So I was here yesterday, listening to super energetic, mad scientist Mike Shatzkin (he resembles a young Albert Einstein), a very gracious Bob Mayer, who let me interrupt his hurried breakfast, and the rest at Publishers Launch San Francisco: eBooks for Everyone Else. Finally…I grok Metadata. Praise the Lord! Sometimes I need to be beat over the head with these things. I’m a very visual and tactile person. You can talk at me until you’re blue in the face, but unless I see the topic spelled out or illustrated, I don’t get it. Just ask my poor high school Honor’s Calculus and Trigonometry teacher. Oh yeah, he retired early because of me…
Yes, I know I’m supposed to be talking about my books, but I witnessed sidewalk pooping yesterday and I just have to get it off my chest. I mean, if you can’t share with your friends and followers, who can you share with?
I took the ferry over to San Francisco, planning to walk the mile and a half up Market to the hotel where the conference was being held. First I was sidetracked by the squatters encampment, AKA, Take Back San Francisco, that starts at the Embarcadero across from the Ferry Building and spills up Market.
No, for those of us who remember the Sixties, Woodstock it ain’t.
Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Thanks, Will, but I’m thinking more The Walking Dead. Because I seemed to run across a person sprawed in a state of semi-zombification approximately every ten feet for the next mile or so, including the two people, um, doing IT zombie-fashion, seriously, zombie-fashion, in the middle of the sidewalk on Market - the tide of business folk heading to work sort of averted their eyes and parted like the waters of the Red Sea. And man, the stench! Take back the street my ass.
Regardless, after wandering a few blocks into the Tenderloin and finding it necessary to ask a toothless man for directions, I made it to the conference.
It was on my return trip that the above pooping incident occurred. As I headed back to the Ferry Building, I noticed everyone I passed seemed tense, on edge, like maybe zombies were coming any minute. (I have zombies on the brain because my sister and I were just talking about the coming zombie apocalypse.) I think it was because an unusual number of homeless people were loitering about, their manner aggressive and deliberately in your face. As in walking directly up to you, standing within inches of your nose, and demanding spare change. Like I said…not Woodstock. I think the Take Back the City movement has had unintended consequences. Sidewalk pooping.
I was maybe halfway back to the Ferry Building, walking beside a couple of young African American women. We didn’t know each other, but we started chatting about hair and boots. From out of nowhere, a man approached us, shouting obscenities and waving his arms in a violent manner. The three of us ladies moved as far to the right as we could, without a second thought, giving him plenty of room.
“I ain’t walkin’ past him. Uh-uh.” Said woman number one.
“Oh hell no. You come wid us, white girl.” Woman number two grabbed my arm. “We got to get out the way.”
Hey, whatever big city women tell me to do, I do. Fast.
That’s when it happened. He pulled down his pants and pooped, right there on the sidewalk. Worse - he reached down to pick it up and throw it at passers by. The three of us ran and ducked behind a wall. We huddled together, heads down, until we could make a break for it.
Unintended consequences.
Took me ten damn years to like San Francisco. Then we had a honeymoon period, the city and I. I’m back to hating it. When we first moved here, homeless people would pull my long hair as I walked past. Now they throw poop at me.
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It’s so frustrating. I’ve worked in the City for 25 years now and the homeless problem never gets any better. I just don’t understand it. If NYC could clean up their act, why can’t we??? I’m sorry, but I don’t care if their “personal rights” are being trampled on, this kind of behavior should NEVER be tolerated.
It’s Cali, baby! S.F. hasn’t looked this bad in ten years. Yes, Jen, I agree. For the most part, it does not get better and at times gets way worse.
OMG! I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime, but this takes the cake.
When I first saw this post I thought it was going to be about someone’s dog poopin and the owner walking away. Floored by your experience. It’s sad that those with mental illness are forgotten and left to roam the streets. What’s even worse is that these men and women left on the streets could be the veteran’s that defended our country.
