The Death of Bay to Breakers?

There is a lot of word around the local press and blogs about ING's decision to change the rules to the 2009 San Francisco Bay to Breakers.

Articles/Stories:
SFgate/Chronicle
San Francisco Citizen *
SFist (Article 1* and Article 2)
* = NSFW photo

The three big rule changes are: no drinking alcohol, no nudity, and no floats.

And in my personal opinion... ARE YOU NUTS? Actually, it's more like: WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING AND/OR SNORTING?

The Bay to Breakers is literally known as the craziest foot race in the entire country, or even the entire world. While there are serious runners who participate in it, the big mob (which rakes in a ton of cash) is the walkers who walk the route like a swarm dressed in costumes, in the nude, riding floats, and drinking booze. It's literally like a protest march, but it's the biggest party of the year (well... until Halloween in the Castro, hee hee hee).

I want to give my opinions about these three new sins/bans in place:

1. No drinking alcohol: That'll be hard to enforce. Just bring a paper bag. Even then, the route is lined with nearby liquor stores and supermarkets. I personally think public urination is wrong. Maybe some of the residents on the route can offer their bathrooms for a $5 fee and rake some dough off it.
2. No nudity: Oh come on. Running nude is a classic B2B thing. Even the Romans in the earliest Olympics did it that way. B2B has a reputation to be an adult event, its not for kids! Think of it this way, running nude is the same as running with a costume.
3. No floats: OK, this is the dumbest idea of all. Floats are a true B2B original classic. Does anyone remember the tiki hut and the folks inside making margaritas for the crew who pushes and pulls the hut? The Tiki hut is a B2B ORIGINAL, and something to always recognize. Falun Gong can't bring a float to the Chinese New Year Parade, but they sure can express themselves at B2B!

And who is complaining about this? A police captain at the Park station, a couple of government jerk-offs, and the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPA Neighborhood Association). Really? So a neighborhood association thinks they rule their neighborhood?

I am going on the attack with this NOPA Neighborhood association:

1. Who the hell do you think you are? Were you truly elected by your "neighborhood" or was this some type of communist crap? The Chronicle reports a person by the name of "Leela Gill" is some kind of board member (bring rotten eggs folks! When's the next board meeting?).
2. Do you truly represent the views of your entire neighborhood, or just little punks who think they can shove their weight around?
3. Supervisor Ross truly represents the neighborhood, let him take the brunt of pro and con arguments.
   
4. Here's an interesting statement by a NOPA resident on SFgate: "I live in NOPA. Who gave these guys the right to speak for the whole neighborhood? When I went to the polls in November I don't recall electing Ms. Gill and she sure doesn't speak for me. They are self appointed representatives, kind of like how Stalin was a self appointed representative."

This NOPA group sounds a lot like those similar complainers from the Parkmerced Residents' Organization who feel like they are bigshots who assume power and allegedly represent the best interests of their community (and possibly the thousands of students who live their for a year or so). When in reality, they are a bunch of whiners attacking San Francisco State University from upgrading their facilities and making more spaces to add classrooms and services.

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Akit's note: I need to clarify my view about being an alleged "NIMBY." As you may have noticed, I have criticized events like OutsideLands, and supported events like Cherry Blossom, Nihonmachi Street Fair, and Halloween in the Castro.

I give my support to hold major events and festivals only if it lasts one day, in particular, on a Sunday, or an entire weekend.

I don't support events that can:
--Disrupt commuters on a weekday (i.e. hold events on a Friday during commute hour)
--Hold three day events (i.e. Outsidelands)
--Have events that have noise, public transit issues, and parking problems that lasts more than two days and covers a weekday as well.
--Have loud noise continuing through the night, especially if it lasts multiple days; even if it may be legal until 10PM (city law).

As you may have noticed, I give my support to keep the Bay to Breakers the way it is. Changes are BAD.

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So readers, in conclusion... either BOYCOTT the Bay to Breakers, or CRASH the party by drinking your booze, shoving your tiki hut float, and run naked (or at least body paint)! And if you have to pee, there's a storm drain on every city intersection, although I don't think watchers wants to stare at your wee wee. Maybe the porta john folks can create urinal stations that takes up less space than a typical portable toilet.


