Lovely Rita Meter Maid

From the New York Times - San Franciscans Hurl Their Rage at Parking Patrol:

Burdened with one of the densest downtowns in the country and a Californian love for moving vehicles, San Franciscans have been shocked in recent months by crimes related to finding places to park, including an attack in September in which a young man was killed trying to defend a spot he had found.

This is why I do not want to own a car in this city. I probably spent less than $50 last year on transportion around the city. That includes several trips to the airport and the occassional cab ride.

You definitely do not need a car in the city. If you live in the Eastern peninsula, the T-Third Line will get you from point A to B. A result of the Third Street Light Rail Project, the T-Third Line runs up and down third street connecting Downtown to Monster Park. And starting on January 13th, you can ride on the weekends for free! Full service does not start until April 1st. Unfortunately, this new line doesn't really benefit me unless I become really lazy and would rather switch trains and ride an extra 15 minutes to walk 3 fewer blocks in SOMA.

The dream to provide wireless access to everyone in the city may actually happen. Mr. Mayor has signed an agreement with Google and Earthlink. Don't cancel your DSL or cable internet service though. The speeds are slow and the additional monthly fee for an upgrade isn't really worth it. The full details of the agreement are available here. Speed and security are the most obvious concerns for those of us that work and play online. It will be nice to not have to look for "Free Wi-Fi" signs before patronizing a coffeshop or bar, but I'm not giving up my home service.