Meth Casualties

If a major corporation were selling a drug that created as many problems as methamphetamines, the lefties would be in an uproar. But since it's all part of the hip drug culture, it's somehow just part of the freedom of choice allowed in a liberal urban environment.

I don't necessarily advocate a crack-down on illicit drug use. What I do advocate are finding mechanisms whereby individuals can pay the costs of their decisions before their brains become useless blobs of jello. Oh, and while you're feelin' on top of the world with that meth high, would you mind picking up a little of the trash in this neighborhood ?

Bicycling in San Francisco

Rode my bicycle yesterday, first time in quite awhile.

Let's be frank; one cannot ride a bicycle on a downtown San Francisco street without the dramatic sense that CARS ARE THE ENEMY. They will kill you and drag your carcass for two blocks without even noticing.

San Francisco is a great place for bicycling, and there are bike paths and places you can get away from the traffic. But riding downtown is truly a death sport. A woman was killed just a few weeks ago on the route I took.

Consider; an incredibly high number of 1) people who commute for hours and just want to get out of town fast, 2) lost tourists, 3) out of towners looking for a street sign not paying attention, 4) drivers on cell phones, and 5) people just in town to party or buy drugs. All of this adds up to dead bicyclists and minor scratches on someone's fender.

I hope that explains why anyone who chooses the second best form of transportation (after walking) is really pissed off at those giant pollution-belching, metal cannisters that others have wrapped their lifestyles around.

There is a better way, but so many have invested alot of car payments into making sure it doesn't happen.

Parking

There are only a few places in the country where population density makes the automobile a less than optimal transportation solution. New York. Not Los Angeles, it was built for autos. San Francisco.

In San Francisco, your monthly parking fees may exceed your monthly car loan payments. Considering the city is only 8 miles across, if you want to park on the street, you may do more driving looking for parking spots than you do getting to destinations. And you will always get tickets; whether it's leaving your car parked overnight on a street-cleaning night, expired meters, or parking in the wrong zone -- the system is designed to maximize revenue by being difficult for the visitor or beginner to understand.

I once worked somewhere with an email alert system to notify everyone that the meter maid was around the corner and headed your way. People still got tickets. If you have any reason to wonder why San Franciscan bicyclists are so rabidly devoted, drive and try to park a car in this town for a week or two, or better yet, pay the added expense of a car for a few months.

Public transit can be a wonderful thing (sometimes... read my other post on MUNI ! )