I know, I know…it’s been over a year since I’ve posted. What do I have to say for myself? Well, I wish it was just that life got busy or that the obligation of keeping up a blog was just too great. Sure, maybe that was part of it…but sadly, I think there was more.
I think I was growing (shudder) a bit accustomed to this bizarro “city.” The quirkiness of the public transportation system, the boldness of the homeless people and the freakish weather systems had all slowly worn away at my resolve.
New York had slipped back into my memory as a distant place where “people were always in a rush” or “didn’t understand the quality of life we have here”.
I had foolishly convinced myself that fleece everyday wasn’t really that bad a fashion statement and that it was totally normal for a California town to drop down to 50-degrees for the entire summer. Yes, the entire summer.
And if it wasn’t for a recent experience I may have remained trapped in my Matrix-like brainwashed cloud forever…
I needed to take a taxi today.
I even used a fancy app on my iPhone to summon the taxi (everyone in San Francisco is now required to carry an iPhone). The taxi didn’t show. No big deal I thought in my cheerfully brainwashed San Francisco state-of-mind, I’ll just head outside and flag one down…
As I stood on the corner for 45-minutes trying in vain to have a taxi stop for me – alternating between futile attempts to wave down a empty cab and trying to raise a taxi service on the phone, I coincidently found this in my pocket:
I post on my BLOG!
A card from months ago. Evidently a relic from my last successful ride in a San Francisco taxicab. Here, staring me in the face, was the answer. The pledge that a taxi company would “answer the phone.”
That’s their motto. This company dedicated 25% of the real estate on their business card to proudly pronounce their major competitive advantage, their distinct differentiation between all other taxi companies in the San Francisco Bay Area…
They “answer the PHONE!”
That’s like a baker pronouncing “We bake our BREAD!” Or a car wash announcing “We’ll clean your CAR!”
Those things shouldn’t be CAPITALIZED. They shouldn’t need to be called out at all. They should just be done! It’s not normal for a taxi company to need to promote that they “answer the phone.”
And with that, I once again saw this “city” with clear eyes. Like suddenly remembering a strange dream it all rushed back to me. This place is not normal at all. No my friends, San Francisco is Weird.
Sorry that I was gone for a bit. But I’m back now…
San Francisco is Weird 
Wow, you should REALLY start posting again. I’m from New York and transplanted to here about 6 years ago and must comment on what a strange place this is at least, AT LEAST, one time a day. Its not that I hate it (although sometimes I do) it’s just that it grates my nerves, a lot. So, i hope you come back and post again as this (non) city, City is one of my favorite topics…
I like this… I have been in SF for 7 years and always wondered if I was the only person who realized just how weird it is… Just got back from 3 months in Europe and have made plans to move to NYC. I cannot stand SF b.s. any more. It’s so f&*king weird. Oh that and the amount of socially inept/unstable people.
Have lived here 5 years and have been starting to get a little restless. When I first moved here everything was mysterious and exciting but somewhere along the way I forgot to stay curious and settled into a routine of the same restaurants, neighborhoods and shops. Thanks for reminding me what a strange city we live in.
Glad your back!
Yup the taxi situation here is ridiculous. I tried to make a “reservation” for one the other day and the dispatch almost laughed at me.
Did they answer? Just curious. It’s frustrating when you realize you could have walked to your destination in that 45 min.
Did they answer? Oh no…they did not answer. They never answer. It’s so very very sad…