SAB

OK apparently in order to give advice we are required to give credentials in order to be believable--so, I love driving my car, I don't think driving in SF is difficult, I live and work in SF, and I don't want to discourage anyone from travelling around the City with ease, but my recommendation would to be not to have a car for all 3 days. I do not drive to work downtown even though I would love to because to park even three blocks from where I work costs $25 per day at a City owned garage,and even if that were not an issue I cannot find a legal parking space in my neighborhood after 6:30 p.m. (After 9 p.m. there are no illegal places except bus stops) In other words, I'm not anti driving, I'm against being frustrated. Now, if money is not an issue at all, keep the car, park in any garage downtown and pay for valet parking (assuming it's available ) when you go out.

SFer

Minnesota,

I would diregard the people who advise against having a car in SF. I do not think that it is worth to spend a half hour on 2 buses just to go about 5 miles when you can go the same distance in less than half the time.

As to the parking situation. Parking in town is plentiful both downtown (garages or lots) and outside of downtown parking is typically free and not much of a problem. If you have driven in a city before, SF should be no problem.

It seems that alot of people on this board who recommend not having a car in SF would rather have more parking spaces to themselves when they drive themselves into town.

PamSF

I've lived in many neighborhoods and worked in one neighborhood in SF for 15+ years and have commuted for another
6 years and I would advise against a car given what you have stated. (don512). I know the city well and have gotten to know the secret parking places over the years..that being said I would still say for a few days in the city you do not need a car. Walking,cabs,muni up Market or along the Embarcadero,cable cars even would suffice.

PamSF

PS Ultra green liberal indeed, try to eat organic whenever possible including good steak, drive a new volvo and would still advise dumping the car.

SFer

Grasshopper,

Judging from a segment of two of your recent posts below, it seems rather odd that you and Spike both use the phrase "Hmmmm" , right down to using the same number of m's. Coincidence? Probably not. It is not a good idea to be posting under more than one screen name if you want to maintain credibility on this board. What makes this forum helpful is the diversity of opinion and experiences. Arguing with others and posting under different names to try and get a point across is a disservice to those on this board who are trying to obtain useful information.
Car Advice For San Francisco
Author: Grasshopper
Date: 02/25/2003, 06:23 pm

Message: Ultra green liberal people? Hmmmm.


Where to stay? Flying into San Jose
Author: Spike
Date: 02/23/2003, 12:27 pm

Message: It is about 60 miles from Big Basin to San Francisco. Hmmmm....

Grasshopper

You are a piece of work! Spike, what do you think? Are you my alter-ego? We are at the very least soul mates, we hold our fingers on the "m" key for precisely the same amount of time when we type hmmmmmm.

SFer, click on my name then click on Spike's name. My guess is you will find we are different people.

SFer

Grasshopper,

It would be best to admit when you have been caught redhanded rather than deny the truth.

banu

We were in SFO last week.We stayed at Union Square and didn't rent a car until we left the city for Carmel.(from ALABAMO)
We walked through Chinatown till Fisherman's Wharf.You may need it for Golden Gate Park(japanese tea garden?)
..etc and if it rains.Muni and buses are
very comfortable and Muni drivers are really cool and funny people.SFO is a lovely city and we hope to come back soon.Hope you enjoy your stay.

janis

Credentials - Hmmmmm (just to make SFer paranoid) - I drive a sports car - used to race Formula Fords and SCCA, LOVE to drive, have taught defensive driving as part a past job -- in other words I am a DRIVER. And I STRONGLY recommend not driving in SF. I do and I can, but it is not something someone from the midwest, or just about anywhere would enjoy.

I also would not recommend a car in Manhatten or Chicago or London - in Souix City or St Paul, sure.

people do drive every day in all of the above places - but it is really stupid for a tourist to have a car in SF - parking, traffic, one way streets, and the REALLY steep hills make an SF novice a disaster waiting to happen.

