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Monday, November 05, 2007

San Francisco!! Updated


Home again after a great day and a restful night. I headed home a little after 7 this morning and came in about 10:30, just in time to chat with Ray's home health care nurse. Ray did fine without me which is good since I'm invited back for birthday party in early December.

I may try to get back with more later and maybe a few pictures. Meantime, here's what I wrote to a friend of mine(Chris at Rude Cactus) who was asking about weekend statistics. The picture at the top is the infamous porta potty. It came out a little dark but you get the idea. They have them scattered around downtown. If you're not out in 20 minutes, the door opens and you will be embarrassed. It's sanitized automatically between uses. They seem to be working well but I knew eventually someone would figure out how to beat the system.

"Trips to San Francisco - 1

# of crazy bus drivers on Bay Bridge - 1
(next time I'll get off the train early and catch BART in).
He wanted to look at my camera (to count the pixels) which was fine until he took both hands off the wheel to do it. "Excuse me sir, shall I drive while you play with the camera?"

# of toilet stories to almost compare with your's - 1
(the person who successfully got around the time limit on the free porta potty at Powell & Market (the cable car turnaround in the postcards) by opening the door long enough to throw out an article of clothing; thereby extending his time another 20 minutes. I didn't hang around for the entire striptease.

Note: My friend Chris holds the record for weird things happening to him in and around public bathrooms). It's a running joke as any of you who read him will know.

Perfect line by a train conductor - 1
"would the person who left his bike parked upside down in front of the luggage rack please contact the conductor? I'd like to tell him were he can park his bike".

Time spent with my two blogging buddies and their families eating takeout Chinese and yakking - priceless!! (Even though the other two out of towners couldn't make it).



Update:



Several people have wondered about the porta potties and the 20 minute time limit. Or, for that matter, why anyone would want to homestead them.



Here's the story from what I remember when SF was first talking about installing them. (They're French, by the way).



I should have explained that the porta potties were installed for two reasons:

Because it's very hard to find a public bathroom in downtown SF (or at
least it used to be). Tourists were becoming desperate.

Market Street (especially the part that I mentioned) has more than its
fair share of homeless. The porta potties were installed partly as a
humanitarian gesture and partly to give them somewhere other than the
bushes to relieve themselves.

So what happens (and what the time limit was trying to prevent) is
some of the homeless would spend the day in the porta potty away from
the cold and wind. I'm sure that's what was happening when I was
there. An hour off the street.

22 comments:

Karen H. said...

Good Afternoon Granny,
I'm glad your back from your trip and glad you had a good time. I've never been to San Francisco, but the house I used to live on was on San Francisco Street. Guess you could say I sort of lived there. LOL. I couldn't imagine after 20 minutes of sitting in the toilet the door would open. That ain't right. Sometimes people do have some problems that causes them to be in the bathroom for a long period of time. Well, take care my friend and enjoy the rest of your Monday. God Bless.

Hugs,
Karen H.

Anonymous said...

How funny! :-)

I'm so glad you had a nice trip. You deserve it!

ancient one said...

Looks like you had fun!! Welcome home!! I've never seen such a nice potty...LOL

peppylady (Dora) said...

I recall seeing an out house like that in Bay area right around the fisherman wharf.

I'm home care worker and I've seen where the whole family benefits.

Gina said...

So glad you had such a great time. I love San Francisco.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Is San Fran anything like Jonesboro? ;o)

I'm a country girl through and through. Experiencing SF through your pictures and writing is close enough for me.

Glad you had a good time and got home safely. Rest up and take care of yourself.

Love and hugs,

Diane

Susie said...

Funny how they figured out a way to extend their stay in the potty!
Glad you had fun in SF. We like to take the ferry when we go. Much more enjoyable than Bart or bus! (or driving!!)
xo

Bacchus said...

Glad you had a good time. I can attest that many people figure out how to get around the time limit. Even though they disinfect and sanitize I'm not sure I'd sit in one of those.

Good to hear that things are looking up for Ray.

mreddie said...

Sounds like a great adventure, I'm sure it was good to get away from the routine for a while. ec

Puss-in-Boots said...

Now San Francisco is one city in the US I'd like to visit. Sounds like you had a wonderful time there.

Tell me, what would anyone be doing in a porta potty for 20 minutes??? What a waste of time...

Take care.

Peter said...

Sounds like a fun trip Ann, hope you get back in December.

Heidi said...

Very funny story about potties. Glad you had a good time.

Ingrid said...

Hi Anne, I finally have some online time to visit 'my rounds'! How fun to meet some fellow bloggers, I am still hoping that Worried and I can meet up one day (considering she's 'only' three hours away!)
I was glad to have visited, AND to have left San Fran. I always wanted to go but I was very tired from all the busyness. Perhaps having two kids in tow doesn't help! I'm working on some bloggers gathering for next year and I hope that it will be a possibility, we'll see.
Glad to hear that Ray did fine without you, making your short trips a good break for you,
hugs
Ingrid

Tammy said...

Glad to have you back!

I would have to be desperate to go into one as I don't like Portapots because of my claustrophobia!

Have a great day!

Tammy said...

Glad to have you back!

I would have to be desperate to go into one as I don't like Portapots because of my claustrophobia!

Have a great day!

Gary said...

Just stopped by to say hello and do some scrolling and catching up. Your life is so busy and so full of caring. Glad you had a fun trip.

HOw on earth do you find time to blog?

Have a good Thanksgiving soon! (As you note, ours is over up here in Canuckland).

The Future Was Yesterday said...

""Time spent with my two blogging buddies and their families eating takeout Chinese and yakking - priceless!!
I've only found one other place that does Chinese as well as Frisco - Hong Kong. A lot come close, but just lack that extra "uumpth!" to put them over the top.:)

Pat said...

I am very nervous about public loos and try to avoid them. I have been walked in on at least half a dozen times - once on a coach by a man!!!!!
And yes I did lock the door.

Mary said...

I am a country girl at heart, so doublt I would like SF, yet do enjoy visiting it through your eyes.

Those potties are brilliant and so is the time limit. Anyone should be able to do their business in 20 minutes. However, I don't blame the homeless for wanting to stay out of the elements by squatting their. (Pun intended.)

Enjoyed my visit, as always and it sounds like you had a great time. I can't think of anyone more deserving.

Blessings,
Mary

Anonymous said...

Nothing like spending the day in the can.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

What a fabulous idea to have those Porta Potties all around Market Street....It is great that you got to SF and a bit of much needed R&R....San Francisco is such a wonderful city....A lot going on there for a relatively small city. It has a special sophistication, I think....great retautrants, etc...And you got to spend some time with Blog Buddies! You can't beat that!

Anonymous said...

I have an outhouse in the backyard. I often worried that a homeless person might take up residence in it. so now I stock it with cheese and a nice chianti.