A shirtless man smoking a cigarette while steering a battered city bus through Oakland created an unusually surreal scene—and sparked plenty of online disbelief.
The unidentified driver was recorded navigating a retired San Francisco Muni bus through West Oakland in a vehicle that looked far removed from its days in public service. Its front windshield was gone, the surviving windows were heavily cracked, and a temporary paper license plate was fastened to the bumper. Despite the damage, the electronic destination display remained illuminated, flashing “Not in Service.”
The video began spreading online this week under the caption “Oakland is like a GTA server,” comparing the bizarre real-life episode to the lawless chaos of the video game Grand Theft Auto. The footage appeared to move from Instagram to Reddit communities including r/BayArea and r/CrazyF—ingVideos.
It is still unclear who the driver is, how he obtained the bus or whether he had bought it recently. Even so, the clip has drawn attention to the fate of San Francisco’s aging transit vehicles after they are removed from regular routes.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is phasing out older coaches as it expands its fleet of battery-electric buses. That transition could put more retired Muni vehicles on the market and potentially into private ownership.
For buyers with the space—and a plan—these massive former transit buses may offer an affordable second life after leaving public service.
SFist previously reported that one retired Muni bus was listed for $8,000 in Sacramento. The vehicle reportedly had just 41,608 miles on its odometer.
That $8,000 figure was only the seller’s asking price and does not establish what the bus eventually sold for. The Oakland coach’s value is unknown as well, though its severely damaged appearance is likely to fuel plenty of speculation.
