Cable car ride, Tourist attraction in San Francisco, US

The Cable Car Ride is a tourist attraction in San Francisco, California, offering trips on historic cable-driven streetcars that climb and descend the city's steep hills. Three lines cover the city: the California Street line, the Powell-Hyde line, and the Powell-Mason line, each connecting different neighborhoods.

The first line opened on August 2, 1873, designed to solve the problem of moving people up the city's steep hills. The entire network was shut down in the early 1980s for major repairs and reopened in 1984, when the city chose to preserve the system as a historic landmark.

The cable cars are so tied to San Francisco that the sound of the bell and the hum of the cable running under the street feel like part of the city itself. Riders often stand on the outer running boards to get a better view, which has become a recognizable image of the city.

Boarding at the end terminals rather than mid-route gives you a better chance of finding a seat, especially during busy parts of the day. Inside seats are more stable, while outer positions on the running boards offer a better view of the streets and the bay.

Cable cars have no engine of their own: the car grips and releases a cable that runs continuously under the street, and that is the only way it moves or stops. The person controlling this grip is called the grip operator, and the skill needed to drive smoothly on steep hills takes months to learn.