Got Gas? and other San Francisco, CA Warning Or Danger Tips

Gas stations can be hard to find in the City as they are constantly being closed and demolished. Soon overpriced housing rises from their formerly toxic soils.

Prepare yourself for the fact that gas in S.F. and nearby locals is among the most expensive in the country.

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Parking in S.F. can be problematic. In the more congested areas the little available parking may be expensive. In downtown, it is usually best to take MUNI or BART and not worry about where to put your car.

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San Francisco has a few hills. This makes driving with stick shifts a little more fun. Also, it creates some real problems for big trucks. The photo shows a 31.6 percent grade beyond the intersection.

You park perpendicular to the curb on the hills and do a little mountain climbing out to crawl out of your car, always weary of the potential of the car door to slam shut, by a combination of gravity and wind, to deliver a substantial blow to an exposed limb.

Many big rigs have gotten stuck at the spot in the photo. They have three choices.

1: Move forward over the cliff and get stuck on the grade break (with front wheels on the slope, rear wheels on the relatively flat intersection, and undercarriage resting firm on the pavement).

2: Try backing blindly up the 21.6 percent slope that led them into this mess. Many loaded trucks can not so this.

3: Make a right turn onto the narrow sidestreet. It is 30 feet wide with valued parking on both sides. This maneuver will usually sacrifice a couple of parked cars.

If you are coming to town with a good size truck, don't be fooled by a rectangular street grid. Some of these streets are steep.

If you have a car, curb your wheels. Not only will this prevent runaways (I've seen some), but will also prevent a parking ticket for failing to do so.

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Beware of street cleaning and parking time limit signs. Don't think it is your lucky day when you see a block with abundant parking in an overcrowded neighborhood. Watch for those signs. They are not often visible from your line of sight. They could be stuck in an overgrown tree, down at the bottom (or top) of a steep hills, or nearly completely faded. The City aggressively enforces the street cleaning tickets.

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Home of the Homeless!

San Francisco hosts an enormous homeless population. Some are just plain down and out due to financial or other problems, some choose the lifestyle, but many have substance abuse or psychological issues. It is common to see shopping carts driving down the street or sidewalk loaded with anything except groceries. Homeless people can be located anywhere within the City. Only in a few residential neighborhoods are they rare. They are far more abundant in certain areas like downtown, Civic Center, the Mission, the Tenderloin, portions of Golden Gate Park, the "South of Market area", and the City's few remaining light industrial districts.

Their claim to fame is panhandling. Sometimes several apply their trade on a single block. A few have organized into collectives, and spread out to cover a territory more affectively. Some are aggressive in their approach. Others are more courteous. Nowadays, the phrase "Brother can you spare a dime" has been replaced by "spare change, do you have a quarter, or got a dollar." Use your common sense in any dealings with these folks. If you come to San Francisco and are not hit up for change, you have spent too much time in your hotel room.

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Don't Get Blown Away!

Being on the coast, San Francisco knows how to kick up a good wind. It is not uncommon for a strong wind to be present on an otherwise warm day. Don't be surprised if you are faced with the choice of wearing a jacket and boiling over or getting blasted by wind. Some locations are more likely to get windy; such as, Downtown and the Financial District where the high rises create wind tunnels, Civic Center (near Market Street and Van Ness Avenue), Ocean Beach, the Marina, Twin Peaks, and the deck of the Golden Gate Bridge. Due to the City's microclimates, it is common for one neighborhood to experience gusty winds while a nearby neighborhood has dead calm. You may want to bring a jacket when you head out on the town.

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