Livesincali

I find the debate on the merits of having a car in SF quite amusing. The bottom line is yes, rent a car while in SF. Everyone here who advises against having a car is overexaggerating the difficulty of driving and parking in town. I always drive when I am in SF and have not had any more problems driving or parking there than in any other populated area. I'd rather be driving that waiting and hour for a bus any day of the week.

Patrick

"I'd rather be driving that waiting and hour for a bus any day of the week".(sic)

Duh, yes, so would I, but since I always stay on Chestnut or Union and the busses run every 12 minutes MAXIMUM that is an idiotic comparison. Sort of like saying I'd rather drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco than taking a 12 hour plane ride. I'd drive too if I had to wait an hour for a bus, but I don't. On the other hand I've found few places to park in SF in less than 12 minutes of searching, or lining up and going up the garage ramps bumper to bumper -- not to mention the high rates to park there.

I agree that driving is no worse than most major cities, but isn't it unfortunate that when a city like SF has really great, inexpensive, and reliable public transportation, so many people refuse to use it, and still insist on driving? I learned I could get to my destination quicker by bus than driving and parking in MOST instances. (YES I'VE DONE BOTH), but I doubt if some of these confirmed drivers have ever even tried the bus.

Loki

Hmmmm, to have a car or not? I spent a week there and rented a car. It sat in a lot except for driving to Calistoga one day and down to Big Sur on another. With that said, public transportation is not as easy or as quick as NYC. At night, you have to wait a good bit between MUNI buses, and like someone said, you can't just hail a cab.

Livesincali

Patrick, I lived in SF for a few years and now visit on a regular basis. Compared to other cities that have a population similar to SF's (ie: Columbus, Ohio or Jacksonville, Florida) yes, the public transportation is not that bad. But even though the schedule says the bus should come every 12 minutes, for example, we all know that it rarely happens that way. Numerous times I have waited an hour for a bus during the day which was supposed to come every 15 minutes. Also, given the budget deficits that SF is facing, bus and light rail service will be curtailed to make matters even worse. Compared to other cities in the U.S., SF's public transporation is a joke, any SF resident will agree with that. When I was there people always complained about how terrible it was, and it's not gettong any better.

PamSF

Ok Don, you gotta let us know what you decide. Have you made your Boulevard reservations yet?

Patrick

I guess I was just lucky. As I said I rented an apartment for a month near the corner of Union Street and Filmore and took busses every day, sometimes three or four times. Never -- ever -- did I wait more than maybe 15 minutes.
Also rented at Cow Hollow Suites on Chestnut twice -- and never waited more than 15 minutes there either -- usually something like 3 to 7 minutes. Maybe I happened to be there the only 8 weeks in the history of San Francisco that had great bus service, but it was great the whole time I was there.

Livesincali

Patirck, You really have to live in SF for a while to really understand how terrible the public transportation system is. You can't judge a city's public transportation just based on a couple of bus lines.

Patrick

Forgive me then. I guess I misunderstood. I thought don was asking from a tourist's point of view. I totally missed the idea that he is moving there and wants to make public transportation his way of life. I was just giving my viewpoint as a tourist -- one who has spent 8 weeks there, not living there. Guess it was all my mistake on what this post was about. I'll try to read it more closely next time so I understand better.

By the way, don, when are you moving to San Francisco, and are you sure you want to sell your car?

Patrick

Oh, and I also made the mistake of talking about this from a tourist's point of view, one who would be staying on a major bus line. I failed to take in account someone who lives in a distant residential neighborhood where the bus service would be totally different from staying in a hotel or motel on a major bus line. Please forgive me.

Livesincali

Patrick, I am sorry if you misinterpreted my comments, but the point I was trying to make is that since I lived in SF for a number of years, I got to know the public transportation system quite well. Believe me, it is not something that you want to depend on whether you are in SF as a tourist or a resident.

Livesincali

Well actually I did not live in a "distant" residential neighborhood away from a major bus line line. I had the light rail on my street and a bus a block away.