SFMTA Headquarters 3rd Floor Entry Without an Invitation

Facility Location: SFMTA at One South Van Ness, San Francisco, CA

Cover: Yerba Buena Engineer picking up Special Traffic Permit

Object: say "Hello" to Jessie on the 3rd Floor without a phone number for invitation entry

Today, I was preparing for tomorrow's Pump Station Inlet clean-out work at Townsend and 2nd Street. I needed a Special Traffic Permit to allow us to park equipment and trucks on the street. This brought me to the 7th Floor of the SFMTA Headquarters to purchase and pick-up the permit.

In my errand to SFMTA, I was tempted to also see Jessie. Jessie is a kind secretary at SFMTA who is a good friend of the Aguirre family. She has tried to help me get connected to city engineering supervisors when I was looking for a job. I asked the 7th Floor front desk receptionist if Jessie was there and she replied that she was on the 3rd Floor. She also added that sometimes she would come up to the 7th Floor.

Thoughts of Jessie made me mutter, "I love Jessie."

"Are you a third party?"

"No. I worked for SFMTA several years ago. My parents also used to work for Muni." (Note: I interned with SFMTA in 2006, but not by my parental connection. I just applied online. My supervisor found out on my first work day who my father was. He was still remembered in the office and it made for a happy reunion when he visited me at work one day. God provided that internship. That's where I personally got to know Jessie.)

After the permit transaction, I headed back to the building elevators. I tried to pull up an email from Jessie on my phone to find her phone number. I knew I needed her or some staff to let me in since I didn't have a security access card. Waiting at the elevator, I just could not get an email to come up. Waiting, waiting... the elevator was taking too long so I proceeded to the escalators.

Winding down the escalators, required me to cross each floor lobby. 6...5...4...3.  I stared at my phone on each decent. It still wouldn't pull up an email. At the 3rd Floor landing, I paused to longingly glance at the staff entry doors. Without a phone number, I had no way to get in and I didn't have the time to just wait there.  Just as I was turning to head to the next down escalator, an asian girl around my age approached me in desperation.

"Do you work for SFMTA? I need to get inside the office to drop off this drawing."

I see the D-size paper roll in her hands, "I'm sorry, I don't work here either. What company are you from?"

She said the name of her company, but I don't remember it because right at that moment a man opened the entry door that we were standing next to. Apparently, he was just the person that she needed to see! He recognized her and was just as surprised as she was to bump into her at the door. I remained where I was, staring at the open door before me, hopes of stepping into the exclusive SFMTA office glimmering so close.

The man, still holding the door open, makes a cell phone call to another person who was apparently also expecting this girl and her drawing.

"Hey, I just happened to step out of the office and I bumped right into them. (other chatter) Yes, they're standing right in front of me now!" Phone still to his ear, he beckoned both of us inside. I obligingly followed.

Ushered in with my new faux-coworker, I took it as a God-given prompt to go forth into the SFMTA office to find Jessie. The man had his back turned away from us, still conversing to the third party, so I decided to make my getaway. I turned to my colleague and in a low voice to not disturb the phone conversation said, "I'm actually here to see someone else!" We silently smiled and waved at each other as we departed ways.

I strode up to the front desk and asked the receptionist, "Is Jessie here?"

"Yes, she is. Let me call her." She picked up the phone, "What is your name?"

"Veronica."

On the phone, "Hi, Jessie. Veronica is here. Veronica..."

"Veronica Aguirre."

"...Veronica Aguirre." Back to me, "Ok, you can go in. Did you work here before?"

"Yes."

"Yes, I thought so. I recognize you. So you know where her desk is."

"Yes, thank you!"

Thrilled to get in, I hurried over to the location of where remembered her desk was. It turned out that her desk had moved. I got re-directed and finally bounded up to Jessie's desk.

"Hello!" She looked the same as I last saw her years ago and also very happy to see me :)