Well, sort of. We get out to SFO a lot coming and going on business trips, and have had some nice surprises there over the years, like the great display of model trains they had in the International Terminal back in 2009.
We also keep seeing plugs for the F-line popping up around the airport. Here’s a current one up in Terminal One, featuring PCC No. 1078, painted in tribute to San Diego (but with the actual words “San Diego” understandably removed from the rear emblem – hey, why plug the tourism competition!). SFMTA, Muni’s parent, put it up as part of their ongoing campaign. It promotes Muni Passports for visitors. We think we see a bit of an homage there to our Historic Travel Series evoking rail transit’s glorious past (and present) in San Francisco. If so, we’re delighted.
This one, though, is a bit of a head-scratcher. We saw it in a store in the wonderfully reborn Terminal 2 (SFO’s original 1954 terminal). This wasn’t for sale in the store, but was used as a decoration. (No, the clerk didn’t know where it could be purchased; post a comment if you know.)
Clear enough what this is, though. It’s a take-off on those New York subway roll signs with Gotham decorations that get mounted as art and sell for beaucoup bucks. Well, we’ve got roll sign destinations from our streetcar and bus fleets as well. Trouble is, Muni has traditionally listed either a terminal intersection or a landmark (like Ocean Beach or Fort Mason) on its destination rolls, so some of these, like Nob Hill, Cole Valley, and Cow Hollow, don’t appear on actual Muni signs. Probably won’t matter to anyone but fans, though, and it’s a nice reminder on one’s way out of town of the pleasurable places that await on one’s return.
I’ve seen signs like that in some lifestyle (home decorating) stores. A couple were even done in that style but referred to non-transit ideas.