The Bay Bridge Doesn't Move, But You Can Follow It (and Other S.F. Landmarks) on Twitter
Used to be, if you talked to buildings, you were automatically crazy. These days, locals talk to San Francisco landmarks all the time - and the landmarks talk back, thanks to Twitter users giving voice to everything from perky cable cars to gritty, raunchy Folsom Street.
nancyesmith The Bay Bridge on Twitter: 20,000 feet across but only 140 characters
They also talk amongst themselves. Buildings and hills bicker like siblings about who's taller, while the fog gets friendly with just about everyone. Often, their chatter lends extra levity to current events, like the earthquake that rattled the Bay Area Tuesday night:
@SF_Cablecar: You know what earthquakes make? Hills! :-D I like hills!@SFBayBridge: O.O YEAH I AM NOT RESTING TONIGHT. #shakenandstirred
@Waves_SF: @SFBayBridge I'll hold you! at least your feet anyway
@SFBayBridge: @Waves_SF Aw, thank you. You're SO much nicer than seismic waves!
@Waves_SF: @SFBayBridge well, except for all that erosion and corrosion. but that's slow and keeping your workers gainfully employed!
Most of the folks behind these landmarks prefer to let their larger-than-life alter-egos do the tweeting, but several said privately that they love giving locals a chance to get to know San Francisco's hallmarks all over again. Here's some of our favorites:
Landmark: Bay Bridge
On Twitter: @SFBayBridge
Turn-ons: Cheerful banter with other landmarks
Turn-offs: Gridlock
Sample tweet: "On mornings like this, I wonder: would a truck dropping some coffee beans on me make me feel zippier, or actually just make things worse?"
Landmark: Cable cars
On Twitter: @SF_Cablecar
Turn-ons: Friendly tourists
Turn-offs: Getting the Rice-A-Roni jingle stuck in its head
Sample tweet: "The Parrots of Telegraph Hill just flew over Nob Hill & waved at me! Hi Parrots!Ding! Ding!"
Landmark: Muni
On Twitter: @sfmunitrain
Turn-ons: Writing haiku
Turn-offs: The scent inside a packed commuter bus
Sample tweet: "I swear I haven't been drinking. Those cables between Van Ness and Castro fell by themselves. *hiccup* #blackoutdrunk"
Landmark: The fog
On Twitter: @KarlTheFog
Turn-ons: Singing (about fog), fog puns
Turn-offs: Locals who complain about the weather
Sample tweet: "Stuff SF People Like: Pretending it's never been foggy before. 'OMG! Why is it so cold? I swear it wasn't this bad last year!'"
Landmark: The Pacific Ocean
On Twitter: @Waves_SF
Turn-ons: Videos about surfing
Turn-offs: Stormy weather (even waves get seasick)
Sample tweet: "Love when Sunday Streets comes to Great Highway. Feels like I have my own happy parade of friends! BTW, the surf sucks, enjoy your bike ride."
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