Plywood wall erected to keep homeless out of excrement-plagued SF alley
The anti-tent sidewalk boulders that residents installed along Clinton Park may be gone, but San Francisco's frustration with homeless encampments and drug dealers on the streets remains as strong as ever.
A pedestrian pathway in the Ingleside District has now become a flashpoint for controversy.
The alley, known as the "Ingleside Path," was being used as a latrine and a secluded spot for dealing drugs, neighbors said. In order to keep people out, one of the neighbors blockaded the narrow alley from Ocean Avenue to Urbano Street by erecting a plywood wall.
The do-it-yourselfer did not wish to be identified, but in a statement to ABC7 News said: "This walkway has been a burden on city resources for some time now. The walkway requires multiple trips a week for power washing and city records confirm that over 100 calls were received for emergency services."
City records revealed that the person who built the barrier had permission from San Francisco Public Works to do so, according to the San Francisco Examiner and other reports.
"They come in here, they pee there, they poo there. Every day," resident Tom Pan told the Examiner . "The police cannot do anything, it’s dirty and disgusting. In the summertime on a hot day, I can’t even open my window because of the smell."
Not everybody agreed with the decision to build a wall. Some neighbors complained, and after a few days, it was removed.
But that's not the end of the controversy. Ingleside neighbors will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Ingleside Library to discuss the alley. There is talk of putting up a gate.
The plywood barrier is the latest example of so-called "hostile architecture" designed at keeping homeless individuals off the street. Last month, residents of Clinton Park, a side street off Market and Dolores streets, placed boulders on a sidewalk in an effort to stop people from setting up encampments and to deter drug dealing.
Some of the boulders were rolled into the street, and all were eventually removed. The city's Director of Public Works Mohammed Nuru suggested to reporters that the city and residents of Clinton Park use larger boulders to try to deter homeless camps.
The world's turned upside down. Of course there should be steps taken to keep filth, drugs and scum/unfortunates (either/or) from camping, excreting and destroying the fabric of society.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
I think I see the problem here. The barrier is plain plywood -- drab, no color.
What is needed is that this wall be painted, maybe with the countenance of SF most powerful mayor, London Breed. Who'd want to poop or shoot up drugs in the presence of such a wonderful public servant?
There's a solution for everything. Clorox is not always the answer.
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.”
MajGenl.Meade wrote:The world's turned upside down. Of course there should be steps taken to keep filth, drugs and scum/unfortunates (either/or) from camping, excreting and destroying the fabric of society.
I agree Meade, but then if you want to do that, some plans have to be made to safely and humanely house and treat the unfortunates. And some plans have to be made to provide places where they can relieve themselves and do their other bodily necessities in a sanitary manner.
I've seen the same thing in NYC, where there are pretty much no public sanitary facilities. And I recall in one office in which I worked refused to allow messengers (usually because they rode bicycles and were covered with sweat) from using the "facilities"; several times one of them took a dump in the elevator. Not a good thing by any means, but what did they expect? Treat people like animals and they act like them.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Plywood wall erected to keep homeless out of excrement-plagued SF alley
The anti-tent sidewalk boulders that residents installed along Clinton Park may be gone, but San Francisco's frustration with homeless encampments and drug dealers on the streets remains as strong as ever.
A pedestrian pathway in the Ingleside District has now become a flashpoint for controversy.
The alley, known as the "Ingleside Path," was being used as a latrine and a secluded spot for dealing drugs, neighbors said. In order to keep people out, one of the neighbors blockaded the narrow alley from Ocean Avenue to Urbano Street by erecting a plywood wall.
The do-it-yourselfer did not wish to be identified, but in a statement to ABC7 News said: "This walkway has been a burden on city resources for some time now. The walkway requires multiple trips a week for power washing and city records confirm that over 100 calls were received for emergency services."
City records revealed that the person who built the barrier had permission from San Francisco Public Works to do so, according to the San Francisco Examiner and other reports.
"They come in here, they pee there, they poo there. Every day," resident Tom Pan told the Examiner . "The police cannot do anything, it’s dirty and disgusting. In the summertime on a hot day, I can’t even open my window because of the smell."
Not everybody agreed with the decision to build a wall. Some neighbors complained, and after a few days, it was removed.
But that's not the end of the controversy. Ingleside neighbors will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Ingleside Library to discuss the alley. There is talk of putting up a gate.
The plywood barrier is the latest example of so-called "hostile architecture" designed at keeping homeless individuals off the street. Last month, residents of Clinton Park, a side street off Market and Dolores streets, placed boulders on a sidewalk in an effort to stop people from setting up encampments and to deter drug dealing.
Some of the boulders were rolled into the street, and all were eventually removed. The city's Director of Public Works Mohammed Nuru suggested to reporters that the city and residents of Clinton Park use larger boulders to try to deter homeless camps.
They should build a wall and make the homeless pay for it.
Walls are immoral if a hundred people want shit in a liberal’s yard they have a right do so. You can clean it up as long as you can. It is almost worth a trip to the shithole by the bay. I will bring my own toilet paper.
I expected to be placed in an air force combat position such as security police, forward air control, pararescue or E.O.D. I would have liked dog handler. I had heard about the dog Nemo and was highly impressed. “SFB” is sad I didn’t end up in E.O.D.
And now the latest buzz word (to me anyway) I've been hearing is "unhoused" to describe homeless people.
Unfortunately, in that untoileted outdoor area of San Francisco there are unauthorized drug issuers selling recreational substances to unrecovered medication consumers in this excreta contaminated area that is partially populated by unhoused people.
Joe Guy wrote:No methamphetamine ingesting citizens in Indiana? It must be very clean there.
There is some meth but no need for poop walls that I have noted. In India they just go poop on the railroad tracks. Perhaps you should suggest that for your 3rd world corner.
