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Old 02-12-2009, 06:54 PM
 
3,735 posts, read 8,064,318 times
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Thought this was an interesting article:

The Mommy Files : Do San Franciscans really hate kids?
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Old 02-12-2009, 11:25 PM
 
13 posts, read 53,651 times
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I think San Francisco hates you if you're not poor, homeless or an addict.
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Old 02-14-2009, 07:09 PM
 
495 posts, read 1,830,608 times
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Hahaaaaa. I just got a vivid picture of the big bad wolf hiding in the shadows of some anonymous and obscure City alley way. Thanks for the belly laugh.
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Old 02-17-2009, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
1,554 posts, read 5,289,217 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iSlowpoke View Post
I think San Francisco hates you if you're not poor, homeless or an addict.
They love the poor so much yet they don't have affordable housing. Right.
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Old 02-17-2009, 05:20 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,311 posts, read 51,917,889 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by City Boy View Post
They love the poor so much yet they don't have affordable housing. Right.
Good point.

It's incredibly difficult to be poor in this area, so I'm not really sure where people get that notion... too much FOX News, perhaps? LOL. And while I haven't read that article yet, I can say with certainty that no - we do not hate children.
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Old 02-17-2009, 05:28 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,311 posts, read 51,917,889 times
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Okay, I just read the article, and that was pretty dumb... so a few people got rude comments? Oh yeah, that's a good way to gauge an entire city's attitude towards children. Oy vey. For the record, I've never witnessed anyone being harassed for having children or being pregnant. My sister was 9 months pregnant when we went shopping in Union Square (1.5 years ago), and people were not only friendly, but were generally more polite than usual - holding doors open, offering her a seat while waiting at a restaurant, etc. We probably aren't as "coddling" with parents/kids around here, but that's just due to our demographics (fewer parents & families compared to other areas). Only thing I hate is those stupid double-wide strollers, and parents who EXPECT special treatment or "ooooh-ahhhhhs" whenever their precious child is present.

P.S. I am a children's librarian and former teacher, before anyone accuses me of hating kids.
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Old 02-17-2009, 05:50 PM
 
3,735 posts, read 8,064,318 times
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I notice pregnant people & people with kids all the time commuting into SF and I am a parent with kids as well. From my experience, the employer pays less and less each year for spouses and dependents towards benefits, there are some companies that offer flexible schedules for people with kids but people without kids in those same atmospheres pitch a fit and or there is no compassion when you have to leave work to get your kids, places I've worked preferred either not to hire a woman with kids (preferred a man because they commonly said they have less responsibilities/don't get pregnant like women do), I've been to parks where you see more dogs in the park than you do kids (I bumped into a dog because its owner wouldn't move out of the way for me and my family and the owner had an attitude), during rush hour and when the trains get packed I rarely see people get up while sitting in the handicap seat for an elderly person let alone get up for a pregnant lady or a small child, going to restaurants in SF with kids is also very tricky, depending on the age of your kids you will get looks (I've seen some people be asked to leave because of their kids). SF isn't the most kid friendly place that I have been to but I wouldn't say people hate kids either (maybe just not so use to them).
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Old 02-17-2009, 08:02 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,311 posts, read 51,917,889 times
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Is any big city really "kid-friendly?" I've spent plenty of time in New York City, and it doesn't seem that easy to push a stroller down Broadway. As for the hiring issues, those are more related to being a woman than a parent... you said yourself that women get pregnant, and some employers will even hold that against a single woman. Don't complain about the schedule flexibility, however, because as a non-parent I don't have those built-in excuses. I have one co-worker who leaves at 4pm every day to pick up her son, and I doubt they'd allow that for a "single person reason." I also doubt they'd understand if I stayed home to care for a sick dog, but a sick child is a no-brainer. That being said, I do think the state needs to re-evaluate their benefits, particularly for maternity leave. My sister & friends who are mothers only got 3 months total, and it was at reduced pay - doesn't seem like quite enough!
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Old 02-17-2009, 11:54 PM
 
3,735 posts, read 8,064,318 times
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Gizmo980, there are some big cities that are very kid friendly. LA is much more kid friendlier than SF as is many cities. No I wouldn't consider NY to be kid friendly (but depends on where you go, New York is bigger than SF), but other places don't have parks for kids that you mainly see dogs at. One of the first companies I worked at in the bay area allowed dogs & cats in their office but no children. Also, I remember the days when working here in the bay when an employer would pay at least 50% for spouse and dependents, you are lucky to have them pay anything for dependents. And, single people just have it easy trust me (so enjoy it while you can)!
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Old 02-19-2009, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
1,554 posts, read 5,289,217 times
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LA is more kid friendly because it's not congested like NY or SF. LA is spread out and flat and has plenty of open space.
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