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Is San Francisco really that bad?

I drive an old truck with a few obvious dents in it, and unwashed. Have duplicate fully functional spare "beater" cameras, whether Sinar 4X5, P67, or Fuji 6X9 RF. And I don't look like a tourist on an expensive vacation with alligator-skin suitcases and designer shoes. Got real mud on my boots, real mud on my truck. Or else we take my wife's less than glamorous commuter car, and stay away from known bad neighborhoods, even in our own city across the Bay. Just common sense. Nearly all the shoreline and Regional Parks are still very safe, even in SF. The downtowns, so-so, depending on the location and time of day or night. Big parking lots in GGNRA immediately across the GG Bridge - break-in prone. So again, don't look like a tourist with bags left on the seats, or drive a fancy rental car. I've never personally had any issue there. Brats like to steal purses and electronics, not a heavy 8X10 and big wooden Ries whatever-that-surveyor-thing-is.
 
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Mike Lopez said:
Or you can stay home, fall off the couch, and die.

Just live your life and take your pictures. Life's too short to be terrified.
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One of my favorite neighbors did that, and didn’t even bother with the falling part. Just died on the couch, sitting upright and still watching a movie on TV. He still had the remote in his hand too!
 
BrianShaw said:
One of my favorite neighbors did that, and didn’t even bother with the falling part. Just died on the couch, sitting upright and still watching a movie on TV. He still had the remote in his hand too!
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A dedicated television viewer indeed. I can think of better ways to go.
 
Unsheltered people in San Francisco are generally friendly. I do not feel threatened when walking in areas where they camp. I think camera snatching is an organized criminal activity.

Come further south along the coast. There’s plenty of scenery all the way down.
 
I live in the city and am often out photographing, sometimes with very expensive gear. I have insurance of course. I slipped in the mud one morning before dawn and dropped my camera. I feel it's more likely that I will damage my gear than it being stolen. But then I have the home-field advantage and know where to avoid, etc. I live near the park with the row of old Victorians with the city in the background and there are often people getting their cars broken into while they go to photograph. I think thieves follow your car from the airport or other tourist stops. Most people think I'll just get out and take a photo, and jump back in the car and boom their luggage is stolen. A lot of times now there's a police car parked right there, not sure about other tourist stops like Tank Hill or Twin Peaks. Very unlikely to have your stuff stolen off the path of the main touristy areas or where you are far from the street since these thieves like to just drive by and grab and get away. They don't get far from the street.
 
One of my kids lives in Mountain View so we get out to the Bay Area pretty often. While I’ve been in The City numerous times, I’ve never felt uneasy being there but I do like Bill Burk’s suggestion to go elsewhere in the area. After all, all those “picturesque” spots have been done so go find something more off the beaten path. A few years ago I was staying in South San Francisco and did a couple of long walking tours, about 10 miles/day. One was to the city of Colma. There are more people buried there than live residents. Look it up. Walking through those cemeteries is fascinating.
 
My wife did some volunteer design work at Oakland Children's Hospital a few years back. I wanted to see the Golden gate bridge. I made a few mistakes: I got on the wrong bus, I then had Balboa park in my head because my Dad often talked about Balboa park ( in San Diego mind you), I talked with some kids headed to the skate park up there and got the sense that what I thought I would see wasn't what would be up there (I was wrong), I got off of bart 1 stop before Balboa, then tried to dead rekon myself over to the Presidio from where I was. I ended up hiking through Glen canyon neighborhood, ended up down in Castro, and eventually down on Market st. I never saw the GG bridge, I walked about 10 miles, and I never felt unsafe. Part of this silly journey was me being stubborn. I certainly could have googled the bus routes and got myself corrected but I was having fun of a sort. This was also during a film drought for me so I have zero good pictures from the hike.
 
How very sad that the question is even viable. Gosh, Tonopah is looking pretty good after all.
 
Going to SF for Photonics West at the end of January, and I’m not looking forward to the “it’s in San Francisco” aspect of the trade show. It has gotten progressively worse and was really bad three years ago. Lots of stories about people getting yelled at, followed, etc. Not a good look for an international professional trade show. I intend to lobby for a change of venue.
 
Spent many nights walking Chicago with my equipment when in college. Walk with a purpose and be aware of your surroundings. If you make a big show of what you're doing, someone is going to notice you.
 
One notable TV news stations reporting on crime in the US dropped 63% the day after elections last fall. Something to be aware of.

Not denying that things are getting weird out there...I used to take my Pentax 6X7 gear into downtown Vancouver by myself to take night photographs in the early 1980's and never felt threatened at all. That would be near suicidal today.
 

Downtown Van. I don't even go there during the day to take photos.
 
From a 2018 late afternoon visit to the Starbucks at Granville and Georgia:
 
He might have been a University student - it was exam time
 
More wild hearsay and jaded BS from people who don't even live here. But I need another cup of coffee myself before heading to the Park with both of my 6X9's while it's not raining, simply so I can't get mugged over and over again, just like every single week for the past forty years. Well, at least it's only every other week now that the election is over... It's nice to know that "fact". So which week is this one?
 

People really don't like that Pentax now, so I don't blame you.
 
I akshully think this is a blessing if most photogs are scared away from SF. That way I can take my pics in peace w/o someone with a Sony telling me I should not use film but I should really try his bird-eye focus w/ multiple stacked HDR if I want anything decent.
 
Huss said:
People really don't like that Pentax now, so I don't blame you.
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It got replaced by a Wista 4x5 field camera in about 1982
 
Kiki sleeping peacefully in Chrissy Field. I was not mugged before, during, or after I took this pic





Opposite side of Fisherman's Wharf. Again not mugged. Weird.





I did not get assaulted, stabbed, tickled or taunted when I took this pic. Almost disappointing.





These people, buried in their phones, had no idea they were about to be robbed





After I took this selfie - with a Leica - I was stabbed, left for dead. But recovered nicely after I had a cappucino


 

They want to know why your Fuji has that red dot...
 
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