Mission Mission

A bit refreshing to see a little piece of the Mission while in enemy territory.  They were belting out their ferocious rhythms at the end of the Panhandle and attracting quite a crowd.  Seems like they made some new fans, too!  I managed to count quite a few wasted sorority chicks approaching between songs trying to make out with them while mumbling, “So what are you guys called?  The Precocious Two?  I love you guys!”

One of them even tried to steal a t-shirt, but she was apprehended and reprimanded by the supportive crowd.  Her response?  Well, there’s not much you can do when outed as a kleptomaniacal douchebag other than a double-fisted middle finger salute.  Marriage material right there, eligible bachelors.

Previously:

Buskers Busted

The Ferocious Four

Ferocious in the Streets

The Ferocious Few Rocks Out

Well, how’s this for a scoop?  While the letters are still literally being added!

I’m not sure if this place will still be hair salon, or if it’s to be transformed into a retro thrift store, antique boutique, or gallery of some sort.  According to the overhanging sidewalk sign, though, so far it looks like a good place to score some blow.

Previously:

Vertical Clearance Needs Sidewalk Clearance

Today is Bike to Work Day 2010, so naturally Segway Steve has to show up without a bicycle.  You’re going the wrong way, man!  I’m going to let the metaphor in this photo speak for itself:

Anyway, let’s see what kind of neat schwag came in the bag this year!  While I didn’t get a t-shirt this year (long story short:  riding my housemate’s ex-boyfriend’s fixie due to yesterday’s incident, and it was so hard to get my feet into the toe clips that once I finally did, no way was I taking them out again, forcing me to only grab a bag while rolling by the recharge station–BTW, nice pass volunteer!), this year’s bag seems jam packed with fun stuff.  So let’s see what we have here . . .

Nice bag logo!  The colors and cycle outlines are quite aesthetically pleasing.  Woah, and nice spot Meli!  Also, good choice with cool mint for the CLIF Bar flavor, guys.  Tube times, sticker–but wait!  What’s this?  A front bike light??!?!!??  AWESOME!!!  Thanks for making me legal, Bike to Work Day 2010!

Previously:

Segway Finally Joins the Market Street Bicycle Commute

Timbuk2 Bike To Work Day Event Tomorrow

Freshly Painted Green Bike Lanes on Market Apparently Not Quite Enough

Seriously, Shimano?

Ok, maybe I was asking a little much when I demanded  200-word-or-less essays for two (2) free tickets to the awesome event happening at the Cal Academy of Sciences this Saturday, DAWN 2010, featuring Fool’s Gold, Gary Shteyngart, and more.

So, we’re going to make things a little easier for you:  Science-themed music videos!  In the comments below, list the artist and song title (and a Youtube link would be nice) for your favorite sciency video.  If the song is about science too, even better!  Entries will be judged according to a proprietary algorithm (not really).  You have until 11:59pm Thursday, so get cracking!  And no fair using Carl Sagan et al; that’s too easy.

Pro-tip:  DIY hybrids such as Joy Division’s “Disorder” over scenes from 2001: Space Odyssey and Crystal Castles’ “Black Panther” over scenes from TRON are totally cool.

Previously:

Win FREE Tickets to Party Like It’s Shavuot at the Cal Academy of Sciences

Well, this kind of sucks.  How does this even happen?

UPDATE!!! Commenter Salsa demanded a first-person account, so here goes:

well salsa, i was trackstanding at the stop light on valencia at 19th st, heading south. the light turned green, so i pushed down with my dominant (right) leg in order to accelerate adequately enough to address the small slope.

I feel some weird tension, hear a sharp SNAP, and then notice my control over the bike has diminished severely. i wobble to the right and manage to dismount without crashing. onlookers are stopping and gawking, many having assumed that cranks were unable to snap in such a manner.

the cop behind me passes me and yells out the window, “your pedal’s back there,” so i walk back into the intersection and collect it. then i take a picture.

UPDATE 2!!!  My bad!  The crankset is made up of Sugino components.  Sorry to besmirch your good name, Shimano!  This still sucks though . . .

Just saw these guys installing six (6) brand new bike racks on Valencia right in front of Boogaloos at 22nd Street.  Now the hungover masses who mob the popular brunch spot every weekend will have ample room for their fixies.  Combine this with the 3-spot Parklet debuting this Friday in front of Revolution Cafe, stoner-fave Escape from New York Pizza, and Lolo’s; and it looks like 22nd street is slowly becoming the new cyclo-hipster hub of the Mission.  Take that Divisadero!

