in defense of San Francisco

[starboard]

While it offends in many ways the moral and aesthetic sensibilities of any right-thinking person, San Francisco is not a 'hard' city. Other than a few circumscribed locations at various housing projects, where you shouldn't go if you're sensible and/or white, it is not intimidating.

The Critical Mass people are granola-sucking emaciated Morrissey-listening punks, goths, hippies, and what have you. They are whiners and not fighters, and so this thing with the minivan is an anomaly.

I have been riding motorcycles on the streets of SF for 15 years, and my steel-capped riding boots have yet to impact the soft and yielding flesh of a Critical Massh0le, though I have come across that event many times. They are highly annoying, yes, but they just don't tend to make real trouble.

Across the bay, though, we have Oakland and Richmond. Those are the places to avoid. San Francisco is altogether mellow in comparison.

So by all means don't shy away from a tourist trip to SF. The most per-capita restaurants of any city in the US, I think it is. You are guaranteed to leave having had some good meals, and a renewed appreciation for how much saner, cleaner, and better your present living location is.

 

[flashman70]

San Francisco is a beautiful city. It's a great place to visit - I've probably been there a dozen times. But I certainly couldn't live there given its nutty politics.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Any city where you cannot protect yourself or your family as you see fit while on vacation is off the list, and you can't have enough restaurants to make up for that.

Sorry, I'll be staying out of the city by the bay.

 

[Old Fuff]

As a matter of principal, this "right-thinking" person won't go near California, let alone San Francisco. So long as anti-gun, left-wing, Democrat-Socialists control the state they won't see me, or one red cent of my money.

 

[Pilgrim]

Across the bay, though, we have Oakland and Richmond. Those are the places to avoid. San Francisco is altogether mellow in comparison.

You have a navy to keep Oakland and Richmond on the other side of the bay?

Pilgrim

 

[No_Brakes23]

When I lived in California and had no carry rights anyway, San Fran was a nice place to visit. Just avoid the more unsavory parts of it, and you should be alright. No different that visiting Europe or Vancouver, B.C. except that you don't need a passport.

Now that I live in a free state, and San Fran has shown itself to be an anti-military city,I have no desire to go back. There are plenty of other fascinating cities to visit.

I would take San Francisco over, NYC, Boston, DC, or Baltimore, though

 

[bensdad]

Democrat-Socialists control the state they won't see me, or one red cent of my money.

I'll bet you buy produce from Cali. I'll bet we all support their economy in ways that aren't normally considered. Oranges? Computer chips? Lettuce? Wine? Hollywood is in Cali. Every time you see a movie, you are supporting their economy. Florida has gun-friendly laws. Can we be sure to always buy Fla. oranges? How about lettuce? Computer chips?

 

[RonSC]

My one and only experience in SF was in 1967 courtesy of 'Uncle Sam' on my return trip from Vietnam. Suffice it to say that my memory has not yet sufficiently "dulled" to the point where I could EVER see myself INTENTIONALLY entertaining a subsequent visit. SF is the epitomy of EVERYTHING I dispise, loath and detest from it's politics, to the 'lunatic fringe' that pervades it's state and local government, and it's utter distain for all things decent and moral for. Recent news revealed that SF was the No.1 destination in the country for the homeless and drug addicted, due to it's "social programs"
obviously modeled after Amsterdam yet another steaming 'dung heap' of social misfits. SF You must be PROUD!!

Ron

 

[Soap]

Politics aside, SF is my favorite city that I've travelled to so far. I've never felt any more threatened there than I have in any other major city like Cairo, Sydney or Chicago. Okay, so I did feel safer in SF than Chicago...

 

[QuickDraw]

Hah!
I live 15 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge.I won't go
to S.F. unless I absolutely have to.
Besides everything else,theres no parking!!

 

[imprezagm4]

I loathe that city... a family friend was nearly kidnapped (almost forced into a car). Thank God she was able to get away. I really don't care for that place, for more than just that reason as well.

It used to be a nice city years ago (before I was around)... or so I hear?

