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All-In [42191]
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A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 10:47 AM
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I debated posting it here or the Lunge, but I finally decided to go here considering how many believe all our major cities are crumbling into chaos because their favorite cable station told them so. I visited San Francisco for a long weekend, and it had been over 20 years since I had been there.
Let's get it out of the way: this is all purely anecdotal, and I certainly didn't have time to comb the whole city. I stayed in the Union Square area. That's not the peachiest area, but I didn't go into any known high-crime areas which, you know, exist in every city.
-I didn't see any human feces on the street or anyone pooping. I did almost step in dog #### one time on the sidewalk.
-I saw plenty of homeless, but no more than any other big city I visit.
-None of these homeless people accosted me or were aggressive. I was warned they would be extremely aggressive, but they didn't say a word to me. I walked alone around Union Square well after midnight or with just one friend and never once felt in any danger.
-Went to a Giants game. No fights or raucous behavior and people were very personable. The crowd was very diverse and they all seemed to be having a great time. It was a night game, too. Had two people yell a "Go Tigers!" to me when they saw my Clemson gear. If that was one of you reading this, cheers! In fact, the only person who ever said anything negative to me was a person who shouted "Detroit sucks!" after another Clemson fan yelled "Go Tigers!" So, yeah, wrong Tigers, buddy.
-I did have an Uber driver in a Tesla who drove like a maniac and blew past a school bus that was dropping off kids, so that guy sucked.
Basically, San Francisco seemed like... well, any big city in America. Definitely felt safer than L.A., but I'm sure that's not saying much. But really, nothing felt different from any of the other large cities I've gone to.
What's my point? Well, I'm not arguing that there isn't crime (or even an increase in crime), but the reports that it's this city of murderous trannies everywhere pooping on the sidewalk at every turn seem pretty exaggerated. These major cities aren't the apocalyptic nightmares that they've been portrayed to be lately.
Sometimes I wonder if those who make these claims have ever really been to a major city before in their lifetimes. I guess if you spend all your life in Podunk, SC, surrounded by like-minded folks, it's going to feel scary.
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All-In [38197]
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all the crazies ready to jump in this thread b lik
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Apr 24, 2023, 10:49 AM
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All-TigerNet [12165]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 10:55 AM
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bet the dog poop was from an undocumented border crossing chihuahua
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All-In [42191]
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Transsexual one at that.***
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Apr 24, 2023, 10:56 AM
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All-TigerNet [12165]
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identified as a cat?
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Apr 24, 2023, 11:10 AM
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oh wait, thought you said transspecieal
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All-In [26514]
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All-In [47798]
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wrong bored. take it to the lunge
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Apr 24, 2023, 11:41 AM
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I'm RAing this directly to Burgermeister BMeist
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All-TigerNet [13130]
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Another first hand report…
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Apr 24, 2023, 11:56 AM
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I went to an elementary school today on career day, to encourage kids to start padding their disability claims now; as the American dream is dead.
While there, I did not see any guns or active shooters. And witnessed zero murders. I did get yelled at by a lunch lady for holding up the line (I ain’t drinking skim milk). So, she sucked.
I think all that stuff is blown out of proportion by those “cultured” Americans, that went to a city for 2 days.
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Lot o points [155943]
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Union Square??
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:05 PM
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Bruh, that’s touristy AF. Go walk around the Mission district, where I had to keep my phone in my pocket to avoid getting jumped and having it taken. That’s like posting how safe Chicago is when your sample size is Millenium Park.
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All-In [42191]
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You mean next to the Tenderloin district...
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:24 PM
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Which has the city's highest crime rate?
Also some of y'all ain't readin'/missing the point of the post.
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Lot o points [155943]
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US is still a safe area. I get your overall point
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:31 PM
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But I’m not sure anyone is saying that cities have devolved into The Purge-esque dystopias, just that they’re clearly on the decline. I’ve spent time in business in most of the country’s NFL cities, and the aggregate number of areas in those cities that I would venture into is markedly lower than it was 10-15 years ago.
