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1. double your time schedule for any trips in the city. 2. Rush hour starts at 3 OUT of the city and 6-9 am INTO the city, do not be on a bridge then. 3. Make sure your brakes are in tip top condition. Seriously. And it is required that if you park on a hill, you have to turn your front wheels into the curb. There are signs..." Curb your wheels". So that if the car rolls, the front tire will go into the curb. You may get a ticket if you do not curb your wheels.
4. When a light turns green, look both ways and wait 4 seconds, red light runners are notorious and common. 5. If you see a Muni bus or a electric trolley near you, your chances of being hit by them are high, tho they tend to mow down pedestrians more than cars.
6. There are never any parking places on the street, and garage parking is expensive. It would be cheaper to take BART into the city, take a cab to a bike rental place. This is esp. true for North Beach and the waterfront. This may not be true to day, because of economy. Always carry a lot of quarters, meter feeding is an art, and there is a 95% chance you will be ticketed for an expired meter. Also, bridge tolls are about 5.00 or more, only one way tolls.
7. San Francisco smells of urine in most areas. Seriously. Esp. downtown areas around the Mission, the Tenderloin, Haight Ashbury. But the odor permeates most other places. I used vaporub in my nose to survive the trek to work. I am not kidding.
8. Gps and a good map and beforehand route planning will lead you to some side streets which make driving much easier. And, you rarely will be going over 30 mpg, usually much slower.
SF is 7 miles by 7 miles, and is a peninsula. So there is actually a lot stuffed into a small area. Divide the city and plan on seeing sights per section.
Do not leave any valuables in your car, do not park next to vans with darkened windows in tourist areas. I got my bags stolen in the parking lot of the Coit Tower. They smashed the side window and opened the car, popped the trunk, and took the bags. And I was in a car with SF plates. Out of state plates are a target. I never carried a purse, kept all money inside a pocket. The SW area corner of the city is not a place to be wandering around in.
There will be people sitting all over the sidewalks in the Haight. They are polite panhandlers. The beggers downtown do not go into the streets, they stand on the medians. There will be people lying all over sidewalks in some areas, passed out from drinking or drugs. Aggressive panhandling was not allowed, just keep walking and keep windows up and doors locked when driving. Best to be with a group at night.
Lastly, bring a sweater, a light jacket, be prepared for chilly days,even fog. Usually no rain until late Oct. Sunglasses are good, as are good walking shoes. It can be windy and cold in one place, hot and calm just a few blocks away, over a hill. I lived there 1999 till mid-2005. It is NOT the SF of the 70's. Prices are high for everything: gas, food, restaurants. The Castro is very cool.
Try to get to Sausilito if you can. Fun place to wander around in.
Hope you have a good trip.
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