Cable Car Ride through the City

We acquired our cable car passes at the start of the Powell & Mason line, watching the men working the breaks who joined the driver in turning the cable cars around on what appeared to be a giant “lazy susan” revolver built into the paving of the street itself.  Our day passes cost $13.00 per person, a far cry from the 5 cents of long ago.  Beautiful flowers hanging from lightposts lined the street, with a huge Nordstrom’s store in the background.  Drummers, street salesmen, coffee mongers, etc. chatted with people waiting to board the cable cars, attempting to gather funds.  They pack the cable cars very full, and you are fortunate if you get along the outer seats for a better view of the hills and sites.  Riders were frequently warned to remove backpacks and lean forward when another cable car was passing.  One man almost lost his head when he wasn’t listening!