Legendary blogger and LOLcat enthusiast Anil Dash is starting a series on How to Visit New York. Today’s primer on basics nails my number two peeve about San Francisco quite well:
If you are walking on the sidewalks and get winded because you’re not used to hoofing it so much, be sure to get out of the way before you just stop; Pulling to a halt on a sidewalk is the equivalent of stopping your car right in the middle of traffic.
San Franciscans will come to a sudden stop ANYWHERE; on the sidewalk, on the stairs, and most frustratingly—in doorways. I’ve given this a lot of thought over the years and boiled it down to this: Most large cities that I’ve been in have SOME understanding of a social contract and of how their behavior impacts upon the other people in their densely populated proximity. San Francisco, however, is run on the premise that individual entitlement supercedes the social contract.
Anil has inspired me to write up my own guide on How To Visit San Francisco which I will hopefully post this evening. It will include my number one pet peeve about the city. You’ll enjoy it!
Written by Mike Monteiro on July 9, 2007 | 
1 comments so far. Add yours below.
jennifer says:
I just wanted to say that perhaps it is not the people who live here doing the sudden stopping, but the tourists. I walk through the Union Square area every day to and from work, and it's the tourists. Trust me.
July 16, 2007 1:27 PM