Mission Mission

On Friday evening, a man tried to steal my phone on the 14, ripped it out of my hands and ran off the bus. In some fit of animal instinct, I ran after him off the bus, fought him, and got it back. I will spare you most of the details here, but if you want to read my full account of it, redirect yourself here.

Here some quick thoughts:

• Be vigilant, obviously. Keep aware of your surroundings, and avoid using your smartphone or tablet on public transportation, especially if you’re sitting near a door. I know that this is a big fat DOY but it’s also easy to forget.
• If you must use your device, look around you and take note of who is around you. I am not asking you to profile anyone. Just be aware and remember faces.
• If you see a person in distress, do something. I understand the impulse to ignore what is going on and not be nosy, to stay safe. But I am a 26-year-old woman barely over 100 pounds and I was screaming and fighting a man twice my size who had struck me in the face and thrown me to the ground, and between the 20 or so witnesses on the sidewalk and nearby, none intervened until it was over. Apparently, several people thought it was a domestic dispute, and thought, “wow, what an odd couple.” No.
• I am not implying that what I did was the smartest or best thing to do, but I had no time to think and adrenaline is one hell of a drug. This worked out in my favor, but it could have gone terribly wrong.
• If you are a victim of a crime, file a police report. If you are hurt, tell the paramedics and police everything. Shock can delay physical pain until later, and later might be too late for anyone to be held accountable. I was tempted to just get on with my day and get to whatever I was trying to go to, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
• I don’t care how much you resent the new “techies” moving into the neighborhood, but this kind of crime (or any other kind of crime) is not justified. I do not work at a startup or tech company (and it really shouldn’t matter if I did), and I certainly don’t have the paycheck or means to justify buying a new phone if mine was stolen.
• It is easy to forget that this neighborhood can still be a rough one, despite the price tag and all of the big white shuttles. Carry pepper spray, choose well-trafficked paths, don’t walk alone at night, etc. etc.

I don’t know what became of the mugger, and I’d like to think that my altercation with taught him a lesson and scared him enough to lay low for awhile (or, optimistically, to retire from mugging!), but the reality is that he is still out there and he may strike again. Stay safe, everyone.

@missionmission @telstarlogistic @abc7newsbayarea Hi speed chase in Mission. Gray BMW pursued by 10+ SFPD. Just blew thru 16th & Harrison.

— flywithsig (@flywithsig) May 3, 2013

I mean, I love Trick Dog as much as the next guy, and I know parking is hard if you don’t get to the 20th Street Corridor early, but.

[Photo by Nattles]

@zmorvant @sfist @missionmission it got pretty fucking brutal – women decked, ears chewed off, blood trails etc. twitter.com/JoshSimpson/st…

— JoshSimpson (@JoshSimpson) April 11, 2013

@zmorvant @sfist @missionmission green shorts held the ear meatus up and invited everyone to come at him, no one did & he left, bloodfangd

— JoshSimpson (@JoshSimpson) April 11, 2013

[Photos by Josh Simpson]

One person seems to have been injured in the gunfire onboard this 49 MUNI, which occurred at around 10pm on Mission at 22nd St.  According to some shook up witnesses who were also on the bus:

There were a few shots and someone got hit in the stomach.  Then about 6 guys surrounded him and started beating him with little sticks before they all ran off.  I don’t think the guy’s dead though.

Details are still being collected and police are at the scene.

UPDATE!!!

More information has been revealed and apparently our witness was a little more shook up than he thought.  There was no shooting onboard, but rather a savage beating with a tire iron.  Police think maybe the sound of the tire iron hitting a pole or seat led to people thinking they heard a gunshot.  SF Appeal has more details here.

@missionmission there was a taxi cab on blocks last night, yes 1990 bklyn style, at treat and 17th. might still be there.

— Joe Kromer (@joekromer) March 14, 2013

I mean, how exactly do you decide to get rid of the greatest novel ever written in the history of mankind?

Someone just failed their Mentat exam.

The Ken Ken blog has more pics and details here. (They also say something about “Welcome to the Mission,” but I dunno, my sister’s car got similarly burgled in Hayes Valley, so.)

Not to be alarmist or anything, but:

Helicopters in the Mission are for anti-police brutality rally and march, ending at 17th St police station I understand.

— kim oconnor (@kimoco) February 8, 2013

[via Doc Pop]

Mayor Ed Lee and SFPD Chief Greg Suhr came to the neighborhood to tell merchants all about their plan. Mission Local reports:

SFPD is doubling the number of officers on the street during the game compared to the force deployed after the World Series, Suhr said.  Rather than wait until the game ends, forces will be pre-deployed during the game along major thoroughfares including Market Street, Hayes Street, 16^thStreet, 24^th Street and Mission Street.

During the World Series, people put their garbage out and bins were overflowing, offering fuel for bonfires.  This time, officials are working with Department of Public Works to empty cans every hour during the game.

After 5 pm on Sunday, buses will no longer run along transit lines, but use diesel fuel so they can carve alternate routes around celebrations and avoid any crowds blocking the streets.

Can’t wait! Also, a threat:

In a veiled warning to Super Bowl revelers, Chief Suhr said: “Carry yourself as if you’re on television, because somebody is probably be videotaping you.”

“Know that if you’re acting out, someone is going to have a video camera and they’re going to send it to us,” Suhr added. “  Don’t let this be a life-changing experience.” [link]

Well, I for one, I mean, I’ve always wanted to be on TV!