SF is filled with so many cruel and selfish people, and it's really depressing to think that it's only gotten worse since I lived there (2013-2018). I met a lot of really great folks, made some incredible friends who I'll know for the rest of my life, but the people who own property there are again, just .. kinda .. cruel.

My story from the first few months when I arrived and was struggling to find a place to just rent, was that after connecting with some old high school acquaintances I got a chance to go month-to-month in someone's bedroom while they were taking care of a sick family member. It was right in the Haight - absolutely beautiful spot right on Masonic - and the day I'm moving in, I get accosted by my new neighbors.

I parked my car right outside the house (I felt so lucky), started unloading my stuff and I guess I looked a little "too" homeless with my comfy sweatpants and sweatshirt, lugging a duffel bag under one shoulder and a duffel over my other.

I hear someone cursing at me, asking me if I was just going to "leave that mess there" and I figured they were talking to someone else. I mean, I just got out of my car with my stuff, I purposefully close my trunk and leave everything locked because I didn't want anyone going through my things.

Well, they got louder and more direct to the point where I had to turn around and just make sure - and they were just glaring at me, gesturing at the knocked over trash can.

It took me like 20 seconds to realize they were talking to me. So I just laughed, said "nah, I'm your new neighbor" and beeped my car to show that I'm not the homeless they were looking for. Person didn't apologize, didn't offer anything, just gave a terse "OH" and went back to their miserable day.

I ended up crossing them a couple times during the months I lived there, and each time I'd obnoxiously say "hi neighbor" because I like to collect unique and rare grudges.

But yeah, the person was such a shithead. Like, I get they're upset about the mess, but don't just harass any random person you think did it.

Nothing destroyed my romantic view of SF like living in SF.