Holy Crap! (Pun intended). That is disgusting!!!!!!!!!
I hope you enjoying a 10-hour shower when you got home. Yikes!
OMG WG Thank goodness you had the nice city girls helping you. City people can see a threat a mile away. We country chickens are babes in the woods. But hey at 51 I will take any kind of being a babe. Well not one who gets pooped on. S
Oh Amber, it took a lot of things.
Elena - I agree. Many of these people are vets and/or the mentally ill. Yes, there are some programs, but follow up is poor and people stop taking meds, and many homeless people, for whatever the reason, do not seek out the services available to them. Plus cities have very little money right now. These people are chronically ill and cannot be employed. It’s awful. I hate it. But I don’t see a solution.
Penelope - it was more disinfecting my boots. When I took them off last night, all I could think about was what I probably walked through there and back.
Yup, that’s me, countrified! You’re right, Steph. They knew what was gonna happen. Me? I would probably have run into the street and gotten hit by a bus.
OMG!!! I can’t believe I said I envied your trip to SF this morning!
This sounds horrible, really horrible and I agree there is more desperation and strife in our cities than ever. Even the little coastal city where I live is getting an aggressive squatters camp, and I see some very unlikely people there including some not strung out middle-aged women and children. I can’t image what these poor families are enduring and I hope we can find some solutions FAST!
XXOO Kat
OMG. Wow.That is insane. I’m sure he needs some sort of mental help and it’s sad and disgusting all the same. Thank God you guys ducked and hid. God, that would have been just… Eeew. I don’t know what I would have done if any of that touched my clothes or skin. Better luck in the big city next time, Julia. *hugs*
Elena Gray said it best. It is sad, and disgusting, and I have no solutions to offer. I can only say, as much as I love exploring a city, these days I would only use Taxis. Thankfully, there were two experienced city dwellers there to help you. Good people can also be found everywhere. Looks like you found two of them. You were blessed to learn much and still be protected.
I saw you on Twitter last night and was afraid to even say anything. How do you say, “I’m sorry that someone poop-bombed you.” Is there a Hallmark card for that? I’m kind of a germophobe anyway, so as you were tweeting about walking through this tent city, I’m mentally pouring Purell all over you. As you get to the PoopShooter, I graduated to scrubbing you down with Clorox Wipes.
I’m glad you got back safely - I’d have been scared out of my mind (I’m a small town girl too - Madison is small potatoes next to a place like San Francisco).
And I thought I had problems with dog owners. I bow, blogginwise, to your superior poopin tale and SF is now off my list of American cities to visit, should I ever get the cash to get back across there!
Hey Tom…normally a nice place to visit, but too expensive to live there. Not a good place just now. I’ll take dog poop any day!
Oh Barbara - you have me LMAO! Thank you for your concern! I think you oughta make up a Hallmark card for just such an occasion.
Hi Prudence! S.F. is usually a great city to walk through, aside from a couple areas. I’d totally forgotten about the squatter encampment. Yup, good people. I’m very lucky to run into good people!
Hi Delilah! Ooh, yes. Ewwww. Nope, came out unscathed. You would have grabbed your kids and run for your life!
Kat, I don’t think there are solutions. At least not any easy ones. The families will be okay, once the economy improves, at least I hope - because they aren’t mentally ill or drug addicts. The chronic mentally ill? I have no solution. Ronald Reagan got rid of all the institutions.
You’ve got to be kidding me! Somebody threw poo at you?? Take Back the City indeed. I hope they’re trying to take it back from the poo-flingers!
Oh Marsha - me too! That was my first thought - How ’bout us non-poo flingers take back the city! LOL!
Oh Julia! I’m so sorry. That is just nasty! I’d expect monkeys in a zoo to do that but not people. Geez Louise!
Pretty shocking, Casey. Well…maybe not as shocking as it should be.
OMG, Julia, that’s loathsome. I am so sorry that happened.
Thanks, Sandra. I had a nightmare about it last night!