LYANNE MELENDEZ WAS THERE. THEY ARE STILL HERE, THANKS TO A BIT OF HELP FROM WOMEN. REPORTER: WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK. YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THAT SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN, WHEN SHE WAS MAYOR IN 1982, CAMPAIGNED TO SAVE THE CABLE CARS. BEFORE THAT, THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE OTHER. WE ALSO DISCOVERED HOW BEING A FEMALE GRIP CHANGE THE LIFE OF ONE WOMAN. IT'S A BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCE, TO RIDE ON A CABLE CAR. SOME ARE UNAWARE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM THE YEAR OBLIVION, A FEW TIMES. RIGHT NOW, THE CABLE CAR ONLY EXISTS IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO. LET ME TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE OF WOMEN. REPORTER: WHEN CITY LEADERS WANTED TO EMBRACE NEW CARS AND FREEWAYS IN THE 1940'S AND 50'S, SAN FRANCISCO SOCIAL LIGHT FOR NO CLOSE MEN AND HER WOMEN LED GROUP, CAMPAIGNED TO PRESERVE THE CABLE CARS. >> SURE. REPORTER: THEY WERE SO INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN, CELEBRITIES LIKE MICK JAGGER STEPPED IN TO HELP THEN, MAYOR FEINSTEIN, TO REFURBISH THE FLEET. >> THANK YOU. REPORTER: WITHOUT FEINSTEIN'S CAMPAIGN IN 1982 TO RAISE $60 MILLION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE CABLE CARS WOULD HAVE LIKELY DISAPPEARED. CITING HEALTH ISSUES, SENATOR FEINSTEIN WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY CELEBRATION IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO. >> IN TRIBUTE TO HER, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE, IF SHE HAD NOT MADE THAT STRONG STEP WHEN SHE WAS MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO, TO SAVE THE CABLE CARS. REPORTER: ANOTHER WOMAN WHO MUSCLED HER WAY TO BECOME IN 1998, THE FIRST FEMALE CABLE CAR GRIP WAS FANNY MAY BARNES. >> GROWING UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN GEORGIA, MY MOM TOLD ME, YOU CAN DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK. THAT'S WHAT I DID. >> WHEN HE WALKED DOWN POWELL AND MARKET AND YOU SEE 250 PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE, SIX CABLE CARS WAITING TO PICK THEM UP AND TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW THAT TONY BENNETT WAS RIGHT. REPORTER: AS A TRIBUTE TO BENNETT, A CABLE CAR WILL BE NAMED AFTER THE ALSO ICONIC SINGER, WHO RECENTLY PASSED. >> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SING IT BY OURSELVES. ♪ REPORTER: I WAS ALMOST SINGING TOO. KUDOS TO FANNY, BEING A GRIP IS A PHYSICALLY DEMANDING JOB. SHE DID IT IN HER 50'S. NOW, ANOTHER TRIVIA, THE COST TO WRITE A CABLE CAR HAS BEEN ABOUT EIGHT DOLLARS. 150 YEARS AGO WHEN THE FIRST ONE WAS ROLLED OUT, IT WAS ONLY, GUESS HOW MUCH? DAN:. PENNIES. REPORTER: FIVE CENTS. I SOUND LIKE MY MOTHER. [LAUGHTER] DAN: IS THAT WHEN YOU WALKED TO SCHOOL IN THE SNOW? REPO
