We spent the weekend in San Francisco, a city that I love. I’ve stayed right downtown as well as in the suburbs.
A morning jog often includes leaping over sleeping bodies and miscellaneous bits of mysterious debris.
The obstacle course now feels natural. I’d heard many rough stories recently about the debacle in SF, so I was prepared to see some challenging scenes, but the homelessness and poverty were beyond my anticipation.
With the US Supreme Court stating that cities do not have to keep tent encampments, I thought about how these words sound and how they look on paper.
Simple: pack up the tents, move the residents, hose down the site, and voila! Mission complete. This disregards people’s lives and the fact that many have nowhere else to go. The reality exceeds description and most quick-fix solutions.
Our hotel was near Union Square, a lovely part of SF with excellent shopping (I’ll circle back to this) and delicious restaurants. Heading to lunch the first day we walked toward 5th and Market where there are ample choices.
Our error, however, was turning right. Within just a few steps a stunning city became filled with garbage, bodies, more garbage, moans, and shouts of fear and nattering conversations.
Thinking things would clean up we continued for a few blocks until a man defecating, a woman screaming, and a child crying forced us to turn around.
I wanted to talk to Dayne and Brynley about what we had encountered but I struggled with where to begin. Our old family joke, “This is what may happen if you do not do your math!” became wrong and out-of-place.
The problem is far worse than homework.
Sometimes people living on the street appear to be happy. A warm sleeping bag, a chair, some food, and often a dog provide security and a regular job may or may not be of interest.
Simplicity, I guess I’d call it. But in the case of my recent observations mental illness and drug abuse ran rampant.
Sleeping bags were in tatters, concrete supplied the chair, the food looked and smelled frightening, but the dogs, their loyalty shining, looked peaceful and well cared for.
Tents, when present, stood sadly as inadequate protection from the cold bay breeze. Law enforcement stood on every corner; individuals offered support and suggestions for moving out of this languishing situation, but the task itself felt heartbreakingly impossible.
Once we turned around and headed northeast things changed. No bodies to hurdle, no trash tossed about, and good restaurants choices.
This held true from 5th to the Embarcadero as well as in both directions along the wharf. I wonder what makes the difference – one block clear and within steps overwhelming poverty.
I also wonder why San Francisco? It can be cold year-round and it is ridiculously expensive.
Another concern – the stores. I would guess that 60-75% of them are closed. Nordstroms and Macy’s are gone; the Nike store windows are papered over; the Mall has stores open only on floors one and two with the upper decks sealed off.
The crowds were minimal but anyone I saw carried packages or were heading with loaded arms to check-out stations. There were no “Opening Soon” signs or any indication that the economy was about to turn.
Homes and apartments seemed full with very few rental signs so the population has not diminished. What is happening? Are other cities in a similar situation?
I have wanted to move to SF for 6 months or a year. No car and no cares, I’d walk to a new restaurant or corner food market each day, enjoy the bay and the ocean, and attend the concerts and plays available.
BART and buses would send me about the city as well as my own two feet.
Then I could also volunteer to help. Cautiously, of course, learning what the homeless individuals want and need and working to avoid blithering out uninvited advice.
Originally, I figure Lynn might be intrigued and ready for adventure and that the kids and grandkids would join us. After this last experience, however, I would be pretty much on my own and that would be lonely, especially under the pressure of figuring how to best help others.
Perhaps I should offer my assistance closer to home – there are many in need here.