I'm not feeling San Francisco.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by likealady

And I DO take off all my clothes before doing anything after commuting via BART/MUNI. Just the other night someone had vomited all over the seats in one of the BART trains.

Ewww. That's really nasty!! I've been on a few buses where there was either a cockroach infestation or a rat running around. Makes for an interesting ride home (and lots of cameraderie with strangers) from a busy day at work.

[smashystyle]

Originally Posted by sav858

Now that the cloth seats are gone and almost all of carpets have been replaced I don't think BART is that dirty at all any more.

I'm probably the only person who liked the cloth seats, they were super comfortable for public transportation. But they need to tear out the seats and turn the trains into subway-like sardine cans, even though BART is a commuter rail, not a subway and people shouldn't be standing for an hour.

Count me also among those people who find BART super-reliable as public transportation goes. 90-something percent of the time trains are on time to within a couple minutes.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by Matadora

YUCK!

Let's not forget to mention that when it's packed tight like a can of sardines the risk of an airborne spread diseases is very high. I avoid SF public transportation like the plague for all the reasons mentioned so far.

Be thankful for the transportation system you have. I ride the '7' train in Queens often during rush hour. Makes Bart look like a cupcake walk.

[Forever Blue]

Originally Posted by likealady

And I DO take off all my clothes before doing anything after commuting via BART/MUNI. Just the other night someone had vomited all over the seats in one of the BART trains.

Originally Posted by Matadora

YUCK!

Let's not forget to mention that when it's packed tight like a can of sardines the risk of an airborne spread diseases is very high. I avoid SF public transportation like the plague for all the reasons mentioned so far.

Originally Posted by clongirl

Ewww. That's really nasty!! I've been on a few buses where there was either a cockroach infestation or a rat running around. Makes for an interesting ride home (and lots of cameraderie with strangers) from a busy day at work.

I'll be visiting SF for a few days next wk & I plan to either be on foot OR use the cable cars only. I never had a reason to tk public transporation in my life & don't really plan to start now. I guess if I really had to, I will though. I've pretty well mapped out what I'll be doing each day & how to walk there or get there by cable car.

QUESTION to anyone who can answer: Is it SAFE to walk down Market St (& go almost 4 blocks), then go R on Hayes St (go 5 blocks), & past Octavia St to get to this restaurant I want to try? I will definitely be going during the daytime in broad daylight.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Forever Blue

I'll be visiting SF for a few days next wk & I plan to either be on foot OR use the cable cars only. I never had a reason to tk public transporation in my life & don't really plan to start now. I guess if I really had to, I will though. I've pretty well mapped out what I'll be doing each day & how to walk there or get there by cable car.

QUESTION to anyone who can answer: Is it SAFE to walk down Market St (& go almost 4 blocks), then go R on Hayes St (go 5 blocks), & past Octavia St to get to this restaurant I want to try? I will definitely be going during the daytime in broad daylight.

Yes, you'll be fine, just use basic common sense, don't walk with your purse wide open etc

[Forever Blue]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Yes, you'll be fine, just use basic common sense, don't walk with your purse wide open etc

Great, thank you! I read online people saying NOT to use your cell phone anywhere on Market St because strangers will tk it right out of your hand, sell it on the black market 2 blocks away or wherever, etc. And that the homeless can be quite brazen. Is that all hogwash?

[likealady]

Originally Posted by Forever Blue

Great, thank you! I read online people saying NOT to use your cell phone anywhere on Market St because strangers will tk it right out of your hand, sell it on the black market 2 blocks away or wherever, etc. And that the homeless can be quite brazen. Is that all hogwash?

Depends on what part of Market. Near the shopping parts should be fine, past 5th street to Civic center area, I wouldn't. Try to figure out what streets you need to take prior to leaving so you're not constantly walking with your head in your cell phone.

