My morning walk to Civic Center swung farther towards Potrero than usual today, and I ended up walking down Utah between Mariposa and Alameda. Two thirds of that span are furniture shops, no doubt situated strategically to serve the upscale district to the south and east. The first such block was entirely antique shops, which were crowded with beautiful furniture and presumably exorbitant prices. You know the sort of place–no price tags, because if you need to know the price, you can’t afford it.

I passed by just as the owners were opening their shops. More accurately I should say trying to open, as at least two were having considerable difficulty. The first were a couple of elderly men trying each key on a big key ring over and over again. “Did you try this one,” one would ask. “I’ve tried all of them. Twice!”

The latter was an elderly woman, weighing all of a hundred pounds, trying to push open the scissoring metal gate. It was just too heavy, but damn was she pushing. I thought about helping, but nixed the notion when it occurred to me that this must be a daily struggle. Who am I to interrupt Sisyphus?

With time to spare, I decided to cross Market and walk up Gough. I regretted this decision when I tripped on some uneven pavement and nearly broke my neck. Looking back, my reaction was a combination of a gasp and a chuckle. What are city workers to do when they find uneven pavement like this? Fix it, perhaps? Nope, just paint it bright yellow.

Thanks for all your help, San Francisco governance.