buses and their uber-narrow aisles? Sure, the new vehicles are sparkly and shiny, but the standing room has been reduced by a large percentage. FEWER people fit into these buses. Bear in mind that the Geary Street corridor is the most-traveled transit route on the west coast. In light of that fact, do these narrow-aisle buses make sense?? read more

It's a love-hate relationship. You love it because it only makes a third of the stops the regular line makes. You love it because on a good day, you can shave a whole 5 minutes off your travel time. But, alas, you hate it because it's still a 38 bus, albeit a faster one. You still have to live with the: weird smells, homeless people, lack of personal space, fecal matter, weird people, fat people. fat people who doesn't know about personal space, crazy bus drivers, germs, the fact that this is still a clown car. Like seriously, if you ever want to see this in action, wait at the Van Ness and Geary/O'farrell stops at the rear entrance, and you'll know what I'm talking about. The moment those 2 gold archways open, step aside, because the sardines come flowing out and it doesn't ever stop. read more

Working in union square, all the bus lines I take get super packed! This past Mon, I had to get to van ness and pacific after work, so I decided to take the 38l to van ness and then take another bus up to pacific. Being a double bus, the 38l holds more people than a regular bus so to me it doesn't feel like it gets as crowded as other normal bus lines. Plus a lot of people get on and off along Geary so there's always a rotation of people. For $2 I can put up with that! read more

Better than taking the 38 from the Montgomery BART to the VA Medical Center near Ocean Beach. Bus drivers are really nice and let you transfer even if your ticket was for an hour earlier. Not too bad a drive, either; it was very fast. read more

Did I mention I like it when the sassy bus driver calls out her passengers, then threatens to fight them? That is awesome! 38L thanks for the memories read more

It's difficult to find anything positive to say about the MUNI. But when it comes to those long-distance lines, the 38L lands somewhere in the middle. The 1 is a lot more pleasant, but less frequent. The 5 can be just as crowded, but a lot less reliable. read more

I am a recent transplant to SF. Loving it and I live in The Richmond. Since I am on 20th Ave, I get to partake in the 38, 38L, and 38AX. I have ridden on the first two, never had to use the AX, but then again, I am a freelance writer who works from home, so no need for that one. I find the bus somewhat OK, yeah, there might be more than one person on the bus that you feel you hafta watch just a wee bit, but it adds to the entertainment (it's a long trek from The Richmond to downtown SF). Last time I rode public transportation, it was in Switzerland... The 38s ain't Switzerland, but there were ticket dodgers, crack addicts, and crazy people on the trams and buses for Zurich too, (albeit no graffiti on a tram, Swiss are crazy about cleaning stuff), but the 38s bring back the fun I used to have in my stomping grounds of Zurich. We have a car, but I cannot think of a good reason to dodge traffic to go downtown and pay a buttload to park my car. BTW, in the middle of the day, the bus is not too crowded, you often get a seat (have gone at rush hour and that is not the case). So as a closing note, I lived in the Austin metro for 15 years, lemme tell ya you don't ride Cap Metro unless you absolutely hafta. I never did because it was scary, it would drop you off about a mile from your destination (walking that far in 100 degree heat ain't good not to mention it might be a scary part of town), and it was/is not so reliable...not to mention... don't get me start on the new useless lightrail... read more

I dream of a world where the 38L is the regular line(screw the regular 38 that stops every block, unnecessary) and it runs every 5 minutes, and all day, everyday... where there is a REAL 38L bus that makes even less stops... Then I wake up on the 38L... with an elderly woman's head resting on my shoulder (cute and acceptable, because she is clean) about 100 other people all getting to second base with their neighbor unintentionally. read more

