Apparently the new Muni director has issued a crack down order on fare collections. I boarded a Muni 49 bus at Van Ness and Market tonight by the back door (with current pass in hand) because the front line was really long. The driver immediately started laying on a patriarchal authority figure routine, so I decided to go up and show him my pass. Even when I showed him the pass he demanded that I leave the bus and reboard in the front announcing "Nope. New policy. 'Zero Tolerance' for people boarding in the back!" To which I replied that I had zero tolerance for Muni's idiotic rules, and I refused to reboard, instead going to the back of the bus and sitting down to talk to my mother on the phone. The driver then shut the bus down, holding both it and the 49 behind it (held at the other light) paralyzed for at least 10 minutes; afterwhich I saw another bus that would get me to where I needed to go, left his bus and boarded the new one. Guys. We -must- organize a transit riders' union immediately to put a stop to this nonsense before it gets totally out of control -and- the fare goes up to $2 or even more. When is the next Transportation WG meeting? peace Eric