I saw in the SF Appeal that Police Chief Gascon doesn't expect any “problems” in San Francisco following the verdict in the Oscar Grant trail: “[there is] absolutely no evidence… that will lead us to believe there will be any problems [in San Francisco].”   Now, I clearly don't have a pulse on what's going on in the city activist ring like the police, but just walking around the city, it's hard not to come across a lot of Oscar Grant street art, suggesting that people in SF give a shit about the outcome and are clearly motivated enough to vandalize property even before the verdict.  Is that not evidence of potential unrest?  For example, one of my favorite Flickr users, Terry B., snapped the above Banksy-esque poster on Linden St. yesterday.  Or you can just roll to Valencia.

Then again, anyone interested in smashing windows will probably just head over to Oakland.

(photo by terry.b)

I'm not really sure what this has to do with the post, but I was itching to somehow incorporate R. Kelly into the topic. (via D. Chappelle)

I'm not really sure what this has to do with the post, but I was itching to somehow incorporate R. Kelly into the topic. (via D. Chappelle)

GGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

I have such a raging boner for democracy right now.  That's right, the planning commission slapped the shit out of some Bernal hookers and blessed us with the gift of shitty hot dogs. From Mission Loc@l:

Despite complaints from neighbors, the San Francisco Planning Commission voted 4-2 to allow an independently-owned 76 gas station to become a 7-Eleven.

The only condition imposed is that the convenience store on the corner of 30th and Mission Streets close down from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., to discourage business from late-night bar patrons. Currently the gas station’s convenience store is open 24 hours.

Ultimately, I think it's ludicrous that some whiny grandmas are forcing a business to close when I most need sugar and electrolytes, but it's still one small step for corporate America.

Fear of Major Brands in the Mission: Case # 87,679,001

Maybe adopting 'authentic cultural themes' (via Thailand) would help residents accept the 7-Eleven brand

On November 5th 2009, the owner of a 76 station at Mission and 30th submitted an application for renovations to the San Francisco Planning Department. In his letter, Somil Gandhi and his representatives stated their intent to re-brand the gas station's food mart as a 7-Eleven.  

On May 20th 2010, the San Francisco Planning Department found the renovations to be “necessary and/or desirable”, granted Somil conditional use authorization to move forward with his plans, and scheduled a hearing in a week's time to finalize their approval.

On May 27th 2010, the NIMBYs flipped their shit.  

With locally crafted pitchforks and biodegradable torches in hand, a group of “neighborhood activists” descended on the hearing.  While the overtones of an intrinsic hatred for corporate branding were present, the NIMBY mob must have realized that this sort of knee-jerk reaction wouldn't make for a solid argument when trying to sway city planners.  So instead they argued that 7-Eleven is a crime magnet and would “threaten local business” by fucking with their coffee sales. Whether or not you're delusional enough to believe that local cafe goers would switch from Philz to gas station coffee in droves, it's a moot point because the 76's food mart is already selling equally shitty coffee.

The great '7-Eleven Coffee threat' aside, let's make something very clear; this gas station is a local business and would remain a local business.  Somil Gandhi is not selling his food mart to an evil corporation so that they can rape the fertile land that is Mission and 30th.  The business will remain owned and operated by him and his family.  All that changes is the signage and a slight expansion of the building's 'office area' to comply with corporate regulations.  By doing so, Somil's suffering business will save money by being granted access to 7-Eleven's consolidated distribution network; allowing him to purchase goods at lower costs from a single retailer instead of several dozen.  

Now it's true that gas stations do get robbed, but 3400 Mission has already been a gas station for some time.  The only way that adding a 7-Eleven sign to an existing gas station could be perceived as painting a bulls-eye on the area, would be the fact that 7-Elevens typically sell alcohol and alcohol promotes crime.  But there's one little catch, and the NIMBYs seem to have missed this in the project proposal (WHICH IS PUBLIC AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE, EVEN TO HALF WIT BLOGGERS LIKE MYSELF); this 7-Eleven will not sell alcohol.  I REPEAT: THE PROPOSED 7-ELEVEN WILL NOT SELL ALCOHOL.  This fact is clearly stated twice in the application (pages 11 and 39).  

Thursday, July 1st, the Planning Department will reconvene in the case of 'Somil Gandhi and his family's financial well being VS. Yuppie sensibilities and cultural elitism'.  Be sure to pour out a Gameday beer in honor of Somil Jr's non-existant college fund; because I'm sure he wanted to work at a failing gas station for the rest of his life anyway (so long as it wasn't a 'yucky 7-Eleven', how uncouth!)  

Mission NIMBYs: enjoy your dilapidated 76 food-mart and future vacant lot.

Is the lack of Gameday beer at the proposed 7-Eleven the real reason behind opposition?

There is an EPIC DEBATE going on all over the internet about the future of Critical Mass.  Some guy that registered a domain name has claimed the event and wants it to have a little more structure.  His reasons are good: it'll provide more route diversity and it's potentially more democratic (via letting the less vocal and “aggressive” people in the back have a say in the route).  He cites years past in which routes were pre-selected as proof that his perspective is the correct one.  The problem with his perspective is that he claims that he is trying to make Mass more democratic, but by having an “insider-only” website, (read: a website that no one outside the know will read), he doesn't bother to solicit the opinions of people outside the inner circle of bike and Mass advocacy.  Many casually Massers only know to show up the last Friday of every month shortly before 6pm at Justin Herman Plaza.  They aren't going to show up for pre-ride meetings.  Hell, they probably don't even know these meetings exist.

Last night was a prime perspective that we don't need to pre-select routes.  After the typical Tour de SOMA, Mass paraded down Market, through the Wiggle to briefly join a BP protest at Divis and Fell.  The ride made its way through the Richmond, going down Geary until it took Park Presidio.  While the police stopped the ride from getting within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, the ride took some back roads through the Richmond before finally getting back on Geary to do a tour of city's tunnels.  Despite crossing the city, the group managed to stay together until 8:45.

This is what makes Critical Mass so attractive.  It's a runaway train that no one can stop and no one can derail.  The police tried, failed, and joined the parade with motors.  Now cyclists are trying to take away the chaotic lifeblood of Mass from within.  Hopefully last night curbs their hubris.