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0 reasons why San Francisco sucks
08-16-2013, 10:55 AM
I lived in SF from 2010 to 2012. I will respond to all of the guy's points one by one.
1. Public Transportation
If you don’t agree with me that the SF MUNI is a pathetic excuse for a public transportation system, then I suggest you visit any of the following cities at your convenience and then proceed to get your head out of your ass: New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, and… actually you know what? Just goto any real city…
My response Bogus. SF has one of the best public transit systems in the country, from buses to cable cars/street cars, and underground MUNI trains. There's also BART that gets you out to the East Bay and the Peninsula. I'm not a huge fan of BART so if he griped about that I'd understand, but MUNI is definitely legit.
On top of all that, SF is relatively small (even smaller than DC), so you can bike and walk in most neighborhoods. Cab fares are also very reasonable and being in a small city means you won't be going on journey rides.
2. Parking
This is the bane of my existence these days. Hey San Francisco! If you’re going to have such an embarrassing excuse for a public transit system, at least build some fucking parking lots like Los Angeles.
Why the fuck would I want to go anywhere if I have to choose between spending an hour on a bus where homeless people publicly defecate or an equally enraging hour of circling the same 4 street blocks trying to find parking on a 45 degree hill.
My response Not even necessary when you don't really need to drive. It only helps to have a car if you're going to explore the greater Bay Area. For that, you can just use Zipcar which has pretty nice selection in SF, from Beamers to Mini Coopers, etc.
3. Weather
I hate how I can’t tell the difference between August and February. I hate how I have to turn on the heater in the middle of summer. I hate having to always carry a jacket because of the 20 degree swings between day and night.
My response Now this is straight bullshit. Coming from the East Coast, I love SF weather. In fact, I'd say it's even ideal. I love being able to wear a jacket and fall clothing most of the year. That's my favorite type of look anyway. Also, I played outdoor soccer year round and never was a game cancelled due to weather. I'll admit that in August SF is ridiculously chilly and you do need to don a sweater, but I'd take that any day over a humid and sticky DC summer. Real talk.
4. Start Up Guys
I’ve got some advice for you: It’s cool that you have a very fulfilling job and love what you do, really bro, I mean it. But please try and talk about something other than what’s on TechCrunch when in a social situation. There is more to life than who raised money from who and which startup got acquired by Google.
My response Yeah there's a big startup scene but these are guys who made their money saying F U to the man. My boy who moved to SF from DC made his first million before the age of 30 just recently by selling his mobile app startup to a Japanese conglomerate. He would rock jeans and a tee to work while riding a longboard or bike. Can't be mad at that. SF has a niche of just about every subculture you'll find in the country so if you want to network with finance guys with a capitalist mentality, there's definitely that too. I actually worked in the FiDi.
5. 49ers
No, not the football team, they’re great. I’m referring to all the girls who are obviously 4's and behave like they are 9's. Just because San Francisco has the worst Female to Male ratio in the known universe doesn’t give you the right to be a bitch all the time.
My response I agree the average girl isn't anything to write home about, but they are usually friendly and laid back unlike these dildo-rocking beasts in DC. Attitudes can't even compare.
6. Homeless People
San Francisco has some of the craziest homeless people I have ever seen in my life. Stop giving them money, you know they just buy alcohol and drugs with it right? Next time just hand them a handle of vodka and a pack of cigarettes, it’ll save everyone some trouble. I’m seriously tempted to start fucking with people and pay for homeless guys to ride the Powell street cable cars in the middle of the day, that ought to get the city’s attention.
My response Now this is true. SF has a serious homeless problem. I've seen some straight up characters in the Turk street area of the Tenderloin. Truly wild shit. Never before have I been to a city where spotting human feces is as common as dog shit. But on the other hand, these guys are harmless and most of them are clever enough to come to SF because they know it's one of the only - if not the only - cities in America where there is a church (St. Luke's I believe) that provides three warm meals a day pro bono. I doubt there's another city with as many social services catered to the homeless.
7. Crime
The difference between crime in SF versus crime in NYC is that the areas in which it happens are in much closer proximity to where normal upstanding citizens frequently travel. Imagine taking The Bronx and just having it take a shit in the middle of Manhattan, that’s kinda what the Tenderloin is like all the time.
My response BS. I've been in all SF neighborhoods (minus the Castro) at all times of night. Never once was I worried about safety. Now Oakland is another story...
8. Nightlife (or lack thereof)
Nowadays I don’t even want to go out because getting kicked out of a bar/club at 2AM, which usually is the peak of the night, is just depressing. Pair that shit sandwich with public transit being non-existent past midnight and it is impossible to get home safely, especially if you live far from downtown.
My response I can agree with that, but that's not an SF problem, that's a statewide CA problem. That last call policy has cockblocked me too many times to count. On the other hand, restos stay open relatively late. So run day game and hit venues early and get numbers and then take it from there. Any top tier playboy needs a repertoire of skill sets anyway.
9. Cost of Living
Don’t get me wrong, it is equally if not more expensive to live in Manhattan, but the issue is “bang for your buck.” In NYC I can justify paying 80% of my salary for a decent apartment in a safe and convenient neighborhood. In SF, I have to pay 80% of my salary to live down the street from crackheads and meth addicts while having the closest drug store being so far away that I’d probably bleed to death before I managed to buy a band-aid in time.
My response He's lying. Tenderloin (where crackheads are) prices aren't through the roof. In many areas of the city, you get what you pay for in terms of quality of life, nature, epic scenery, and a more slow pace of life. SF is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
10. Bicyclists
Stop being fucking hypocrites. If you want to share the road, then you need to respect the rules of the road and stop running stop signs and lights. Next time I see one of you fuckers bomb through a crosswalk and almost mow down a row of pedestrians I’m going to clothesline you.
My response I've never even noticed bicyclists but SF is most definitely a bicycle-friendly city. Don't hate.