It's not easy to get around San Francisco ... and it wasn't easy in 1873 either, when the roads weren't in perfect shape. That's when cable cars were introduced to the city, and they never left. That are the last manually operated cable-car system in the world. There are no motors in these cars. They simply grab on to a cable that is pulled along at about 10 miles per hour.
The cable cars came close to disappearing. The 1906 earthquake damaged the system, so that was a good time to install electric street cars. Then there was talk of doing away with them in 1947, but the public voted to save the system. In 1964 it was designated as a moving national landmark. Now it's a must for every first-time visit to San Francisco.
While admission for a cable-car ride is $9 one way, you can go to the museum for nothing. There you can see the wheels pulling the cables along.
You might say it's a San Francisco treat to ride it. Ding ding!
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