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All-In [42191]
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The picture that's been painted...
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:34 PM
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By some here and the Fox/Hannity/Tucker (LOL RIP) types is that San Francisco has devolved into a leftist cess pool of human sidewalk feces. It's not that.
Sure, crime is up everywhere, but they're painting an inaccurate picture of these cities. At least this city and what I saw. Seems about normal for a city right now.
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Heisman Winner [111623]
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Re: The picture that's been painted...
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Apr 24, 2023, 2:31 PM
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they are preempting a Gavin Newsome run for presidency, simple as that. if they can paint CA and its cities as failures of democratic leadership long enough, you know, Benghazi Benghazi Benghazi, and several years out, by the time the primary comes around people will associate him with feces ridden crime infested cities.
The derps on this board do their part in spreading the information virus.
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Associate AD [828]
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Re: US is still a safe area. I get your overall point
Apr 24, 2023, 1:01 PM
[ in reply to US is still a safe area. I get your overall point ] |
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But I’m not sure anyone is saying that cities have devolved into The Purge-esque dystopias, just that they’re clearly on the decline. I’ve spent time in business in most of the country’s NFL cities, and the aggregate number of areas in those cities that I would venture into is markedly lower than it was 10-15 years ago.
I'm curious why you say 10-15 years ago. Because the 4-decade trend of declining crime in cities really didn't hit a wall until the COVID/BLM years. Absolutely serious question. Was there something that you felt you observed in the ensuing ten years that wasn't being born out by the statistics.
(I'll set aside that even with the recent bumps in crime, violent crime rates in cities are way, way lower than they were in the '70s.)
Having lived in metro-NYC for nearly thirty years, I find it to be... not just safer, but simply more pleasant (quality of life wise) than when I first got here. Any bumps in crime in recent years take it from (proverbially) being 90% better than it was to only being 80% better than it was. And I spend time all over the city.
Some improvements ("improvements") are obvious. 42nd Street and Times Square, which was a haven to ###### and pron palaces, has been completely Disneyfied (safe but boring). But the more important changes are Brooklyn (which was taken over by hipsters because it was grimey and rent was dirt cheap) - now some areas are so gentrified the hipsters can't afford it. But also Harlem - when I moved here one just didn't go to Harlem without a good reason - it was dirty and unsafe. Now (IMHO) Harlem is one of the best places to live in the city, very safe, and (what I particularly love) since they didn't build a lot of high-rises, when it was struggling, Harlem is a place you can live and always see the sky. Sometimes when I head to the city, instead of Grand Central, I'll hop out of the train at 125th, walk through Marcus Garvey Park, down Malcolm X Boulevard, to walk the three or four miles into midtown. A lot of it is probably by comfort level and familiarity, but I could not tell you the last time I felt the slightest bit unsafe in the city. Thirty years ago when I first lived there and was dating my now-wife, who lived in Greenwich Village, there were way more bums asking for money.
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Orange Blooded [4786]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:08 PM
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I went to Moscow once and it was lovely. Guess all that stuff I'd heard about prior was a lie.
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110%er [5685]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
Apr 24, 2023, 12:15 PM
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It's a good post. He said where he visited and what he saw, so take it for what it is.
I have wondered myself whether the crime and homelessness we see reported are ubiquitous or concentrated (as they have been historically).
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Oculus Spirit [83127]
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North Beach? Washington Square?***
Apr 24, 2023, 12:19 PM
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Associate AD [828]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 12:38 PM
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Sometimes I wonder if those who make these claims have ever really been to a major city before in their lifetimes. I guess if you spend all your life in Podunk, SC, surrounded by like-minded folks, it's going to feel scary.
Spot-on point, that I have long made. Americans don't travel much outside of their regions, much less the country. 46% of Americans have only left the country once or never (and I suspect that one trip is Mexico or Canada). Only 25% have left the country five or more times.
College graduates (who also skew liberal) are the people most likely to have traveled outside of the country multiple times.
