SAN FRANCISCO
Lee Heidhues 12.22.2023
Mine is just a personal story. I only have to look at the local media to read endless stories of the mayhem, violence and state of abhorrent human behavior and societal disrepair with which I am surrounded.
San Francisco is an angry place. Liz and I confronted it this week with two disturbing events. Illustrative of the mood inflicting this city.
Anger is something notably missing in Berlin where we spent three weeks in November. The people in Germany seem to enjoy life.
We did not notice the obvious systemic unhappiness, hostility and anger which casts a fog like pall over America in general and San Francisco in particular.
On Monday Liz and I had an appearance in San Francisco Superior Court pursuing an elder abuse restraining order against a 34 year old. He appeared via phone. When the Judge put him on speaker phone the respondent, with no preliminary comments, launched into a tirade called us “crazy” and “insane.” Despite being admonished that such personal attacks are inappropriate he continued on, shouting sometimes, this abusive rhetoric. We just sat impassively while this verbal fusillade went on despite efforts by the Judge to maintain order in the court.
That was Monday.
This afternoon, Friday three days before Christmas, I brought back a defective item to our outer Richmond District neighborhood hardware store one hour after purchasing it. The clerk refused to consider a return. I asked to speak with the “boss” who eventually appeared.
The packaging clearly stated my consumer rights. The owner yelled at me. He threw the defective item on the floor. His employees looked on. Mouths agape. “Give him back his money. You’re a fucking asshole. Never set foot in this store again!!” My wife and I are legacy customers. We have done business with previous owners since 1978. Never, again.
Lee's Perspective 