The buses are a convenient and visible symbol for SF activists to use as a shorthand for the influx of tech workers and housing demand. While buses clearly red

The buses are a convenient and visible symbol for SF activists to use as a shorthand for the influx of tech workers and housing demand. While buses clearly reduce roadway commuting loads, and are convenient for those inside them, they are also highly visible at pick-up/drop-off points in the City, and in HOV lanes on the freeway - especially visible to people who are waiting for a Muni bus, or who are in heavy traffic watching buses go past in an HOV lane. Activists who understand this keep talking about buses rather than about people, or about the failures of the City to provide more competitive working environments for tech companies and their workers.