Canadian filmmakers in San Francisco were robbed at gunpoint for over $35k
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I bought a nice belt-drive commuter bike to avoid the risk of getting grease on my pants when going to work. I knew it was probably a mistake, but I did it anyway.
I kid you not the very first time I lock it up and head into a store to buy a single shirt, 20 minutes tops, and I come outside to see deep gashes in the lock where someone tried to cut it open with bolt cutters.
Solidified in my mind that the place is a shit hole.
https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/priority-apollo
I ended up switching to an internally geared hub on my other bike and with a chain it is okay, but the feeling is completely different. There is zero stretch to a belt that gives a feeling of almost instant response. I imagine a Pinion geared bike would be even better.
We know it's an issue, but it feels like there's pressure to pretend it doesn't exist, because it's uncouth or pointless to talk about, and there's risk of being accused of being callous towards those less privileged who might need the resources they're appropriating. "Don't worry, they have insurance".
This mix of toxic optimism, desire to appear socially considerate, and a sense of "this is just how SF is, you knew this when you moved here from X, if you don't like this, you can always take your gentrifier bus back to wherever you came from" makes it difficult to even talk about.