True Giants fans tap in, Muni says. Image: Courtesy of SFMTA
If you're like us, you might have noticed more ads like this around town recently.
State of play: SFMTA is leaning into the San Francisco Giants' feud with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a new ad campaign to reinforce fare enforcement with banners reading: "Don't be a Dodger. Pay your fare."
Driving the news: The ads have been up since mid-August and run until December, but SFMTA boosted their presence this week ahead of the Giants-Dodgers three-game series, which kicks off tonight at 7:15pm in Oracle Park.
SFMTA says paying your fare is a "point of civic pride" — just like rooting for the Giants, per campaign details shared by spokesperson Parisa Safarzadeh.
Threat level: SFMTA and other regional transit operators are struggling to address a financial crisis that could lead to severe service cuts. Muni faces a $322 million deficit next year.
Fun fact: Caltrain also stoked the rivalry earlier this summer in a social media post declaring that "driving is for Dodgers fans."