Tuesday, July 31, 2007

What's happening to the Bay Area?

Last night I dreamt of street crime and guns. This morning I wake up to stories like this -- a 24-year-old man gunned down in broad daylight (and apparently it was a random street mugging and assault) in El Cerrito, of all places. Then this -- crime is up in Temescal, a neighborhood that I've been known to frequent. Not to mention the ongoing homeless dilemma in the city and elsewhere.

Then there was a close call Friday night. Adam and I were driving through Hayes Valley and some drunk and mean asshole was crossing the street -- totally against traffic, and it seemed to be almost deliberate. As we pulled up, the guy leaned on the hood of the car and looked at us menacingly. Scared the shit out of me.

What the hell is going on here?

People are saying crime is up, way up. It could be summer, or it could be something more serious, and does the cause really matter?

We pay a fortune to live here, a fucking fortune. The nature of my job is such that I could work anywhere. The thing that keeps me here most strongly -- one of the things, anyway -- is the Farm. I love where I live. But that doesn't mean I haven't thought about abandoning ship and going elsewhere, to a place a little more clean and sane. Portland? New York?

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