Sometimes, it takes a 3,000-mile trip to make you appreciate what you've got
By adamg - Sun, 08/17/2008 - 11:26am.
Timothy Haroutunian reports from San Francisco:
... I have been to the bad parts of Boston, but I was in shock as to what I saw in San Fran. We walked 12 city blocks and saw at least 50 homeless people sleeping in store fronts. This wasn't even the bad part of the city. ... At one point Vasken suggested that we start a company and relocate to San Francisco. After tonight, we wanted to fly back to Boston ASAP and never come back. ...
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If you think SF is bad,
If you think SF is bad, never get closer than 30,000 ft. to St Louis.
Are you kidding?
have you been on Washington Street or Summer Street lately, during the daytiime?
Agreed
I'm in Seattle right now, and it's the same deal... Boston seems homeless-free in comparison!
San Francisco is better for homeless
It's much easier to be a homeless person in San Francisco than in Boston. You don't freeze in winter.
San Francisco may not get really winterlike temperatures,
but, the ocean air gets pretty cool at night--and, while it doesn't exactly go down to freezing or below-freezing winter temps, it does get down to at least the 40's at night, which isn't exactly warm either. A person can die of exposure and hypothermia even in San Francisco's nighttime temps, from what I understand. Plus, many of the homeless, wherever they may be, have problems with drug/alcohol abuse, or are suffering from some kind of severe physical or mental illness or handicap, which makes them still more vulnerable to dying of exposure or hypothermia.
but his comment is still
but his comment is still true
In any case,
a person who has nowhere to go for shelter and protection against the elements is still more at risk for either hypothermia from cooler temperatures (yes, even when the temps are in the 40's, hypothermia can still develop), or death from exposure to extreme heat during a heat wave, not to mention falling victim to criminal attack.
It's been an adjustment.
San Francisco takes a little bit to get used to. I'm still not sure whether I like it and I've been here almost 10 months. This is a town that seems to relish its outsider status; even the weather cooperates, being perpetually cool and overcast.
In one block you can walk by a café with outdoor seating next to a taco joint next to a smoke shop next to a strip theatre. X-rated video shops are within walking distance of elementary schools; it's just bizarre. Every cause has an advocacy group so things like homelessness and city quality of life never get anywhere because each side refuses to compromise. The bar to resident ratio is insanely high; this is a hard drinking and party town and tends to keep late hours. Walk by any Starbuck's downtown on a weekday morning and you'll see a queue 20+ deep waiting for coffee.
But some things are just the same - a dysfunctional public transportation system, city government which is grappling with a huge budget deficit even as the Mayor goes on a hiring spree, and a police department that cannot get out of its own way. The Chief is barely holding onto her job as the rank and file are about ready to mutiny. By all accounts the Chief is an excellent administrator but doesn't go to bat for the beat cop when it counts. With the homicide rate looking to break 100, and a high rate of unsolved crimes, city residents are getting pissy.
My neighborhood's decent; we've got a diner, some good Asian take away, a funky local market stocked with cheap fresh produce and staples, a good pizza joint and the beach is a three block walk. I can't say whether people are any more or less friendly in Boston than here; I lived on the same street in Winthrop for over 6 years and aside from a couple of houses, barely knew anyone.
Even worse in Portland
While "mild climate" is a bit of a misnomer for street persons in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, it does make it more possible to live in year-round discomfort on the west coast should that be your circumstance.
Gads, some of the the Portland bums travel about with scavenged baby trailers for their stuff pulled by beater bikes. I saw one guy who had his stuff all set up such that he could reel off a tarp from one side of the frame of a stripped baby trailer, then up over the trailer and a metal pull-up piece on the other side and then out and down over himself like a tent. Kept him and his stuff dry, cozy, and secure.
Now contrast this to Vancouver, BC. There are scavengers in Vancouver (mostly older asian immigrants), but I didn't see anybody that I could classify as "street people" up there. I'm not sure if it is due to legislating them off the street or social programs or both.