Silly Side Story:  As I was taking this photo, some burner-type zoomed past me on his bike yelling, “Welcome to San Francisco!  What are you, from Kentucky or something?  Go home tourist!”  Confused, I mounted my bike (which I had leaned against the stop light), caught up to him at around 21st street, and asked him what the problem seemed to be.  He tentatively replied, “Well, you were taking pictures . . . of the city.”  Good one buddy.

UPDATE!!! It looks like they’re putting these up all over Valencia in the spots where the Muni-26 bus stops used to be (good riddance).  I spotted another one by Herbivore, as well as this one in front of Freewheel:

Previously:

Boogaloos: New Menus Means New Prices

Update: They Ruining the Boogaloo Building

The Maned Wolf: Gnarly! (from Kentucky!)

Freshly Painted Green Bike Lanes on Market Apparently Not Quite Enough

Now maybe everyone won’t get all in a huff if Trader Joe’s ends up moving into the current Delano’s location at 23rd and South Van Ness.

[Photo by Jessica Nguyen]

Previously:

Delano’s IGA on the Ropes?

Scenes from The Final Days of Delano’s

Cycle-commuting reader Mickey B. (who also happens to have a great mob nickname) was unable to enjoy the exhilaration of riding down the freshly painted green bike lanes on Market Street this morning thanks to this color-blind driver.  He adds:

A friend of mine passed it after I did and said the car was unlocked and there was a purse on the seat…

I wanna know how this car even managed to get in there!  She obviously wasn’t able to fit through those narrowly spaced posts, so she must have entered the bike lane at the beginning of the block, proceeded about halfway, and then stopped her car and got out.  Do automobile drivers really feel so entitled that they think they can get away with this?

To be fair, on the commute this morning I noticed that even the majority of cyclists themselves prefer to avoid the bike lane when they can in favor of the street, green paint or not (although this stretch of Market is also off-limits to private vehicles so it’s inherently safer):

Anyway, in general the separated green bike lanes are a huge win for cyclists everywhere (not just in SF), and I’m all for them since they encourage cautious people who might be too frightened to bike amongst the cars and buses to try out cycle commuting in somewhat safer fashion.

Don’t forget that this Thursday, May 13, is the 16th annual BIKE TO WORK DAY, so remember to pedal out with your cyclist pride on full display.  As usual, the SFBC will be hosting recharging stations throughout the city with free schwag that’s actually useful and awesome (bags, patch kits, water), so volunteer if you have a chance!  See you out there!

Previously:

Posts Be Posting Up All Over Market Street

Wouldn’t It Be Nice If SF Had Bike Lanes Like Copenhagen’s?

Mission Mission reader Scott B. writes in with a question for the community:

I saw a spot in front of the Baby Blue Rib restaurant on Mission, a young women was in the spot looking at her cell phone, she did not seem to notice me, so I lightly honked my horn. She looked up from her cellphone and said she was holding the spot and someone would be there soon. I pulled up next to her and told her people can’t hold spots, they are for cars. She repeated that she was holding it for someone who was coming soon.

I knew there were not many spots around, so I got annoyed and said “Whatever” and waved my hand dismissively frustration and then drove away. I don’t know what is more annoying, holding a spot or when the person standing in the spot tries to ignore cars like they don’t exist; WTF, like I am supposed to assume that someone standing in a spot means they are holding and I should just keep looking? As Yahoo Answers said, unless you have a license plate on your ass, move out of the spot.

I also read online about someone who got stabbed to death in San Francisco in front of a club, he was holding a spot, a fight broke out and he got stabbed after the fight.

I’m probably not the most sympathetic person to ask about this, as I’m fairly conditioned to respond with “FUCK CARS” to any question about automotive habitat or entitlement.  So, just for fun, and since I do notice this happening on Valencia all the time but realize that Yahoo Answers might not be the most trustworthy source of information, allow me to pose the question to you, faithful readers.  Have at it!

[Photo by p200eric]

Now that Frank Chu (or his dedicated fans) has already had his fun with this Mission Banksy piece, the Sit-Lie folks get their turn at a little political piggy-backery.

Wait a minute . . . now WordPress is telling me that “piggy-backery ” isn’t a real word?  Well, I don’t want to start any fights or anything, but WordPress doesn’t think MIXOLOGIST is a real word either.

Oh snap!

Anyway, you can give your own take on the Sit-lie debate this Monday at the Public Committee hearing in City Hall.  The fun starts at 9am on the front steps!

[Photo and Title by Andy B.]

Previously:

Enough Banksy for Chu?

San Francisco Has Banksy Fever!

Banksy Fever Continues!