I spent 7 years living in the Bay Area. There were things I loved, and there were things I hated. For all the amazing food, culture, and shopping, the city has an out of control homeless problem. Many of these poor people are clearly mentally ill. During my time at Berkeley, I cannot even tell you how many times I heard people blame Ronald Reagan for closing all the mental institutions during his tenure as governor of the state. Whether or not it's a problem he created, I still don't understand why no one since him has done anything at all to fix it.
I get amnesia about how bad the problem is between visits to the Bay Area. But, sure enough I am promptly reminded almost immediately upon arrival in downtown San Francisco. There are pan handlers, there are people muttering to themselves in a vaguely threatening matter, and today I saw the foulest thing I have EVER seen in my entire life. As I was walking up O'Farrell back to my hotel, I noticed a homeless man scrambling after some papers. When I got closer, I saw that his pants were down. I realized what was happening, but it was too late to look away. He was defecating on the side of a building - and let's just say his stomach seemed to be upset.
How can a city with such a storied history, such scenic views, and such high property values allow this sort of thing to happen? I know for every yuppie, there is some former hippie espousing a 'live and let live' philosophy, but come on! Market Street smells like urine all the time. And while I have seen poop on the sidewalk before and been convinced it is probably not from a dog, I have never actually witnessed someone in the act.
Tourists will always flock to the city, and businesses will always operate in San Francisco. But don't the tourists, businesses, and residents deserve better? And frankly don't these poor homeless people? I don't profess to have the answer here. I know this is a complicated problem without an easy solution. I just think it's a shameful and shitty (literally) situation that takes away from the allure of a truly world-class city.
I get amnesia about how bad the problem is between visits to the Bay Area. But, sure enough I am promptly reminded almost immediately upon arrival in downtown San Francisco. There are pan handlers, there are people muttering to themselves in a vaguely threatening matter, and today I saw the foulest thing I have EVER seen in my entire life. As I was walking up O'Farrell back to my hotel, I noticed a homeless man scrambling after some papers. When I got closer, I saw that his pants were down. I realized what was happening, but it was too late to look away. He was defecating on the side of a building - and let's just say his stomach seemed to be upset.
How can a city with such a storied history, such scenic views, and such high property values allow this sort of thing to happen? I know for every yuppie, there is some former hippie espousing a 'live and let live' philosophy, but come on! Market Street smells like urine all the time. And while I have seen poop on the sidewalk before and been convinced it is probably not from a dog, I have never actually witnessed someone in the act.
Tourists will always flock to the city, and businesses will always operate in San Francisco. But don't the tourists, businesses, and residents deserve better? And frankly don't these poor homeless people? I don't profess to have the answer here. I know this is a complicated problem without an easy solution. I just think it's a shameful and shitty (literally) situation that takes away from the allure of a truly world-class city.
