Life on La Playa
Plenty of sand, but not really a day at the beach for local residents.
Life on La Playa is no day at the beach, plenty of sand though.
Since July of 2025 there has been no street cleaning on the block of La Playa St. between Lincoln Way and Irving St. Earlier in 2025 SFMTA in all its wisdom decided to change the regularly schedule days and times for street cleaning on the block.
First they took out the old “No Parking, Street Cleaning…” signs that communicated a long established schedule for when the street sweeper would come and sweep away the sand that blows onto the block from Ocean Beach, which is about a hundred yards or some from the Lincoln & La Playa intersection. And then the SFMTA put up new signs for a brand new time of day that the sweepers would come, midnight to 2:00 a.m.
As one might imagine, heading out of one’s home at midnight to move any street parked car you own and, I don’t know, levitate it somewhere for two hours while the street sweepers move through, just did not sit well with a number of residents on the block. So some of them did what any one of us would do. They called up their local elected representative to San Francisco city government; the erstwhile Supervisor Joel Engardio (who a whole bunch of us here in D4, including a few of the residents on La Playa, banded together to Recall, which is why he is now the erstwhile Supervisor).
Then-Supervisor Engardio (but not anymore) said he would get it taken care of and being such man-of-no-people-whatsoever, he called up SFMTA and told them that some people down on La Playa were complaining about the new street sweeping schedule and that SFMTA should take care of it so he didn’t have to field any additional complaints. SFMTA did what departments in San Francisco do, they took care of it for the erstwhile Supervisor Engardio by taking the signs down and never sweeping the streets again.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This is the point at which the wheels come off for me with this story. That amendment that I transcribed above, it is, of course, the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights and the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That is exactly what my friends on La Playa were doing, petitioning the Government for a redress of their grievances.
Moreover, Engardio, SFMTA and City Hall punished them for it. No more street sweeping for you, you rascally La Playans! That was 8 months ago, by the way. Some pictures below show you how bad it has gotten.
[That’s a sidewalk next to a parking lot near intersection of La Playa & Lincoln, btw — photo credit, Clandestine Informant & La Playa resident — and below as well]
Hyperlocal?
Of course it is, hyperlocal as hell. One block of La Playa in the Outer Sunset, a few dozen people. What’s the point here John? First, as go the La Playans, so go the rest of us. If you think I’m kidding, then you’ve got another think coming.
You see, San Francisco might be very bad about this type of behavior… strike that, not might, San Francisco is really bad about this type of behavior, but it is not unique. This happens everywhere. The stench of arrogance and hubris that emanates from this type of governance and behavior of elected and appointed officials is becoming overpowering. And not just here is San Francisco but in all of the places where people read, follow and subscribe to Though the Heavens Fall.
Every one of my readers, I’ll wager, could tell you a story that sounds a lot like what our friends down on La Playa endure. Since I have readers is 22 states, that’s quite a few places.
Frankly, I am far beyond tired of this type of petty governance behavior. And I don’t think I’ll take it anymore. Might as well start with our friends on La Playa, out here in the Way Out West. So tomorrow I’m going to send this column to District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong (and his staff), who was appointed in December 2025 to fill the seat vacated by the removal of the erstwhile Supervisor Joel Engardio (say it with me, RECALL!).
Let’s see what response we can get from him, and yes, I encourage you all to call (or email) Supervisor Wong tomorrow along with me. You can send him a copy of this essay if you like. When you all helped me out when the streetlights were out on Sunset Boulevard we got something done in a couple of days, maybe we can get something going like that.
I’ll give updates here at Though the Heavens Fall, please feel free to share back any updates you have, such as what you hear from Supervisor Wong or his office when you contact them. The comments section is always open but you can also contact me directly — John Crabtree — 563-581-2867 — johncrabtree52@gmail.com.
Just a couple more points.
SFMTA General Manager Julie Kirschbaum, why pick on my friends on La Playa? You’ve already turned me into a critic of the fiscal and operational ineptness and incompetence of SFMTA & Muni — Vote NO on Prop. A — the earthquake safety bond that diverts $200 million (nearly 40% of the bond) to Muni’s Potrero Bus Facility ensuring that no one will every get any post-earthquake, high-pressure AWSS hydrants and water pipe here in the Way Out West or in the southern neighborhoods either.
Somebody tell the damn Taco Truck at Lincoln and La Playa, turn off the damn neon signs and that obnoxious chyron on top of the truck. Just be reasonable. And in case you cannot figure that out, keeping the obnoxious, seizure inducing lights on until after midnight is not reasonable. Shut down by 9:00 or 10:00 at the latest. Win over a neighbor or two, don’t follow the lead of SFMTA and City Hall, be better than that.