 

[Old Fuff]

Bensdad:

Hollywood is in Cali. Every time you see a movie, you are supporting their economy

These days a lot of movies are made outside of Hollywood, but with me it's a moot point. I haven't bothered to go to a movie in decades...

Where I am, most of the produce comes from Mexico, or is grown locally.

Ya got me on computer chips, but I don't have a whole lot of them either...

 

[tuckerdog1]

It's all nice and lovely in Austin too. But I still carry everytime I go there for any reason.

If I ever stop to spend any money in SF, it'll be on gas so I can keep moving through.

Tuckerdog1

 

[gunsmith]

I was a motorcycle courier in SF for years

also a security guard (armed) plenty of crime there, I once told a thief in front of the main library to stop stealing a bike and he tried to stab me.

I still visit once in a while but I always pack heat.

SF has good looking women and good burrito's (Azteca Tacqueria)
(the odds are good but the goods are odd)

but generally it smells like stale urine, has aggressive bums, no left turns or parking.
excessive fines and towing if you do park, the cops and city gov't let the junkie scam artist rip people off at the cable car turn arounds and other tourist areas.

The good thing about SF is that if you pack heat but do not act or look scruffy the police will leave you alone......

the only way to really get around is on a motorcycle or a bicycle though.....

As far as "critical mass" I do not like them as they are mostly left wing anal retentive jerks....but as a former bike messenger people in cars tend not to realize that their lack of understanding of reality can kill you if you are on a bike.
I am willing to bet the minivan was trying to push her way thru the crowd and hit a bike.
a car can be used as a deadly weapon and people that use their cars as deadly weapons should expect violence in return.
If you do not know that SF has demonstrations and that you may have to wait hours because of them your an idiot.

 

[Jim March]

Parts of SF are very bad news. The Tenderloin isn't the worst...Hunter's Point is as good a place to get dead as anything in Oakland, and the Mission has it's moments too.

Take the #14 late night bus through the Mission sometime. Be sure to pack.

 

[Soap]

Parts of SF are very bad news. The Tenderloin isn't the worst...Hunter's Point is as good a place to get dead as anything in Oakland, and the Mission has it's moments too.

Take the #14 late night bus through the Mission sometime. Be sure to pack.

Hunter's Point is nasty. But I thought that the Mission has been gentrifying recently?

 

[Switchman]

Wait a minute, now...

I was born and raised in California, in the rather mountainous parts, that is. I have worked and still live in the golden state and I gotta tell you all that you are wrong.
California may have more than its share of whackos and liberal commies, but hell, so does everywhere else in the country. Difference is, they still respect the FIRST amendment here, probably more than the SECOND. OK. Fine.
I sometimes get the feeling that people don't like Californians because of what ****-bird Californian politicians do. Most of the political clout in CA is in the LA and Bay Areas.
I can assure you that good, honest, gun totin', hunters and shooters are all over the state. But, just like everywhere else, we're outnumbered by anti-gun media types who keep up the attack on our rights. A lot of my friends have decided to leave our home state when they retire. I've thought long and hard about it myself. But then I think, hey let's get more pro-freedom, pro-firearms folks into the state and fight back.
Running away isn't the answer!

By the way, I've travelled far and wide in my life and I still think San Francisco is the
greatest city in America.

Switchman

 

[ThreadKiller]

I will not knowingly support anti-military/anti-2A cities such as SF. Once a beautiful city, now a socialist cesspool.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Like anywhere else, San Francisco has its conservative districts and liberal parts. The western half of tends to be more conservative (or at least moderate). The eastern half tends to be flaming liberal and they have the majority of the votes. The have world class idjit politicians in that city and they've gone off the deep end. If you understand that, you'll understand why Feinstein, Boxer or Pelosi keep getting elected. It's a brain dead population of leftist American hating granola chewing, tofu-slurping, military hating, anti-police, Anarchist-Critical Mass-holes you'll find west of the New York City. There's a few scattering of normal people, but you have to look.

