Good news, but I have to laugh at the Chronicle being the Chronicle. They'd find a way to write a doom-and-gloom story about finding an unexpected $20 in your jacket pocket.
Good news, but I have to laugh at the Chronicle being the Chronicle. They'd find a way to write a doom-and-gloom story about finding an unexpected $20 in your jacket pocket.
I think it's pretty clear from the article that they see both sides of it? I see it as further evidence (beyond crime reports filed with the police, which might be under-reported) that car...
I think it's pretty clear from the article that they see both sides of it?
I see it as further evidence (beyond crime reports filed with the police, which might be under-reported) that car break-ins are down in San Francisco.
It's funny because it's not a both-sides kind of issue. I don't lament the loss of business at funeral homes now that the pandemic has subsided in urgency, either. Not every business needs to be...
It's funny because it's not a both-sides kind of issue. I don't lament the loss of business at funeral homes now that the pandemic has subsided in urgency, either. Not every business needs to be growth forever.
When people lose their jobs it's clearly pretty bad for them, even if it's part of an overall trend that's positive. (I don't know if they have yet, but according to the article, at least one...
When people lose their jobs it's clearly pretty bad for them, even if it's part of an overall trend that's positive. (I don't know if they have yet, but according to the article, at least one business has contemplated layoffs.)
I am certain that we both agree that losing income streams is stressful, just like I am certain that we both agree that it's a genuinely good thing that car break-ins have dropped significantly in...
I am certain that we both agree that losing income streams is stressful, just like I am certain that we both agree that it's a genuinely good thing that car break-ins have dropped significantly in SF. (Anecdotally, I've certainly heard less about bipping from my friends who live in the city over the past few months, too.)
If you'll allow me to speak more broadly, though, I also honestly don't think it's mentally healthy to always find the negatives in a change, which is where I have to chuckle at the Chronicle's predictable takes. To look at my own industry, there was about a year where I was doing a lot more cryptolocker scam recovery work than normal, because people hadn't yet developed the better defenses we have today. I made more money from it, and my end was honest work, but I was completely aware my end only existed because of criminal activity, and I'm glad it has reduced in volume.
I worked with people on parole, I never ever would have felt upset that my job disappeared because people weren't going to prison anymore. After the softball sized hail in Nebraska it'd be equally...
I worked with people on parole, I never ever would have felt upset that my job disappeared because people weren't going to prison anymore.
After the softball sized hail in Nebraska it'd be equally wild to write an article about how glass companies are booming in the plains due to climate change IMO. The story is the drop in crime or the destructive storms, not the state of the glass industry.
I don't think anyone disagrees that it's overall positive? The article itself ends this way: I see nothing wrong with this article. It's not particularly surprising, but it's one part of a larger...
I don't think anyone disagrees that it's overall positive? The article itself ends this way:
Garage proprietors who spoke with the Chronicle said they hope for a turnaround, knowing they’re in an awkward position. Sure, many saw their highest success at times when bipping was rampant in San Francisco. They’ve stopped short of hoping for crime to return.
I see nothing wrong with this article. It's not particularly surprising, but it's one part of a larger story and there's nothing wrong with telling us what's going on San Francisco. That's part of the job.
Why are you so negative about it? What's with your "predictable take."
I think we're talking past each other? It's not like I didn't like reading this here; I did, and I appreciate that you posted it. I just think it's funny because it's a very Chronicle take on...
I think we're talking past each other? It's not like I didn't like reading this here; I did, and I appreciate that you posted it. I just think it's funny because it's a very Chronicle take on things; something good happens, but make sure to say it also has something negative that we have to wring our hands about. The fact that it's such a good thing (because vehicular property crime was an exceedingly bad problem for a long time, and now it has apparently fallen off quite a bit), yet they still go with their standard approach made me laugh. If we don't share the same sense of humor, that's fine.
All over the city, auto glass merchants say they are hobbled by what’s otherwise a staggering sign of progress. Police aggressively cracked down on smash-and-grabs over the past year, deploying new technology and other intertwined strategies, including a “hot spot” overtime unit and stings aimed at prolific offenders. These efforts have largely paid off: Incident reports fell from 28,500 in 2017 to 8,500 last year.
