Zombie Nation

Photo: © Stan Banos

For a while there I thought I might be coming down with something since I was feeling kinda sluggish, but since nothing has come of it as of yet, I guess it's little more than the overall malaise of living this new found, automaton like existence of self quarantine. I still need to attend to a client with disabilities a few hours every week at her place, and on my way I decided to take a short cut through the Tenderloin. San Franciscans will regale one with how back in the day cops were encouraged to patrol there by restaurant owners with the lure of a free steak dinner- well, the steaks have long gone, but even on the best of days, the ambience still remains...

Two blocks into my little detour, I quickly decided to abandon said game plan as I was walking amidst a major Hollywood, Zombie movie set of the Corona Apocalypse. The sidewalks, streets, gutters and alleyways were crawling with what literally looked like the walking dead far as the eye could see in every direction possible. Just being flat out honest about what it looks like when you have an entire neighborhood hunkering down on the inside and over run by filthy, slow motion, drug addled, mentally ill denizens on the outside; not in a city devoid of cash and resources, but in one completely awash in $$$! I really did want to amble about and take all kinds of photos just to show y'all what I'm talking about, but just like in any zombie movie- they may be slow, but when you're surrounded, they-will-catch-up-to-ya! But do come down and see for yourself should you disbelieve...

Now I'm not saying this just to rank on those less fortunate. There's plenty of blame to go 'round in this city where you're more likely to step in human shit than that of your neighbor's dog. There's no excuse for a city that allows people to live exist like this even under 'ordinary' circumstances: the homeless need jobs and homes, addicts need programs- and those demonstrably incapable of caring for themselves need to be institutionalized... Full Stop! Responsibility comes full circle.

Basically, what exists right there, right now, is an open air breeding ground for The Corona Virus...