Cable Car Confessions: The Lonely Hearts Tale

Ding ding all aboard. "Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please show me your tickets please." These sounds are very familiar to San Francisco tourists and locals. What is the one thing that you have to do when you come and visit San Francisco? Ride the cable car. What we don't hear about are the stories from the cable car drivers. I can't imagine what they see and hear everyday. This is their job. They ride in the fog, sun, rain, and in traffic jams. Here is one of their stories.

This is a lonely hearts tale confession. I was riding on the California cable car line to work one morning. On this morning the weather was very deceiving. The sun was out, but there was a chill in the air. The cable car drivers were wearing thick coats and encouraging the women to sit inside the car so the doors could be closed for warmth.

I noticed a woman get on the cable car at the Taylor Street stop. She looked to me like she was in her late twenties. She was wearing a black, full length coat and gloves. Her shoulder length blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail which helped show off her large, black sunglasses. I noticed that she didn't smile or really show expression throughout the ride. Even when a small child of about six walked by her on the cable car she continued to stay somber.

The cable car driver had noticed this too and he tried to cheer her up. At this time the cable car was passing the Omni-Hotel San Francisco which is in the heart of the financial district. The cable car driver said to the woman "I bet I can cheer you up".

"Oh thanks." she said while pulling up the collar on her coat to her face to protect her from the chill. "I'm OK, there's no need. I just found out that my boyfriend is cheating on me so I don't feel like being cheered up."

The cable car driver said. "Your too pretty to be sad or to be cheated on!"

Then the cable car slowed down at the Montgomery stop right in front of the Omni-Hotel. Three doormen were standing in front of the hotel, dressed in full uniform. Our cable car driver yelled out to the doormen. "Hi Johnny."

"Hey you." the doorman replied

"The cable car is stopped for 2 minutes at the light. I have someone for you to meet."

Johnny, the doorman, smiled and jumped onto our cable car and shook hands with our cable car driver.

"Johnny I want to introduce to you this lovely lady who's just been cheated on. Can you imagine anyone cheating on her?"

So the doorman went over to the sad woman, kissed her on the hand, stared straight into her eyes and said "I would never cheat on you!"

Then the woman smiled from ear to ear.