The average American has also only visited 12 states (I find this one even more surprising than the international travel data).
While trying to avoid mistaking correlation for causation, I suspect that you would see a big travel divide between liberals and conservatives. (I'm going to note an exception for travel due to military service, which is its own kettle of fish.)
As you say, if you spend your whole life in one place, you don't get a lot of exposure to a diversity of people and ideas. Nothing has served to making me a more well-rounded person and a person who has embraced diversity more and more as I have aged, as has travel. (Living close to NYC helps, too.) And it is funny, because I've traveled to around ten countries outside the US, but as they are all in Europe, I don't even feel especially well-traveled.
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All-TigerNet [13130]
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lol***
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Apr 24, 2023, 1:29 PM
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All-TigerNet [12249]
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1 question and 1 comment...
Apr 24, 2023, 1:22 PM
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Question: How expensive are things in SF? Heard that it costs about 40%(+) more than like items cost in Charlotte...
Comment: My nephew works for Sony PlayStation (moved to Charlotte a couple of years ago from NY City - Brooklyn) and he travels out to San Francisco quite often (at least once a quarter). I asked him about SF and he told me that the homeless are way more in number than NY City and WAY more aggressive. He said that it seems to be getting worse (in numbers and aggressiveness) each time he goes out to SF...
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All-In [42191]
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Re: 1 question and 1 comment...
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Apr 24, 2023, 1:38 PM
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Yep, definitely a bit more expensive. I certainly wouldn't want to live there. I attribute that to the taxes.
I wouldn't say as much as 40 percent more but a good bit.
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Associate AD [828]
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Orange Blooded [4009]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 2:08 PM
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Having been to San Francisco myself recently here are my takeaways/comments from your observations:
How do you really know it was dog poop?
Did you go to SoMa or Tenderloin? Because you can find all the human poop and mouthy homeless folks you want to there
I have traveled all over the world and there are only two places I felt in more danger than in LA - one was Chicago and the other was favelas of Rio. Maybe you are right though “it’s safer than LA” is a catchy slogan - should we put that in the suggestion box?
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All-In [43761]
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Why do you go to such run down areas of the world?
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Apr 24, 2023, 2:09 PM
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Like a favela for example.
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Orange Blooded [4009]
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Re: Why do you go to such run down areas of the world?
Apr 24, 2023, 2:34 PM
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For work.
Our clients’ operations are in remote areas within general proximity to major urban cities.
To be clear - I did not stay in the favela, i just spent a few hours each way traversing it.
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CU Guru [1381]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 24, 2023, 3:01 PM
[ in reply to Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco ] |
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why do people insist on that the tenderloin or SOMA are what SF is. "Buuut But did you go to the tenderlion???"
The tenderloin is terrible, even when I lived there many years ago. SOMA is not so bad, but due to it being an and industrial area with lots of warehouse spaces and empty buildings, it has a concentration of homeless vs the neighborhoods.
My Point, as I posted before there are good and bad in any city
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Orange Blooded [4009]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
Apr 24, 2023, 3:20 PM
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I guess I just don’t buy that.
Tenderloin and SoMa are literally right between city hall and the financial district in the middle of san fransisco.
At least in LA you have to drive out to Compton to get mugged
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All-In [42191]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
Apr 24, 2023, 3:38 PM
[ in reply to Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco ] |
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How do you really know it was dog poop?
Well, given the size, I guess someone could have let a homeless toddler take a #### there.
I was in the SoMa area for the Giants game but didn't explore there long. Spent more time in Tenderloin area. Sorry, didn't find poop or aggressive homeless.
You know, if you spend a lot of your time in the ###### areas of cities, I can see why you would think they're so bad.
But yes, L.A. was a different level. I did feel like I needed to watch my back a lot out there.
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Orange Blooded [4009]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
Apr 24, 2023, 5:08 PM
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Yep homeless toddler poop - just as I suspected… thats the worst! 🤣
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Heisman Winner [111623]
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Sheet, I lived in and about LA for 9 years
Apr 24, 2023, 8:49 PM
[ in reply to Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco ] |
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La is not even in the top 50 for violent crime, you are less safe in Columbia.
