I haven’t written in a few weeks, so I feel like I really need to get something posted up here. I haven’t come across any annoying articles or politician’s remarks lately to write about anything of real merit. I could always comment on all of the celebrity deaths, but I feel that should be left up to assholes with pink hair that get punched in the face.
What I would like to comment on, however, is my recent work-trip to San Francisco. Work related stories aside to protect the innocent, I think I found my new favorite city (outside of Philadelphia).
I feel what makes the city so great is how pedestrian friendly it is. It was actually more annoying to drive around SF in a car than it is in LA. San Francisco may have the best public transportation I have seen in any city; New York City’s subway system being it’s only rival. What mode of transportation do I even begin with?
I love walking around cities I visit, and people love to walk around San Francisco. There is so much to see, the architecture is beautiful, the bay is gorgeous, and the towering Bay and Golden Gate Bridges are mighty bookends to the skyline. It made my five-mile runs each afternoon around the Esplanade so much more enjoyable.
After reading this bit, you all should know how much I enjoy bicycling. Again, there was no shortage of cyclists cruising around not only for enjoyment, but you’d easily see pelotons (yeh?) of sport jacket and tie-wearing business men with cuffed pants cruising to the office on any given day. Cars were giving cyclists the right of way. It was a breath of fresh air to see cyclists not having to constantly cut in between passing motorists.
All I need to mention about the busses is they are zero emission. That’s right. A massive grid of electric wires crisscrosses and spider-webs its way across the SF landscape. Each bus has a spire attached to this wiring system, which allows the busses to operate solely on electricity. For all you tree-huggers out there, zero-emission busses are a brilliant idea.
Finally, my favorite mode of transportation is probably the historical San Francisco Cable Car; not to be confused with the trolley, which is also a fun little way to jaunt across town. Like taking the chocolate factory “tour” at Hershey, I had to take a ride using the Cable Car system in San Fran. So cool to see the conductor actually have to grab the cable (duh) running under the street to make the vehicle move. We learned an actual fire is started as the Cable Car braking system grabs the cable to slow down.
All and all, whoever designed San Francisco did a most excellent job and I hope lots of people bought that person a beer. (I could probably Google who the city planner was, but I’m going to be lazy and let you all go on a little adventure of your own.) The citizens were great to be around, and I am confident to call all the working contacts I made while I was visiting, friends. I had a blast exploring this great city and I look forward to going back there very soon.
You don’t want to see this. If you did, you’d surely disbelieve it…
