Remember how last year it seemed like the local media couldn't stop talking about poop? Even though the discussion of feces gumming up our BART escalators dates back a couple of years, the 2014 hubbub centered on a story about St. George Alley in the Financial District which C.W. Nevius homed in on as SF's most shit-covered street as of last July. Well now we have a new angle, and that's the drought. The Chron's Debra Saunders talks to the Department of Public Works about why all the blocks around the Chronicle Building are so chronically poop-infested and urine-smelling, and they blame the drought for the lack of natural washing happening to city streets although with water restrictions aren't they also not allowed to power-wash every concrete surface they please?
Saunders doesn't mention that last part, but she does tick off several other culprits for our ongoing poop troubles ("More than once this year, I’ve seen men drop their pants in public places including at Fifth and Market in order to leave a smelly mess on the sidewalk."), including the lack of sufficient public toilets, and the lack of sufficient police officers patrolling the streets. I'm actually not sure either of those things are going to break the habits of people (homeless and otherwise) who have grown accustomed to pooping in the open in the nearest alley of their choosing, but maybe!
She also has it on good authority, from "homeless czar" Bevan Dufty, that when the new homeless census gets released soon the number will be slightly higher than it was at last count in 2013.
Someone please also refer to her to this January piece in Fast Company about SF's poop problem, this poop map published by the Chronicle last year, and the Bold Italic's Guide to SF's Shittiest Streets from last October.
