As if I needed a reminder about why I’m leaving San Francisco, I walked out last night to find that my car had been broken into for the third time in less than a year…

Keep in mind that my car is a piece of crap, which gives off no vibrations that anything valuable might be kept inside. Generally, it gets “accessed” on rainy nights and the seats are always in the “recline” position. Nothing is ever missing from the car or the trunk. All this makes me pretty sure I’m a target more because some street person needs a dry place to sleep (or do God knows what else) and he’s pretty certain my dumpy Corolla doesn’t have an alarm…

But an extra $130 every three or four months for window glass is a small price to pay to make sure some crackhead is warm and cozy for the evening, huh?

My neighborhood is really getting bad lately. There are a lot more homeless folks around and a lot more sketchy characters in general. And the lovely new piece of “mural art” across the alley seems to be beckoning every gangbanger and gangbanger wannabe in a fifty mile radius to come get stoned and look at it while listening to really obnoxious music at 11PM…

I used to think nothing of walking around this area alone at 2 or 3 in the morning, but I sure as hell wouldn’t do it now. My car has been broken into more times in the past two or three years than in the first TEN years I lived here. I never used to feel nervous South of Market, but it’s pretty common for me now…

I am SO happy to be leaving this place…