The Famous San Francisco Cable Car

The San Francisco cable car is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city, second only to the Golden Gate Bridge. Though in most places, cable cars have long become a thing of the past, they still thrive in San Francisco due to their efficiency and their historical charm. Cable cars move at a constant speed, though this speed can be altered depending on the weight of the car's load. Because of the city's mild and clear climate, the cable cars offer the perfect solution to in-town public travel. San Francisco cable cars are powered by motors that are located in a cable house. Individual cars are driven by trained operators that control the starting and stopping of the cars by applying a clamp called a grip. These operators must be schooled on appropriate gripping so as not to jar the passengers by starting or stopping too quickly. Cable cars are highly efficient because the source of power for all of the cars is located in one centralized building. Cable cars originated in San Francisco as an easier way for pedestrians to deal with the ever-present hills in the city. These cars also provided a way for people to get around without the help of horses and buggies that crowded the city's streets. At a time when using horses for transportation was becoming more and more pass?, cable cars became a welcome alternative in many large cities. If you are visiting San Francisco, you will surely want to have a cable car experience. You can ride around on your own, or you can participate in one of the guided historical cable car tours. These tours will take you throughout the city, pointing out areas of historical and cultural interest as you ride through the streets of San Francisco on one of the oldest forms of motorized transportation in the country.

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