My City By The Bay

The San Francisco cable cars are one of the top sightseeing attractions for tourists.  They’re fun and unique and a great way to see various neighborhoods.  As a native I think I can count on one hand the times I have taken a ride on the cable car.  In fact I was down at Pier 39 the other day when a tourist asked me how much it cost to ride the cable cars.  I couldn’t even answer her.  It’s been so long I had no idea.

There are three different lines with the most popular being the Powell and Hyde Street line which runs back and forth from Powell and Market Streets in the center of the downtown area to Hyde and Beach street by Aquatic Park, Hyde Street Pier and Ghirardelli Square.The cars run on cables which are located underground and they each have three different mechanisms in place to stop the cars which are so eloquently handled by the grip-men.  They are safe though can be a bit scary if you are afraid of rumbling up or down steep hills.  During the summer months the cars are packed like a sardine cans with many travelers hanging off the sides of the cars holding on for dear life.  The cars do not have regular stops so if you want a ride you simply wave to the grip-men and the car stops - if there is room.

The above picture I snapped a couple of months ago while coming home from the wharf.  I also want to get down there again to get some video for you.   Here is the url to the website which gives you detailed information on fares, routes, history etc…  http://www.sfcablecar.com