Since the day I could clamber up the steep gum-stained metal steps, I’ve been an avid Muni rider. I depended on these sometimes unreliable, sometimes filthy, often crowded municipal transit machines as my only means of transportation. Whether I was tagging along with my mother shopping or on my way to school, I can confidently say that throughout my life I’ve spent more time bussing than studying, especially if you count the hours wasted waiting for a bus.

Ever dreamed of driving Bruce Willis’ flying taxi in The Fifth Element or Will Smith’s hovering Audi iRobot? What about the day you don’t have to spend two weeks’ worth of allowance to pay for gas?

Athletes may be the most superstitious people around. Competition at the professional level is so intense that athletes turn to magical hopes to feel that they have an edge. Outside observers may not understand the psychological comfort funky superstitions provide athletes. Wearing your opponents’ clothes for pajamas, or waiting for the rusty statue of a restaurant chain mascot to appear from the muck of a river are just outright weird. But if Aubrey Huff’s lucky red thong brings the World Series trophy to San Francisco, or if octopus-tossing takes the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals, by all means, let the strutting and sea-creature-flinging continue.