Street Car

After Alcatraz there was one more thing we had on the must do list in San Francisco and that was a ride on one of the cable street cars.

Queueing in line we were entertained 9 (using the word loosely) by a guy with a guitar and amp. Hopefully Bob Dylan wasn't anywhere around to hear what what being done to some of his classics.

The street car was quite a contraption with the driver standing in the aisle operating a huge lever that looked like a hand brake and an over-sized pedal in the floor. He was also keen on the hand rung bell on the roof - at every junction and especially if there was some other traffic in the way he yanked the rope furiously making a noise like an old time fire engine. As well as the seated passengers inside the car others were sitting on the edges or standing outside holding on hand rails as the car rattled up and down the hills. Quite a way to travel!

At the terminus the cars were rotated by two guys on a turntable and for some reason they don't allow solicitors.....