If you think my blog is bad, take a look at the hate messages on the ING Bay to Breakers "official" facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=122208920450

There are also people who are resisting the bullcrap from the Bay to Breakers folks:
Boycott the 2009 ING B2B facebook page (if you think this is nuts, they already have 401 people supporting them! Definitely more numbers than a police captain, some government jerk-offs, and a few NOPA NIMBYs)
Save Bay to Breakers

UPDATE - Japantown's Festivals: David Zisser (President Homeowners Association 1600 Webster) Abuses Powers

If you recall my past posting in late August about Japantown's festivals being threatened by a homeowners owners association and the building's developer, I learned about a month ago that the letter that was written by the 1600 Webster's Homeowners Association's president (David Zisser) was not a letter that was agreed upon by the by the tenants.

In fact... the association's president ACTED ALONE.

As the letter states:

To Nihonmachi Street Fair Committee

As you are aware, this Association (along with other members of this neighborhood) must tolerate what seems to be an endless use of Post and Webster Streets for a series of look-alike street fairs with the same purveyors of schlocky souvenirs, mediocre food stands and exhibitors who have absolutely no relationship to the community. There is no other neighborhood which is asked to put up with these sorts of disruptions, and that, of course, doesn't include the disruption presented by the Fillmore Street Fair which is only one block away.

Thus, we find it astonishing that the Fair organizers would propose an event that would leave the neighborhood in worse condition than you found it and then impose your clean-up costs on this Association and other property owners. The streets and sidewalks of this neighborhood are usually filthy, especially those that surround that appalling mall, and 1600 Webster already devotes part of its yearly budget to the maintenance of its sidewalks and street trees from which this neighborhood receives a direct benefit.

We want to make it very clear to you that if the neighborhood sidewalks are not cleaned in an adequate fashion this year, this Association will file a protest with the City when you seek a permit for next year's street fair.

David H. Zisser

President, 1600 Webster Street Homeowners' Association

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So the guy literally abused his powers as "president" of the association by MISREPRESENTING HIS ASSOCIATION. Or I think that the guy abused his powers as president. See the RED and BOLD highlights in the letter? These are my supporting arguments of his abuse of powers.

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And you may be asking: What is your supporting evidence?

I learned about this through a discussion on SFist, talking about the Mervyn's closure and what will be used for that building. I posted a comment insulting the 1600 Webster building that it's a bunch of NIMBYs (Not in my back yard) for writing those hurtful letters to the Japantown community. One of the tenants wrote back and said:

• "Akit, please don't characterize the whole Webster building as NIMBYs...most of us are regular people who worked hard to buy housing, and had no idea about the letters that were sent."

I wrote back and asked:

• "I have to know, you never had any idea that the letters were sent to the J-town community about the street fair in August? That's really screwed up, then the building owner and board president was acting alone."

The commenter wrote back and said:

• "No, we had no idea. I found out when I read it here or on curbed, I can't remember which. The neighbors to whom I spoke also had no idea. (and these are condos, so there is no one building owner)"

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I also provide the following supporting evidence during a brief e-mail discussion with Paul Osaki, Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC):

• Hey Paul,
  
  This is going to sound really screwed up, but I was having a discussion with users of one of the city's popular blog news sites known as "SFist" and someone from the 1600 Webster site noted that the condo tenants didn't even know that the developer and the board president sent out the letter. If this is right, those two acted alone in pissing-off the community, and the board president abused his powers as president by misrepresentation.
  
  See here: http://sfist.com/2008/10/21/_with_the_mervyns_heights.php

He wrote back:

• Hi Akit,

  That’s correct, the other owners did not know about the letter as far as I can tell.

  Paul

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So there's my evidence. The owners did not know anything about the president writing such a hurtful, hateful, and disgraceful letter to the Nihonmachi Street Fair and insulting the Japantown community. Many non-profit organizations depends on these festivals so they can provide services such as elderly care, childcare, after school groups, church groups, etc.

Plus, NEVER call our food mediocre. It's good stuff, for good causes, and done by hard working individuals, who in some cases have been doing it for OVER 40 YEARS.

I learned through the Nichi Bei Times that Zisser insulted the community even more, by stating he stands by his letter to the community "100 percent." So... there's no real apology. Thanks for the insults.

Now when a business wants to think about occupying that vacant space at your facility, they'll know that the Homeowners Association and Developer hates Japantown, and will not occupy the space.

Maybe it's time for those condo owners to fight back. Recall (kick) the jackass out of his presidency seat for abuse of powers as president of the association.

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Other resources:
A letter I wrote to Nichi Bei Times
AsianWeek: Palate Pleasing Philanthropy at the Nihonmachi Street Fair
Hokubei Mainichi: Street Fair Starts Off With a Bang
Hokubei Mainichi: City Agency Says Festival Permits Can't Be Blocked
Photo credit: Hokubei Mainichi