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SCUMZOIDS

                                                            ~1993
                                               Rev: July 13, 2012

   In giving directions around San Francisco
   to people who really don't know the place,
   I often face a condundrum of how much
   to caution them about "bad neighborhoods"
   and so on.  I know they're not going to
   enjoy walking around Market & 6th, but on
   other hand there's probably nothing to
   be actively scared of-- the odds are low     So, do I provide some kind
   that anything bad is going to happen to      of warning?  But maybe I'm
   them, they're just probably going to feel    just catering to suburban
   a bit nervous and uncomfortable about it.    madness, and I should just
                                                let them deal.

                                                But then, I *do* know that
                                                they're going to care about
                                                this issue, and it seems to
                                                be one of the ways in which
                                                the travel guides I write are
       And what precisely am I                  unique: most writers won't
       warning them against, what               touch this issue.
       *language* do I use?


Quoting some material (from some
version or another) of my San
Francisco guide, originally written
in the early 90s:

    A note on terminology: I prefer the
    broad term "scumzoid" to the popular
    term "homeless" (or "panhandler" or           My attitude on display
    "drug dealer" or whatever).  "Scumzoid"       here is very much the
    might be criticized as a harsh,               San Francisco attitude,
    dehumanizing term, though I'd argue in        I would say:
    many cases it's an appropriate
    description of people that have                 Callous to individual
    surrendered much of their humanity.             cases-- you couldn't walk
                                                    down the street,
    But it is true that it's a bit harsh            otherwise-- but retaining
    in many cases, since many of them have          a commitment to the
    arguably had their humanity stolen              principle that these
    from them (e.g. through illness).               people should be
                                                    officially helped if
    But this sort of nicety is not the              possible, and if that's
    first thing on your mind, as you go             not possible, not
    walking down a street late at night             officially hassled.
    and you notice someone up ahead
    screaming obscenities and
    karate-kicking the air.

    But then:

       Far more of them are pathetic than are obnoxious, and
       far more of them are obnoxious than are actually dangerous.

   Also, you should realize that terms like
   "homeless" make a lot of assumptions that
   may not be true... some of the kids lying
   around the Haight hitting you for spare
   change are reportedly commuters from
   Marin County.

   So for now at least, I'm sticking with the
   term "scumzoid", though I'm always thinking
   about dropping it (I'd hate to have it picked
   up by the "clean up the streets", i.e. "death
   to the homeless" gang).

   But anyway, I don't want to exaggerate the
   "scumzoid" problem too much.  You can wander
   pretty much anywhere in San Francisco at all
   hours and the odds are that you'll come out
   safe and sound... in some places you may
   feel a bit nervous about it, though.

   And in fact, quite often someone like me
   will recommend that you go to these
   neighborhoods (or at least near them).  It's
   part of the dynamic of urban neighborhoods,
   the yuppie scum push up the property values,
   the suburban wannabees put pressure on the
   cops to clean things up, and yeah, the
   scumzoids get pushed out, but along with
   them goes anything resembling "cool" and
   often anything resembling "character".
   Sometimes an entrenched scumzoid population
   is the only thing that can scare away the
   yups and subs and stabilize the TAZ... for
   awhile.

   In a perverse way, I think the obvious prevalence
   of what I'm calling "scumzoids" is a testament to
   San Francisco's civic virtue.  Do you think your
   home town deserves credit because they've
   succeeding in making them invisible?  Have you
   ever wondered what your local cops are doing to
   keep your city "clean"?



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