I got sucker punched once and saw a homeless dude jacking off on a park bench in Hollywood, that was it. And a number of times I rode the bus drunk from Marina Del Rey to Beverly Hills, and that required a few stops off Crenshaw. I felt far less safe in Atlanta. You just did not want to be in LA during the 90's when everyone was smoking crack.
San Fran is a neat city BTW, glad you got to visit.
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All-In [34486]
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When I went to SF
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Apr 24, 2023, 8:55 PM
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I made it a point to frequent Tenderloin, albeit mostly in broad daylight. Much ado about nothing from that perspective. I live in Columbia for Christ’s sake. Two Notch Rd gas stations are much sketcher.
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Hall of Famer [24084]
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Re: When I went to SF
Apr 26, 2023, 5:14 AM
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True story
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110%er [5508]
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Orange Blooded [2021]
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All-TigerNet [13130]
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But, he was there for two days…in a hotel. He knows.***
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Apr 25, 2023, 11:18 PM
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All-In [42191]
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Orange Blooded [4020]
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Hall of Famer [24084]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 26, 2023, 5:12 AM
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Reminds me of a buddy that I played rugby with when I was in Gville. He had just moved over from France. He said, "America is nothing like what they say on CNN." I think he was expecting nightly gun fights on Main St.
People need to get their head out of the TV and internet and go somewhere.
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Hall of Famer [24794]
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Wut? No trannie street gangs? You missed the adrenaline...***
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Apr 26, 2023, 6:52 AM
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All-TigerNet [10892]
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This reads like something a naïve western reporter would
Apr 26, 2023, 7:30 AM
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Write after a state sponsored visit to North Korea.
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All-In [42191]
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Travel a little, Tom***
Apr 26, 2023, 7:37 AM
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All-TigerNet [10892]
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LOL
Apr 26, 2023, 8:38 AM
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I do. I could write this same story about Chicago. I was actually there in the same are where the “youths” had their street brawls. Everything looked real nice when I was there.
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All-In [42191]
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Re: LOL
Apr 26, 2023, 8:45 AM
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I could take you to some areas of North Charleston that'd make you so scared you'd start believing birds were real. There are bad areas of any city.
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Associate AD [828]
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Re: LOL
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Apr 26, 2023, 8:48 AM
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I think it is funny when people are so determined to hold to a narrative that a city is bad that they are actually disappointed and frustrated that it is not. As if it somehow makes their lives worse off.
I can't count the number of times that I have posted the NYC violent crime stats, but people are still determined to hold on to this belief that it is still 1976 up here.
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All-TigerNet [10892]
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Millenium park is a bad area?***
Jul 9, 2020, 10:11 PM
[ in reply to Re: LOL ] |
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Orange Blooded [2669]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
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Apr 26, 2023, 9:54 AM
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Sure, nice areas in San Fransisco are awesome to visit. San Fransisco is beautiful.
Chicago is also awesome. Over the last few years, I have spent about a month in Chicago. Great times with each visit.
I work with a few people that have moved to the east coast from CA. The reason for all of them is because the cost of living was so ridiculously high. You can't start a family out there unless you are loaded. You have to be able to spend at least 800k for a house in a decent area for a family. If you can't spend that, then you are forced to live in not so good areas. That's where you see the homeless, human feces, and crime.
Of course you weren't going to see any of that when you went to a touristy area of San Fransisco.
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All-In [42191]
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Re: A firsthand report on San Francisco
Apr 26, 2023, 10:51 AM
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Of course you weren't going to see any of that when you went to a touristy area of San Fransisco.
I didn't stay in the "touristy area." And I was in the Tenderloin area other times as well. I already said I wasn't there a lot and had a small sample size. My point is that I saw plenty of homeless but no one harassed me and I never felt in danger.
Some of you don't read so well.
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