4 ms·

San Francisco is like a distopian future from an 80s movie where those with money have the latest technology and skate around on electric scooters while the ign

by maym86 8y ago

San Francisco is like a distopian future from an 80s movie where those with money have the latest technology and skate around on electric scooters while the ignored underclass don't even have access to basic amenities and live in tents.

mirceaulinic 8y ago
Such a sad place, makes me feel bad whenever I have to go there. This is one of the main reasons I cut my travels to SF, I just can see that poverty, it's against my life principles.
- aphextron 8y ago
  Same. I moved to the bay 4 years ago and initially loved the city. Now I avoid it like the plague unless there is some absolutely essential need, then I get in and out as fast as possible. How anyone can live in that city and think it’s a nice place to be just blows my mind. People eating $100 brunch as an insane deranged drug addict is dying on their stoop.
- thatjsguy 8y ago
  I visited a few years ago. Never again. Coming out of our BART station was like stepping into some third-world nation (no offense to third-world nations): garbage everywhere, homeless people struggling to live, cops carefully watching for gang violence to break out. Meanwhile, a block away, someone was getting a $50 basic men’s haircut. I once walked down Mission St and for blocks the whole thing was like some kind of homeless bazaar. Two women were fighting at one point, and I passed a gentleman in a doorway who I’m pretty sure was dead (he eventually moved, but he was skin and bones..) Something is terribly, terribly wrong in the Bay Area, and I’m unfortunately not surprised that it continues to get worse. I refuse to ever go back.
- yashevde 8y ago
  friends are shocked when I tell them that the plight of beggars on the streets of Mumbai - in terms of mental and physical health, hygiene, and support systems - is far better than that of the homeless in S.F.
gumby 8y ago
A good analogy, but drive out to the Central Valley and you'll see a feudal divide that makes SF seem positively egalitarian. For example all the farm owners' houses are on hills or birds and the workers' housing is in the flood planes. Think I'm exaggerating? Just drive through the Altamont pass and head down 205 towards Tracy. Get off the highway and the divide becomes even more extreme.
- sulam 8y ago
  > For example all the farm owners' houses are on hills or birds They have their houses on birds? That’s ... amazing!
  - gumby 8y ago
    Sorry, "berm," autocorrected by a computer that thought it knew better than I.
    - sulam 8y ago
      Man, I blew some karma to find out birds were berms? I’ve been robbed! ;-)
jjtheblunt 8y ago
San Francisco makes me wonder if it is proof that the policies of the Democrats are an egregious and proven failure. I don't know the answer, but it seems self evident, sadly.
- xpaulbettsx 8y ago
  At the end of the day, even extremely effective policy can't fundamentally undo the economic realities of San Francisco - there is not enough housing to meet demand. You can only do so much for the homeless when you can't actually give them homes or jobs.
  - im3w1l 8y ago
    The argument is that not enough housing to meet demand is because of the policies and politicians of SF. There are levers with which they can control both the demand and supply.
    - maym86 8y ago
      Right, taxing large corporations more and making their takeover of the city slower would have slowed the increasing demand for housing. SF's government could have chosen to not sell it's soul entirely to big tech while still supporting smaller startups and businesses. I would argue that the policies have not been left wing enough despite the perception that SF is very left wing. Reality is that the leadership of the city is in the pocket of the tech industry. Let some of the money go elsewhere and boost some other city's economy rather than having it all focused in one place to the point of it causing major problems.
- maym86 8y ago
  The Democrats are a center-right wing party by European standards. Even in SF they put business interests first. You don't see this problem to this extent in major European cities.
- unixhero 8y ago
  Policies of democrats? Who's failure was brought in itself by local government and lobbying constituents.

by maym86 8y ago

mirceaulinic 8y ago

Such a sad place, makes me feel bad whenever I have to go there. This is one of the main reasons I cut my travels to SF, I just can see that poverty, it's against my life principles.

aphextron 8y ago
Same. I moved to the bay 4 years ago and initially loved the city. Now I avoid it like the plague unless there is some absolutely essential need, then I get in and out as fast as possible. How anyone can live in that city and think it’s a nice place to be just blows my mind. People eating $100 brunch as an insane deranged drug addict is dying on their stoop.
thatjsguy 8y ago
I visited a few years ago. Never again. Coming out of our BART station was like stepping into some third-world nation (no offense to third-world nations): garbage everywhere, homeless people struggling to live, cops carefully watching for gang violence to break out. Meanwhile, a block away, someone was getting a $50 basic men’s haircut. I once walked down Mission St and for blocks the whole thing was like some kind of homeless bazaar. Two women were fighting at one point, and I passed a gentleman in a doorway who I’m pretty sure was dead (he eventually moved, but he was skin and bones..) Something is terribly, terribly wrong in the Bay Area, and I’m unfortunately not surprised that it continues to get worse. I refuse to ever go back.
yashevde 8y ago
friends are shocked when I tell them that the plight of beggars on the streets of Mumbai - in terms of mental and physical health, hygiene, and support systems - is far better than that of the homeless in S.F.

gumby 8y ago

A good analogy, but drive out to the Central Valley and you'll see a feudal divide that makes SF seem positively egalitarian. For example all the farm owners' houses are on hills or birds and the workers' housing is in the flood planes. Think I'm exaggerating? Just drive through the Altamont pass and head down 205 towards Tracy. Get off the highway and the divide becomes even more extreme.

sulam 8y ago
> For example all the farm owners' houses are on hills or birds They have their houses on birds? That’s ... amazing!
- gumby 8y ago
  Sorry, "berm," autocorrected by a computer that thought it knew better than I.
  - sulam 8y ago
    Man, I blew some karma to find out birds were berms? I’ve been robbed! ;-)

jjtheblunt 8y ago

San Francisco makes me wonder if it is proof that the policies of the Democrats are an egregious and proven failure. I don't know the answer, but it seems self evident, sadly.

xpaulbettsx 8y ago
At the end of the day, even extremely effective policy can't fundamentally undo the economic realities of San Francisco - there is not enough housing to meet demand. You can only do so much for the homeless when you can't actually give them homes or jobs.
- im3w1l 8y ago
  The argument is that not enough housing to meet demand is because of the policies and politicians of SF. There are levers with which they can control both the demand and supply.
  - maym86 8y ago
    Right, taxing large corporations more and making their takeover of the city slower would have slowed the increasing demand for housing. SF's government could have chosen to not sell it's soul entirely to big tech while still supporting smaller startups and businesses. I would argue that the policies have not been left wing enough despite the perception that SF is very left wing. Reality is that the leadership of the city is in the pocket of the tech industry. Let some of the money go elsewhere and boost some other city's economy rather than having it all focused in one place to the point of it causing major problems.
maym86 8y ago
The Democrats are a center-right wing party by European standards. Even in SF they put business interests first. You don't see this problem to this extent in major European cities.
unixhero 8y ago
Policies of democrats? Who's failure was brought in itself by local government and lobbying constituents.