There's no shortage of homeless and druggies in SF. I found one (both homeless & druggie) once and he was stone dead. That made me very happy since I didn't have to try CPR (I know where I can get an AED so I would have walked a block to get it instead of trying CPR anyway). Oh, the stench of urine, yep. Go to the Tenderloin and it's downright nasty there. I feel sorry for the senior citizens who can't afford a better place and are stuck in that rat's nest. SFPD used to be able to confiscate shopping carts, but when Art Agnos was mayor, he made it a policy that they couldn't (so they can now walk about with stolen shopping carts and the consumer foots the bill).

BTW, best Italian restaurant is Firenze by Night on Stockton between Green & Vallejo. Other "Italian" restaurants tend to have Argentinian cooks who don't do things right. Tomasso (Kearny between Broadway & Pacific) is also very good and the place to go for pizza (oak fired oven). Best foccacia bread is at Liguria Bakery on Stockton and Filbert. Best view of San Francisco is probably from Marin Headlands - right above Golden Gate Bridge where Star Fleet HQ will be. I've taken my bicycle up there (it's a heckuva climb on a bike) and gawked at the view. O.K., Alcatraz also offers an excellent view but it tends to be windy.

 

[win71]

Been there once

It was 1963 and I was 19 and just finished a job working in the woods. Decided to hitchhike to S.F. and take a look at Haight-Ashbury. I'd been hearing about it all summer. Haven't been back since.
Has it changed any ?

 

[MudCamper]

California is at least 4 states politically: Southern, Northern, Central, and SF Bay Area. And all of us but the Southerners want to secede from the rest of the state.

 

[Librarian]

Decided to hitchhike to S.F. and take a look at Haight-Ashbury. I'd been hearing about it all summer. Haven't been back since.
Has it changed any ?

SF or the Haight specifically?

The answer is 'yes' to both. Haight/Ashbury is pretty tame these days, mostly gentrified. I went to USF (6 blocks north) in '67, just after the heroin dealers moved into the area. Strung-out flower children, yuck.

I live about 25 miles east of SF these days; we go in for lunch once in a while, see a museum; we go to Giants games (sigh. don't remind me about this season ). If we're there at night, it's downtown, close to BART.

The whole place makes me nervous.

 

[starboard]

Gunsmith, did you ride for Lightning Express or some other outfit?

But yeah, if the housing market holds, I'm getting out of here and moving way north next year. If I have anything to say about it, my boy will grow up fishing and hunting and rebuilding engines, instead of turning into a Hollyweird-approved TV and video game zombie like so many kids do, trapped in the concrete jungle.

 

[No_Brakes23]

And all of us but the Southerners want to secede from the rest of the state.

Speak for yourself. If OC, San Berdu, Riverside and San Diego broke off from the rest of the state it would be more conservative than anything else on the Pacific except Alaska. It'd more than likely be Shall Issue, and very pro-military. Also very wealthy and chock full of Meth, but still, other than the cost of living, it'd be a fine place to reside.

I do think that the State of Jefferson would be a great idea, though.

 

[jeepmor]

They are highly annoying, yes, but they just don't tend to make real trouble.

Think that's bad, you should hear em whine when they come up into the PNW and can't handle their first winter of PNW rain.

Like I feel sorry for some bloke that comes up here and buys a house outright from the profits he made on some shack in California. And then listen to him bit** about the rain. Like we say as natives. If you don't like it here, please return to your previous residence.

I don't mind the outdoor folks infiltrating, but the liberal whackos who come up and and start changing things to mimick the place they just moved out of and incessantly whine about is quite annoying. Don't think so, look at Bend, Oregon over the past ten years, then tell me they don't want to make things like "california" all over again.

Most computer chips come out of Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico. Some come out of California, but not that many really compared to these other three states. The headquarters is in California because that is where the microprocessor revolution started. Shortly after that, they moved their development facilities to Oregon and all of Intel's latest and greatest has been coming out of there first before any other state for about 30 years now. I think the rain motivates the introverts to work harder, I'm not sure. But, being I saw mention of it, I thought I'd chime in. I work for Intel and have for 12 years now, trust me on this one. I even worked for the development organization for about half of that time. Talk about a pressure cooker.....