Wednesday, July 18, 2007

In your face insult to SFPD and BART Police

This is not new. I've written about this before but it was worse and more in your face today than I've ever witnessed. A disheveled looking man was leaning against one of the BART escalators on Market Street and 8th. He was smoking a joint, no doubt about it. Puff after puff, with no anxiety, no apprehension, whatsoever. Two SFPD officers on bikes were about 10 feet away. The officers were looking around, checking the area, they even looked in this man's direction. I don't know if they saw him smoking the joint or not, but they didn't care if they did.

I understand that they have bigger crime to worry about and that smoking weed is a lesser offense, but it's almost like they allow it by not doing anything about it!

When a man is not afraid to smoke marijuana in front of the cops (within smelling distance), that tells you that law enforcement is not working in the area.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since it's likely he would have whipped out his medical marijuana user registration card, there's little they could have done about it, and I'm happy about that. However, smoking of any type is prohibited in the stations and he should have been cited or told to move along.

bartmusings said...

oh interesting, didn't think about medicinal use. if that's true, no wonder he had nothing to hide. he was actually smoking outside of the station, right at the stair entrance.

The Duckling said...

Actually, I think there is some sort of law on the books in SF that the cops are supposed to "ignore" marijuana smoking. If the guy is smoking weed and has an open container of alcohol, they can cite him. If he's smoking weed and has no pants on, they can arrest him. You get the point. I'm not 100% sure about this but...

Anonymous said...

I want to know what BART Police do all day. I have been riding BART since 1998 and have only seen them on the trains 3 times! I never see them at any of the stations. I do, however, see their police cars, but no officers. Several times I have been at El Cerrito Del Norte Station at 415a and have assisted the female station agent with asking a stinky-smelly bum (or a man wearing all black, pants below his waste, who is dark skinned, with a heavy hooded black Raiders jacket on) to stop loitering near the turnstyles! Usually the newspaper man is also at the ready in case of any trouble. Where are the BART Police!!!

Anonymous said...

I know where all the BART Police are...check out the El Cerrito Plaza Starbucks, next to the El Cerrito Plaza BART Station! Usually you will find 3-5 officers there in the morning hanging out. I guess Starbucks is worth their attention more than the BART Stations and trains!