I've walked from Montgomery to Castro with a Samsung Galaxy hanging out of my back pocket and been fine.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Forever Blue

Great, thank you! I read online people saying NOT to use your cell phone anywhere on Market St because strangers will tk it right out of your hand, sell it on the black market 2 blocks away or wherever, etc. And that the homeless can be quite brazen. Is that all hogwash?

It's a bit exaggerated, I use my phone on Market Street and so does my GF and most people we know. However, I did see two girls grab an iPhone from a woman in heels. I also have a friend who also had her phone snatched from her.

It depends where on Market Street. If you are on Market around Castro District or Around Ferry Building, the odds are much less. Since you don't know the area well, it would be better to not use your phone unless necesary on Market. Be aware of your surroundings if you do. Look confident and not lost. I don't know what the odds are, but I would say it's similar to being in a car accident, so it's not very common, but it also isn't a rare occurrence. Also, use your own judgement, look at the people around you. If they seem like people who couldn't afford one, than don't use it. If you are surrounded by people with designer bags, then you can feel more comfortable etc.

Enjoy, it's a great city. I have my issues with it because of the cost of living, I expect a lot more as a local, but as a tourist, it's a great place.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by Forever Blue

Great, thank you! I read online people saying NOT to use your cell phone anywhere on Market St because strangers will tk it right out of your hand, sell it on the black market 2 blocks away or wherever, etc. And that the homeless can be quite brazen. Is that all hogwash?

I have no doubt that it has happened, but once you get here and walk around a bit, you will understand how silly this hyper-concern of yours is.

That said, no, I would not recommend that a woman walk around mid Market at night alone. Otherwise, if you have ever walked in any major city, you will be fine during the day. Use Uber at night if you decide you want to cross the Tenderloin or head into the eastern part of the Mission for some reason. Otherwise, you will be among many other tourists walking among locals in the tourist areas and will be perfectly fine.

I have read a few of your posts and I honestly can't figure out why you would want to travel anywhere with your level of paranoia about walking in a city. Just use a little common sense. From your posts, I get the feeling you have never been outside your car in a city before.

I will offer this bit of advice for if you do accidentally stumble into the Tenderloin (it isn't hard to do, but isn't the death sentence your imagination is telling you it is):

The TL is mostly on a hillside. If your city sense suddenly tells you that you are on a block you shouldn't be on, don't panic and don't do the ridiculous "act crazy" routine you described earlier, as it will only make you look like an easy mark to a real criminal. Just simply walk uphill.

I have given this same advice to my wife. A bad area in the TL can appear and disappear in as short a distance as one block. Like I said, it's all on a hillside, so there's always a way to go uphill, out of the neighborhood. The reason this works is that "crime doesn't climb." The bad guys are lazy. Plus, properties are more valuable and thus, have more vigilant, involved owners and tenants as you go uphill. The bad guys simply don't want to mess around with that. You will be amazed at the difference a half-block uphill makes in a neighborhood.

[Forever Blue]

Thanks a lot guys!

dalparadise, thanks also for the info! LOL. I've been to SF in 2009 w/ my mom & aunt (both in their 60s at the time) & I was in my mid 30s. We walked aroun on foot there, but not past Chinatown, but we've walked those streets at night once back then. We're overall VERY observant/alert ladies!

Regarding my personal experiences, I'll be honest, I've probably lived quite a sheltered life compared to most people: Didn't have to take a public school bus until high school, NEVER had to take public transporation except the Metrolink in L.A. for fun for the day once or twice. But I've ALWAYS had my own car & never walked to get from point A to point B.

But given all that, I'm still a very observant & alert person who never lets anyone get too close to me when I'm out in public, etc. It even irks me when I'm in line at the grocery store or bank, etc. & the person behind me is standing too close. I keep a good amt of space bwtn me at the person in front of me, but I get cramped from behind in line. I almost feel like doing a fake sneeze to hopefully make them back up some.

I don't know squat about the public bus sytems, routes, etc. (I was born & lived in Los Angeles till age 13, but I drive back there for a day trip several times a year in which I have my directions all printed out & I of course am driving my own car.)