SF Muni Operator Breaks Down the Shang-Chi Bus Fight, Play-by-Play

Shang Chi prepares to pull the stop request bus cord in a fight scene that takes place on an actual SF Muni bus. Credit: ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

One Muni operator’s analysis, fact-checking, and commentary on what the SF Chronicle described as the ‘second-best San Francisco car chase of all time‘ has won over the hearts of Marvel enthusiasts and public transit advocates alike.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features a martial arts fight scene filmed on a Muni bus, fictionalized as “SFT”.

Mc Allen, who goes by @that_mc on Twitter, pointed out in a viral Twitter thread that the scene takes place on a New Flyer D60 articulated 60 foot motor coach, complete with a cameo from real bus ad for a jazz and blues festival.

Anyone familiar with SF Muni would recognize the faithfulness to the silver/red color scheme and boxy logo font. But unlike its modern-day Muni counterpart, the 1-California features brushed steel and cushioned seats.

In the rest of the thread, Mc Allen delighted and educated readers with a rundown of the scene, from the perspective of a Muni operator:

This would Definitely Happen pic.twitter.com/kdQDfD081J

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

This is how everyone asks to be let into the bus when we aren't at a stop. Too real. pic.twitter.com/CxAgBy4iWn

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

Unfortunately I think this guy isn't going to keep his job as a bus operator, though. I'm glad he's ok, that was a nasty knock he took. Let's hope he lands on his feet. Maybe he'll drive charters? pic.twitter.com/eDjZebxTPM

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

Luckily for Muni riders, we’ve now also confirmed what it takes to cut through the articulating section of a bus, with a closer look at what’s underneath those rotating plates, and what happens afterward:

This cuts through an air hose under the bus! pic.twitter.com/KUQL4UPIor

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

The spring brake held open by air pressure. If there is no pressure, the brake is applied, and the wheels will not turn. Air brakes have a warning, that is audible as a very loud, continuous buzzer, whenever the air pressure drops below a certain threshold.

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

There are tidbits about standard and emergency procedure sprinkled in, with some light-hearted reprimanding of the film’s bus operator:

He should be reaching for the Parking and Emergency Brake on his left control panel: pic.twitter.com/kE7aO5Q5P1

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

When bus operators want to know what's going on inside our passenger area, we look in the mirror up top, not over our shoulder pic.twitter.com/FHAw32XIRX

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

And, plenty of praise and affirmations too:

I'm going to take this part by part. First of all, I want to get into the operators seat this easily just once in my entire life. pic.twitter.com/wGfzaW2chb

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

Every bus has a fire extinguisher, and we check every day before we pull out of the yard. It is intended for exactly these situations. pic.twitter.com/6qeLXhAkcu

— Mack, yes, That Mack (@that_mc) November 13, 2021

The thread’s virality drew additional nuggets, like the behind-the-scenes of the bus’ destructive path over parked cars (a NUMTOT‘s dream?)

This is so great, nice job! We watched this scene being filmed from our space overlooking Larkin Street, this was our video… pic.twitter.com/SsSbusDpcw

— The Cheese School 🧀 (@CheeseSchoolSF) November 17, 2021

There was also a fact-check: the 1-California travels what once was the 82-Chinatown’s route, which goes through the Stockton Street Tunnel, before it became a part of the 30-Stockton and 45-Union lines, as reported by KQED Arts. The 82-Chinatown was one of several historic lines that connected San Francisco’s Chinese communities in and outside of Chinatown.

The actual 1-California bus line of the past was once known as the 55-Sacramento line, which provided a route to travel between the Richmond District and Chinatown.

Chinatown Transportation Research and Improvement Project (TRIP) is one of several SF-based advocacy groups that emerged from the fight for Black equality civil rights era.

Its founders, KQED Arts reported, lobbied for bus lines connecting Chinatown to Chinese communities that flourished across San Francisco after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished the national-origins quota law left behind by the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882.

Queena Chen, a co-chair of Chinatown TRIP, shared with KQED Arts how transportation often gets taken for granted: “it brings you to places for stability or to a job. It could bring you economic opportunities that you probably won’t have for folks who live in lower-income areas, for the kids going to school.”

Following the virality of the thread, Mc Allen called attention to the critical role public transit plays for many in the city.

“But really I just want you to support public transport by riding the bus more and driving a personal car less,” MC followed up with. “Support policies that fund public transport, and support policies that prioritize people over parking spots.”

And of course, don’t forget to thank your bus driver when you get off the bus.

“Every ‘Thank you’ makes our day on the road a little better,” MC tweeted. “I’m still a rookie operator, new to the job, but it make[s] a difference to me.”