The Examiner's in the middle of a week-long article series about San Francisco's tourism industry, where Examiner reporters try out various tourist services. Yesterday's Nellie Blys took cabs from various locations around the city, which was fine. But today! Today, they sent some poor reporters to stand on busy corners with maps in hand and see how long it took residents to ask them if they needed any help. How does this assess anything except nosiness?

Unsurprisingly, the crazies in the Haight immediately leapt to the aid of our reporters, and continued to ramble on and on and on about various aspects of San Francisco counterculture history -- whereas on 16th and Mission and Castro and Market, while some people looked over with mild concern, everyone left the reporters alone, forcing them to actually for help. No! Ask for help?

SFist likes to think that the Mission and Castro actually reflect a better attitude towards our tourists: you're not out of place, you belong here! -- and we're not going to bug you unless you actually need us to! It's actually kind of freaky when someone comes up to you and is like, "pardon me, miss, are you lost?" Um, where's our mace? If you want to know where Harvey Milk's house is: Just Ask!

Tourists sculpture by Duane Hanson

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