San Francisco is a heck of a place, that's the nicest way I can put it.

Had an ancient neighbor in downtown San Jose, would totter up and down the street stealing plants, putting them in her garden. What could you do? She was like 97, registered number 5 or something on the national Widows of the Veterans. Her father had fought in the US Civil War.

Though I wonder where the line is: obviously uprooting a whole plant is wrong, but is there a point in the size of a plant where one can take a cutting (or seed pod when/if it bolts into seed) to root/seed yourself?

There is little to no social contract here. Anti-social behavior abound, and practically nobody does anything to combat it.