Leaders and law enforcement call it a course-correction, and many residents are relieved they can finally cross a parking lot without having to step over a shattered car window.
Yet the city’s car break-in decline has produced at least one warping after-effect. A small sector of garages and auto glass technicians have seen their income dry up.
...
Like many glass repair specialists, Wee was reluctant to blame a reduction in crime for the slump. Instead, he and other shop owners pointed to literally anything else: increased competition, economic uncertainty, consumers’ hesitancy to spend money.
Morena Mendez, manager of Express Service Auto Glass, a family-owned garage just off Highway 101, acknowledged that, indeed, crime has decreased. Still, she cited other possible factors to explain the auto glass slowdown. Chief among them is the high cost of materials — including glass imported from China or Mexico — which has forced businesses to raise prices, Mendez said, and may be inhibiting customers. At the same time, she asserted, the market has grown more cutthroat.
...
Joel Corena, owner of a mobile fix-it service called On Time Auto Glass, bemoaned a drop in tourism and rental cars, which traditionally have been prime targets for burglaries. Wee noted, similarly, that demand for window repair goes up when more people are parking downtown, or at destinations like Fisherman’s Wharf, where thieves also gravitate.
Many glass technicians have watched about half their business evaporate in recent months. Corena said he used to handle around 17 jobs a day, and he’s down to eight. Mendez went from 30 calls or emails a day asking for quotes, to fewer than 15. Dario Sarat-Guzman, owner of MAZ Auto Glass, said customer inquiries have dwindled from 20 a day, to between five and 10.
Good news, but I have to laugh at the Chronicle being the Chronicle. They'd find a way to write a doom-and-gloom story about finding an unexpected $20 in your jacket pocket.
I think it's pretty clear from the article that they see both sides of it?
I see it as further evidence (beyond crime reports filed with the police, which might be under-reported) that car break-ins are down in San Francisco.
It's funny because it's not a both-sides kind of issue. I don't lament the loss of business at funeral homes now that the pandemic has subsided in urgency, either. Not every business needs to be growth forever.
When people lose their jobs it's clearly pretty bad for them, even if it's part of an overall trend that's positive. (I don't know if they have yet, but according to the article, at least one business has contemplated layoffs.)
I am certain that we both agree that losing income streams is stressful, just like I am certain that we both agree that it's a genuinely good thing that car break-ins have dropped significantly in SF. (Anecdotally, I've certainly heard less about bipping from my friends who live in the city over the past few months, too.)
If you'll allow me to speak more broadly, though, I also honestly don't think it's mentally healthy to always find the negatives in a change, which is where I have to chuckle at the Chronicle's predictable takes. To look at my own industry, there was about a year where I was doing a lot more cryptolocker scam recovery work than normal, because people hadn't yet developed the better defenses we have today. I made more money from it, and my end was honest work, but I was completely aware my end only existed because of criminal activity, and I'm glad it has reduced in volume.
I worked with people on parole, I never ever would have felt upset that my job disappeared because people weren't going to prison anymore.
After the softball sized hail in Nebraska it'd be equally wild to write an article about how glass companies are booming in the plains due to climate change IMO. The story is the drop in crime or the destructive storms, not the state of the glass industry.
I don't think anyone disagrees that it's overall positive? The article itself ends this way:
I see nothing wrong with this article. It's not particularly surprising, but it's one part of a larger story and there's nothing wrong with telling us what's going on San Francisco. That's part of the job.
Why are you so negative about it? What's with your "predictable take."
I think we're talking past each other? It's not like I didn't like reading this here; I did, and I appreciate that you posted it. I just think it's funny because it's a very Chronicle take on things; something good happens, but make sure to say it also has something negative that we have to wring our hands about. The fact that it's such a good thing (because vehicular property crime was an exceedingly bad problem for a long time, and now it has apparently fallen off quite a bit), yet they still go with their standard approach made me laugh. If we don't share the same sense of humor, that's fine.
From the article:
...
...
Wow. I don't think I expected to see a real-world example of 'broken-window economics'. And literally for broken windows.