Chris Saul's Blog

Monday September 10, 2007

In San Fran, with the homeless

In San Fran for VMworld - can't wait.

The long journey here was pretty tiring - I wasn't able to get the connections I wanted. Still I am here now, in a very nice room at the Hotel Nikko.

Walking around to find something to eat last night was pretty intimidating. A sleeping tramp in the middle of the pavement masturbating, two guys tormenting a beggar in a wheelchair who'd been screaming obscenities the first time I walked past him, plus lots of 'sturdy beggars' asking for money, all during my five minute walk to a small noodle restaurant.

All of this could have been avodied if my international business hotel didn't shut its restaurant at 10pm, a time that seems very early to me.

Sure, we have beggars in London, but they tend to be sitting down quietly in doorways asking for money. British politeness and reserve extending even to the most desperate, or more effective policing?