Thursday, December 07, 2006
Long Love the TL
I live in Nob Hill, at the bottom of the hill on the south side is an area called the Tenderloin. One could describe it as the hood, the red light district or the seedy part of town. Since it’s not too far from my place, I drive and/or walk through the Tenderloin to get to just about anything that’s happening south of where I live and I am pretty far north in the city so I am through there quite often. Over the past few weeks I think I have witnessed some of the most tragic scenes I have ever seen play out in the Tenderloin. Now I am not talking about seeing some hooker in white pumps with the chewed heel on the way to the tranny club or some freak show with a broken TV in a shopping cart that’s stuck in a ditch. I’m talking total tragedy… so tragic it’s like a train wreck, you just have to watch.
The other day some friends and I were driving through The TL (Tenderloin) going to dinner in the comfort of my buddies new A6, there actually is a lot of great food down there for cheep. While at a stoplight I am staring out the window and some woman with no legs in a wheelchair has driven her chair off the curb and fallen in the gutter. Yes my friends, this is actually as bad as it sounds. The chair was half stuck on the curb and the woman was out of the chair face down in the tenderloin gutter. Two of her friends or onlookers were trying to help her, they too looked like they had also spent a few nights in the gutter so I am not sure how much help they were but nonetheless they were looking out for her. I have tried to erase this scene from my memory but it just won’t go away.
Early on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago I was on my way to church (which is also in the Tenderloin), I parked a few blocks away and am headed toward the sanctuary. There is generally bodies strewn in all kind of random locations on the sidewalks at this hour, some of them are still awake, some are just waking up and some I am not sure if they are sleeping or dead. I’m used to it, so I just step over them, no big deal. This particular morning I am approaching a group of people on the sidewalk that seems quite lively. As I walk by checking out the scene, I notice a man has somehow managed to spill his bottle of Jim Beam Whiskey in a ladies bag of crack rocks. The lady obviously is very upset that her rocks are soaked in booze and is trying to fish them out salvaging what she can. The guy is completely distraught as he isn’t happy about the fact his whiskey is no more. They are yelling at each other about who’s fault this is and calling out very nasty names. Now if I was in this situation, I would be pretty pissed too… because that really sucks.
All of the tragedy, hunger, poverty and sadness of The Tenderloin aside, I love TL with all my heart. I love that my church is in The Tenderloin, when I show up drunk or still awake from the night before they are still happy to see me and glad I came. I love that there is always parking, I’ve had more damage done to my car in The Castro than in The Tenderloin. My girl Hot Hezzy was crossing the street in the TL, was struck by a truck and thrown down in the intersection unconscious. It was the hookers (God love their fashions!) that ran into through traffic in their mini skirts to help her to safety and call the police. Last week I wandered out of a Tenderloin hotel around six in the morning and was offered sex and drugs all on one block, how very kind. What is not to love about a one stop shop!? One fine day on my way to a parade wearing my red band hat paired with a red cape, my possie and I stopped into a TL bar for a round of Jager shots. After exchanging a free show for free shots we went on our way, as we departed a lovely old blind man with no teeth carrying a white cane sang to me that song from the 70’s “When will I see you again?” Wonderful!
The next time you’re downtown, spend some time in the TL. They will accept you however you are, be glad you came, and you might just have a good time. Now isn’t that the way life should be everywhere all the time?
The other day some friends and I were driving through The TL (Tenderloin) going to dinner in the comfort of my buddies new A6, there actually is a lot of great food down there for cheep. While at a stoplight I am staring out the window and some woman with no legs in a wheelchair has driven her chair off the curb and fallen in the gutter. Yes my friends, this is actually as bad as it sounds. The chair was half stuck on the curb and the woman was out of the chair face down in the tenderloin gutter. Two of her friends or onlookers were trying to help her, they too looked like they had also spent a few nights in the gutter so I am not sure how much help they were but nonetheless they were looking out for her. I have tried to erase this scene from my memory but it just won’t go away.
Early on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago I was on my way to church (which is also in the Tenderloin), I parked a few blocks away and am headed toward the sanctuary. There is generally bodies strewn in all kind of random locations on the sidewalks at this hour, some of them are still awake, some are just waking up and some I am not sure if they are sleeping or dead. I’m used to it, so I just step over them, no big deal. This particular morning I am approaching a group of people on the sidewalk that seems quite lively. As I walk by checking out the scene, I notice a man has somehow managed to spill his bottle of Jim Beam Whiskey in a ladies bag of crack rocks. The lady obviously is very upset that her rocks are soaked in booze and is trying to fish them out salvaging what she can. The guy is completely distraught as he isn’t happy about the fact his whiskey is no more. They are yelling at each other about who’s fault this is and calling out very nasty names. Now if I was in this situation, I would be pretty pissed too… because that really sucks.
All of the tragedy, hunger, poverty and sadness of The Tenderloin aside, I love TL with all my heart. I love that my church is in The Tenderloin, when I show up drunk or still awake from the night before they are still happy to see me and glad I came. I love that there is always parking, I’ve had more damage done to my car in The Castro than in The Tenderloin. My girl Hot Hezzy was crossing the street in the TL, was struck by a truck and thrown down in the intersection unconscious. It was the hookers (God love their fashions!) that ran into through traffic in their mini skirts to help her to safety and call the police. Last week I wandered out of a Tenderloin hotel around six in the morning and was offered sex and drugs all on one block, how very kind. What is not to love about a one stop shop!? One fine day on my way to a parade wearing my red band hat paired with a red cape, my possie and I stopped into a TL bar for a round of Jager shots. After exchanging a free show for free shots we went on our way, as we departed a lovely old blind man with no teeth carrying a white cane sang to me that song from the 70’s “When will I see you again?” Wonderful!
The next time you’re downtown, spend some time in the TL. They will accept you however you are, be glad you came, and you might just have a good time. Now isn’t that the way life should be everywhere all the time?
