The San Francisco Trash/Needles/Poop in the Streets Containment Thread (San Diego: 2013, rated)

[Shooting Stars]

Originally Posted by wasel

I've been visiting SF every few years for the last 20 years. Recently I visited for the first time in 3 years, and I was really shocked at how filthy the city has become, and how bad it smells. Going to dinner, I got nauseated just walking the streets and lost my appetite.

I've read through some of this thread but stopped when all the "Oklahoma" nonsense began. First of all, SF bills itself as a "world class city." I don't think Oklahoma City ever has called itself that, so this "yeah but what are you?" silliness is irrelevant, considering that...

...SF has an abundance of wealth, a progressive mindset and a legacy of innovation in spades. No other US city has that combination to the degree SF has. So why the heck is it such a mess? What is the issue here?

I'm not even talking about the homeless (although from a progressive societal standpoint I can't imagine letting someone live on the street with no place to use a toilet.) I'm talking about the general filth. For example, I dined at a fairly high-end restaurant -- at least price wise -- and the windows looked like they hadn't had a wash in years.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't need everything to be brand spanking new and sparkly. I love the ramshackle hole in the wall places in old buildings. Give me the family run coffee and pastry counter on the sidewalk vs Starbucks any day.

For many visitors, SF is their first introduction to this country. Is this the best we can do?

It's a mindset. If the citizens wanted it to be better, it WOULD be better.

They're too busy congratulating themselves on living there to actually look around. Another thing is that California has always attracted a lot of people who purposely moved from less scenic or boring places. I've known too many people who didn't really look at any other places . . . they just moved straight to California. Once someone like that makes the big move to SF, they like to think of themselves as having made it. They are too personally invested in believing they've moved up in life to be too critical of their new surroundings. I don't know. Maybe they hated their former home so much that it really seems like an improvement to them, at least in some aspects. They ignore what is unappealing.

[robertpasa]

Question: all big cities have a homeless problem - why does SF have more of a human waste problem also?

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

Question: all big cities have a homeless problem - why does SF have more of a human waste problem also?

Problem is SF is not a big city which makes this homeless issue one that's in your face daily.

When I moved to the Bay Area in 2010 SF used to give money to the homeless. You knew when they received their money...there would be a long line waiting to buy drugs in the Tenderloin.

The reason you see all of the human waste is because those homeless folks strung out on drugs don't care where they take a crap. Many do it out of spite by crapping on the doorsteps of homes and businesses.

It's a sick culture in SF to simply allow this to go on and do nothing about it.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

Question: all big cities have a homeless problem - why does SF have more of a human waste problem also?

Severe lack of public restrooms, it's really pretty tough to find one if you're not homeless. I've been to SF and had to wait in a 30 minute line to use a Starbucks bathroom. I've been to major cities all over the world and have never found one with fewer public restrooms than San Francisco.

[Matadora]

The real reason is because those homeless folks strung out on drugs don't care where they take a crap. Many do it out of spite by crapping on the doorsteps of homes and businesses.

You won't find non-homeless folks behaving this way in spite of the claim from 2sleepy.

The above poster is a homeless advocate and will make every excuse under the sun to justify homeless behaviors.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Matadora

The real reason is because those homeless folks strung out on drugs don't care where they take a crap. Many do it out of spite by crapping on the doorsteps of homes and businesses.
You won't find non-homeless folks behaving this way in spite of the claim from 2sleepy.
The above poster is a homeless advocate and will make every excuse under the sun to justify homeless behaviors.

whatever...but the fact remains, if there were more public restrooms fewer homeless people would crap on the sidewalk If you want to dispute that statement feel free but lets do that rather than opine about how I am a homeless advocate...

The only public restrooms that are open 24/7 are the San Francisco Fire Department and the San Francisco Police Department. But the former is only accessible if the crew is at the station. And most homeless people, many of whom have had negative encounters with the police, consider the latter to be a hostile environment. What’s more, the stations do not appear to truly be open to the public, anyway— half of the ten SFPD stations told us that they did not have a public restrooms, and those that did required key code access and an escort. San Francisco needs to provide safe, dignified bathrooms for homeless people

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

whatever...but the fact remains, if there were more public restrooms fewer homeless people would crap on the sidewalk If you want to dispute that statement feel free but lets do that rather than opine about how I am a homeless advocate...

Interesting that SF has very high tourist numbers but yet you don't find them crapping on other peoples front porch or in the middle of the sidewalk.

Your response backs up my claim about you making every excuse under the sun to try and justify homeless behaviors.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Matadora

Interesting that SF has very high tourist numbers but yet you don't find them crapping on other peoples front porch or in the middle of the sidewalk.

Your response backs up my claim about you making every excuse under the sun to try and justify homeless behaviors.

I was in San Francisco today, went from the Ferry building to Pier 39 and Fisherman's wharf, walked around North Beach then went to Chinatown and the Japan center. Number of times I detected the scent of urine ZERO. Number of piles of crap I saw on the street or sidewalk ZERO. Number of homeless blocking the sidewalk or laying down on public property ZERO

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I was in San Francisco today, went from the Ferry building to Pier 39 and Fisherman's wharf, walked around North Beach then went to Chinatown and the Japan center. Number of times I detected the scent of urine ZERO. Number of piles of crap I saw on the street or sidewalk ZERO. Number of homeless blocking the sidewalk or laying down on public property ZERO

So what? Just because you are in the tourist areas of SF and did not see any of this mean ZERO!

$HITHOLE ALERT: Liberal San Francisco Full of Poop and Needles

What a failed operation and waste of money. Yep you heard it yourself...many don't want to go to shelters.

San Francisco's Homeless Problem: Where's The Money Going?

[likealady]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I was in San Francisco today, went from the Ferry building to Pier 39 and Fisherman's wharf, walked around North Beach then went to Chinatown and the Japan center. Number of times I detected the scent of urine ZERO. Number of piles of crap I saw on the street or sidewalk ZERO. Number of homeless blocking the sidewalk or laying down on public property ZERO

Ok? And I was walking down market street near Montgomery BART yesterday and there was a guy laying across the sidewalk, a handful homeless looking people loitering near the Daiso and smelled urine at least 3 times in 3 different areas. There was a guy right across from Yerba Buena sitting on the church steps begging for money with his pants falling down his butt, A few blocks down a woman was passed out near 2nd and Mission with her sandals strewn across the sidewalk, and another guy asked me for money right after I got off the bus. Are you sure you were in the same city as me?