April 17, 2006
Set Your Alarm For 5:12 A.M.
We're just trying to spare you some panic tomorrow morning, folks -- if you hear bells and sirens at 5:12 a.m., no need to wonder about the cosmic coincidence of an earthquake striking exactly 100 years after the big one of 1906 -- it's just Gavin Newsom, who's ordered that all fire stations and churches ring their bells and sirens after the moment of silence at Lotta's Fountain that traditionally commemorates the 1906 quake. (We must confess, though, that we're now wondering what'll happen if, by some weird cosmic coincidence, an earthquake does strike exactly 100 years later.)
If the thought of an early morning alarm clock gets you so irritated that you're just not going to sleep at all, you might as well head on down to the intersection of Kearny, Market, and Geary, to attend the centennial celebration in person. The party starts at 4:30 a.m., and MUNI will run free shuttle buses from St. Francis Circle, starting at 3:00 a.m., allowing themselves two hours to get you there 30 minutes late. MUNI will run free trains all day Tuesday as well, and all stations (except Civic Center) will open early. And finally, MUNI, always forward-thinking, warns you of "likely delays" crossing Market Street at 9:30 a.m. due to the centennial parade.
BART will run a Centennial Train from West Oakland into SF at 4:15, and the regular 4:09 Daly City train to Pittsburg will run as well. They also use this opportunity to remind you that they're working on retrofitting the Transbay Tube.
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This might possibly be the most inconsiderate thing the mayor has ever done for residents of this City. Did anyone tell himn that having this ceremony later in the day might actually attract more people (gasp!) and also not wake those who want to honor 1906 but also sleep. These are not suppose to be mutually exclusive events. ugh.
Oh get over yourself. One day out of 365 and this is the most inconsiderate thing the mayor has ever done? Perhaps you should be angry with mother nature for not having the 1906 earthquake at a time which more conveniently fits your schedule?
San Franciscans are the most whiney "me me me" people in the US.
Urgh,
Tiffany just proves that this is a city that hates to be inconvenienced (or at least loves to whine about it).
Hum, I know, let's change the time of the memorial from the same time it's been for decades because someone might feel bad for being left out.
Awww.
k.
PS Buy a pair of earplugs if the bells and sirens that will ring *once* per 100 years bothers you...geez.
An interesting thought...in 1906, there was no such thing as Daylight Savings time. So theoretically tomorrow's 5:12am ceremony will be an hour earlier than the actual time of the event. Go figure.
Aw, c'mon! Part of the fun of living in a city is complaining about how cool events interfere with your life!
If anyone's planning on going to the 4:30 a.m. ceremonies and wants to send SFist pictures of the event (since I plan on sleeping through it), we'd love to see 'em.
Perhaps, I was exaggerating when I said that the ceremony's time was the "most inconsiderate thing" the mayor has ever doen for residents. I should have first replaced, residents, by me. Further, I just find that if you really want to commenmorate an event, you want to make the event at a time when the most people could conveniently attend. For instance, it seems few people place memorial services for friends or relatives at the actual time of their death so it seems to be an odd custom. Nevertheless,I admire all those who wake up for the memorial.
I'm planning on going...I feel like committing to a few pictures for you just so I actually get out of bed...instead of talking myself out of it, and convincing myself I'll just catch the next centennial anniversary. And if that's not incentive enough, I'm really hoping to see Jan Wahl wearing a funny earthquake hat!
I'll be there with my audio gear and digital camera. If these bastards have to wake me up at five in the goddam morning, I may as well go to the damn ceremony.
I'm with Tiffany. WORST THING EVER. I'm cool with having the ceremony at the same time, but raising the alarm doesn't exactly give anybody a CHOICE on how they celebrate. Think of the children.