Comments on: Reason To Live Here (In SF) # 16: You Are Not “B & T”, And You Rarely Have To Deal With This

By: hoegaarden

hoegaarden — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:11:45 +0000

To add to Sophie’s comments, not only will the bridges be closed (due to damage to their approach ramps : the bridges themselves should remain standing), but just about any other way in or out of the city will be down. The section of 101 over landfill (near Brisbane) will be destroyed and there will be enough landslides and overpass damage on 280 to close it. Ferries ? Naw, their docks will be too damaged.

Plan on staying put for at least a week without power, water, or any other utilities. The only way in or out will be on foot around Mt. San Bruno and down the peninsula.

Stockpile water, get to know your neighbors and make an emergency plan.

By: Rea Estate Agent

Rea Estate Agent — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:45:24 +0000

Now bay bridge is totally screwed up…

By: anna

anna — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:36:10 +0000

bridge and tunnel

By: Raul Gerona

Raul Gerona — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:20:05 +0000

I am a regular visitor here in SFO and I want to know what “B & T” means. Will somebody please e-mail me.

By: confused

confused — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:21:56 +0000

Speaking of emergency plans, I am not sure how many of you lived in the city in 1989, but here are some of the lessons I learned.
1.) Always have at least half a tank of gas in the car. All gas stations were closed in the city, and those in outlying areas were shut down for safety reasons, or were out of gas.
2.) Keep plenty of cash. ATM’s were down for days. Banks were offline, and no point of sale network was up.
3.) Go to the Nikko Hotel! They have FULL POWER with their emergency generators and while the rest of the city was dark, the Nikko was running like nothing happened. We got a room since the Marina was a mess and used the pool, gym, restaurants and watched cable while most in the city did not have power. They gave discounts to Marina residents and it became a sort of mini-vacation.

By: Sophie

Sophie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:43:43 +0000

I wouldn’t even dream of driving to Rockridge. not when you can BART there and don’t even worry about drunk-driving back home.
There are not so many destination outside the city you cannot reach by BART nearly as easily as driving there.

BTW – time to review your emergency plan. In case of an earthquake, NOT ONLY will ALL THE BRIDGES be closed for a few days, but cell phones might be down etc.
What is your plan for the day mom or dad is stuck on the wrong side of the bridge? who will pick up the children at school without even you needing to tell them to do so (because you won’t be able to reach them)?

This incident is coming on the heals of the Great California ShakeOut – http://www.shakeout.org/ – it’s just an ironic “forced rehearsal” for disaster management.

By: fluj

fluj — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:17:22 +0000

Oliveto is worth a 40 minute roundtrip drive over the Bay? I just ate Oliveto food last night. It’s nice and all but similar quality food is available in the city at the Ferry Building and elsewhere.

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:18:11 +0000

Now that is an arse kicking of a commute now! Even going across the GGB is a pain in the ass due to the diverted trafffic.

It’s all about City living.

By: thefrontsteps

thefrontsteps — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:48:45 +0000

“What the bridge closure should remind Bay Areans is that we are a long way from having a “world class” regional transit system.”

Well said, and we even Tweeted our Mayor about this today.

By: confused

confused — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:24:26 +0000

I am confused by this “reason”. I really am amazed at the “bubble” many San Franciscan’s live in if they think a long bridge closure would not impact the local economy. After the 1989 quake MANY corporations left the city, some rather famous restaurants were not able to ride out waiting for the bridge to re-open. A “city” that has as its number one industry TOURISM needs to stop pretending it is Manhattan.

I am “bumming” because although I live both in Chicago and the Marina, when I am in the city at my house, I sometimes like to drive over the bridge to Oliveto, Chez Panisse, Kermit Lynch Wines, Rockridge Market and The Cheese Board. There is life over there too, and I would rather live in Claremont or Rockridge than the Sunset or parts of Bernal.

What the bridge closure should remind Bay Areans is that we are a long way from having a “world class” regional transit system.