Billed "Avoid the 8" by SFPD, police will check for lushes behind the wheel this New Year's Eve at 8th and Folsom Streets. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. and end around 3 a.m. "All of the police departments that serve this great city have banded together against the death, injury, expense and family harm that drunk or drugged drivers so often cause. We could not be more serious about getting these dangerous people off the road and making San Francisco safer," said traffic Capt. Al Casciato of the San Francisco Police Dept. more ›

After taking a lot of crap this year for shutting off cellphones and shooting a guy, the BART Police force is looking to make good this holiday season. In a press release, by way of SFAppeal, BART announces their plans to step up foot patrols around downtown San Francisco and offer escorted walks home from the West Oakland and San Leandro stations. more ›

At 11 a..m. (PST) today, radio broadcasters and TV will take part in the first-ever nationwide emergency alert system test. Although emergency alert system tests have been done at the local level, we've never had one performed at the national level. This type of alert should come on handy when, say, slimy aliens attack (because they will), nuclear warfare erupts, a huge comet comes barreling toward planet Earth (you must see Melancholia; it's an actual masterpiece), or Harold Camping's premonitions of apocalyptic doom come true. more ›

Keep your appendages inside the cable car at all times, kids, because a kid riding the Powell-Hyde cable car line was hurt Wednesday afternoon. According to SF Appeal, "a car drifted toward thee cable car and its side mirror struck an 11-year-old boy in the stomach who was on the cable car." The child was suffered non-life-threatening injuries. more ›

Please be advised that there will be a Public Safety Exercise taking place in the Civic Center area starting at around 10:30am Friday morning. "There will be emergency vehicles in the area and potential traffic delays. This exercise should last less than 60 minutes," notes AlertSF. more ›

Today at around 1:50 pm, there was a manhole cover explosion on Folsom Street at Harriet Street. Alert SF notes: "Folsom Street is closed between 6th and 7th Streets. Harriet Street is closed between Howard and Harrison Streets. Please avoid the area." more ›

Businesses at Pier 38, the most expensive waterfront Class-A office space in San Francisco, rushed to find new homes after the city red tagged the waterfront space. Notices appeared on Pier 38 businesses last week, claiming that the area was unsafe for operation. WordPress, blogging company Automattic Inc., Dogpatch Labs, 99 Designs, Maritime Recreation Center, and a slew of others have until September 30 to vacate. To make matters shadier, the city even built a fence around some of the boats so that people can't access them. more ›

SFist talked about C.W. Nevius' article a couple of weeks ago regarding Little Bird Coffeehouse's "Kafkaesque journey" to obtain a permit for outdoor seating on the sidewalk, which named Lower Nob Hill community organizer David Overdorf as the instigator for the delay. (Overdorf is also the coiner of the term "Kafkaesque journey" in reference to this case.) more ›

We're coming in to the thick of the Holiday season here (or perhaps more accurately: Holiday Party Season) and the authorities in San Francisco will be celebrating accordingly with their traditional 17 day crackdown on drinking and driving around the city. According to the Appeal, cops expect to rack up something like 100 DUI arrests at sobriety checkpoints around town between tonight and January 2nd. more ›

Have you come across crosswalk signals that skip countdown numbers? We have. And it's scary. Fortunately, Walk San Francisco, a pedestrian safety advocacy group, can help you take action. more ›

A candlelight walk and community vigil will be held to honor slain (if you will) cyclist Yannick Linke (Nils Linke) who was killed by an allegedly intoxicated motorist on Masonic last week. Tonight's gathering will shed light on both the life of Linke and a resolution "to make city streets safe for all users." Details: more ›

A reader, who asked to remain anonymous, writes to SFist about a harrowing (albeit it tiny) blaze aboard a flight, prompting an emergency landing at SFO on Sunday. more ›

Speaking of attacks on public transportation, following the deadly subway bombing that rocked Moscow yesterday, Muni and BART have ramped up security. Dogs made their way through BART trains yesterday, "sniffing for anything out of the ordinary," and Muni police were on alerts (well, sort of) after suicide bombers "conducted brazen attacks a day earlier that killed 39 people" during rush hour attacks in Moscow. more ›

During a breakfast to celebrate a $412 million June-ballot bond to seismically retrofit a city buildings, San Francisco Police Chief George Gascón made a comment, according the SF Chronicle, about how the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant "is susceptible not just to an earthquake, but also to members of the city's Middle Eastern community parking a van in front of it and blowing it up." more ›

Yesterday, controversial SF Chron columnist C.W. Nevius talked about street kids bullying locals in the Haight. Last night, according to SFist commenter jline, the police responded. more ›

Beth W. from Muni Diaries writes about this latest ad campaign, and she's none to thrilled. more ›

Last week's winner, the Bay Guardian. Tim Redmond says the Navy is the gayest armed services branch. Well, sure. Cars are worse than homeless people, says a letter writer. Halloween will suuuuuck. A former director of Intersection for the Arts died in a car crash. The new crackdown on homelessness, and why aren't people more upset? Cover article: Our pals at SwapSF make the cover! About the whole freetail trend! Yay SwapSF! (and other freegans!) Annalee Newitz loves to IM. This Woggles concert sounds like fun ("I go to a lot of shows where dudes in hoodies stand around, solemnly head-bobbing with their hands in their pockets" -- but the Woggles won't be one of those!) Okay, the band name Eat Skull caught our attention. Damon and Naomi are coming to town. Is a Chinese restaurant filled with non-white people really better than the other option? And L.E. Leone wishes she were an alcoholic. more ›

Attention citizenry! The SFPD needs your help. if you're a web designer. They're currently conducting a poll, with the help of a Massachusetts company called, ominously, the Public Safety Strategies Group. Do you like foot patrols? Do you know where your police station is? Have you been the victim of a crime lately? These and other exciting questions will be answered on tonight's episode of "The San Francisco Police Effectiveness Review"! more ›

Bay Area crime roundup more ›