Alone, there is nothing wrong with this bus route. Being an optimist, lets start out with 5 stars for relative ease at getting across town for work everyday. Factor in the bus driver with scary 5" neon colored fingernails and matching personality, the pre-pubescent girls in the back shrieking enough obscenities to make the vietnam vet next to her blush, the short grannies who claw, elbow and kick their way past you, and "The Fondler" (no more description really necessary); and I subtract 4 stars. Add back one star for the old dude who sits in the back of the bus and smokes a joint in full view of everyone else riding. If riding the 38 (in any permutation) is a lesson in appreciating the absurd; consider me schooled and consider *that* my graduation party. read more

Saturday afternoon, a double 38R pulls up to the curb not thirty seconds after I joined the small crown queuing up at Geary and Powell. I board at the back and quickly find a sideways seat. The passengers are pleasantly arranged; everyone who wants a seat has one, and yet there are plenty of empties for extra arm-room and personal space. The perfect weather doesn't hurt either. Cascading rays of sunshine and a light breeze filter through the window behind me. It takes me a block or two before I realize that there is instrumental salsa music softly playing, and that it's emanating from one of my fellow passenger's little portable stereo. This will probably be my fondest MUNI memory. But for the record, the other times I've ended up on the 38 haven't been half bad either. read more

Ahh....the Good Ole 38L! If only you ran 24 hours, 7 days a week, you'd be a 5 star bus! It's frequent, it's quick, and it gets me where I need to go! This is pretty much the best Muni has to offer... Besides the fact it runs thru the TL and I've gotta deal with crackheads talking to me....WHAT IS IT ABOUT ME THAT MAKES THE CRAZIES ALWAYS WANNA TALK TO ME?!?!?! But I digress... This is my main busline....and it definitely does the job! YAY for the 38L! read more

Kudos for frequency. That's the best feature. Kudos for this being the 1st bus that my friend rode on. (She never took public transportation before that.) Kudos for being so crowed so my friend can see what I suffer for not having a car in Los Angeles! (Yes! Los Angeles do have public transportation. It even have 5 train routes with more coming!) Kudos for the bus driver that knows where the Best Buy was. (my friend forgot her damn memory card, chip whatever it's called) Boo for being too crowded! Replace it with a train line already! read more

38L, oh how I have a love/hate relationship with you! Your great because: - I board one block from home before anyone gets on. Yes this is awesome, I get a great seat. - You take me to the exact stop I need to go to most of the time. - You get me home pretty fast. I love passing the 38, knowing I'll be home sooner. You suck because: - There are some crazy ass people on this bus. ESPECIALLY when you are in the Tenderloin. - Believe it or not, the elderly Asian people are really mean and pushy. I almost gone run down by a 60 year old woman with her suitcase this morning! Although I have mixed feelings about you, you are WAY BETTER than the regular 38. It would take me light years to get home during rush hour. read more

So, I get on at the first stop at the Transbay terminal and I always get a seat. By stop number three, I can barely breath, it is so crowded. What can I say, the bus is efficient and cheap, but they should run more often to reduce some of the congestion. Clearly, they could, as the bus often drives by stops because it is so full. I suggest getting on early, as standing on a bus for 30 minutes with forty strangers surrounding you isn't what I call enjoyable or even comfortable. I give it a two only because it takes me to see my friends in the Richmond district. read more

38L, you are so much pleasanter than your sibling, the 38. You come more frequently, and make fewer pointless stops. You get me on time to where I need to go, and aren't packed to the brim with crackheads when I board in the Richmond. You make my life so much easier, even though you're packed like sardines when I board you from Van Ness or Divisadero. If only you weren't so crowded, then you'd get five stars. I will kind of miss taking you all the time. read more

Muni can't print a schedule and stick to it so the fact that you may have to wait an hour or more for a bus to turn up is nothing unusual and this bus only runs during peak times. It always seemed stupid to me to have these buses stop running when they do because this would be a Godsend if you're late for work. Every time I've had to take this bus for a trip of more than three or four stops invariably someone will freak out that we "missed a stop" - it's almost as annoying as the people who can't figure out how to open the doors even though there are signs in several languages that feature instructions... read more