Posts Tagged ‘trespassing’
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Just discovered the Great Military Observation Tower of the Presidio is no more. It jutted above the eucaluptus so high, they painted it #17875 White and #12197 Aviation Orange, just like Sutro Tower. But now the sweet tower is gone.
You could see the whole bay area up there – probably with a similar view that you’d get atop the PG&E Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. And it was accessible – you could just hop the fence while minding the concertina wire and then use the internal staircase to get to the platform up top. It was sweet:
Click to expand
But then then took out the first flight of stairs so you couldn’t just walk up the thing and then they put up a cell tower right next door and then, not too long ago, they just took the observation tower down.
So here’s the situation today. Cell tower on the right, and the site of the observation tower (the now-empty square) on the right:
I think the above shot from Google Maps is from 9-11-2010. (Google has no hassles photographing the Presidio from above, of course.)
Anyway, here’s how it looks from Ashbury Heights – the cell tower is there, but the observation tower, Mount Sutro’s Little Buddy, is all gone:
Oh well.
Tags: 2010, army, bay area, california, course, crime, district, Eucalyptus, faa, federal, feds, Golden Gate Bridge, golf, illegal, national, observation, observation tower, park, piper loop, presidio, red, richmond, San Francisco, tower, trespass, trespassing, u. s., United States, white
Posted in bay area, military, parks | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Now back in the day, you could shimmy over a nine-foot cyclone fence and then just walk up the staircase to the top of this observation tower the U.S. Army used to operate in the Presidio. It was the coolest vantage point in town.
But now the barbed concertina wire is thicker than ever and the wobbly stairs up to the first landing have been removed. And perhaps there are new systems in place that would assist the park police as they catch any monkey trying to shimmy up to the top. (Perhaps means definitely, BTW.)
Oh well. It’s painted Sutro Tower white and red because it’s a hazard to aerial navigation peeking just above the Eucalyptus the way it do. Last time I was there, you could tell that people would go up to drink beer and have sex and whatnot.
You’d think the phone companies would have used this old tower for cell antennas but perhaps this old thing is too old. There’s a new tower right next door but there’s not enough room to party up there even if you could try. The old tower has a roomy platform on top, made for a bunch of generals and majors to reconnoiter and whatnot.
Click to expand
Oh well, it’s the end of an era….
Tags: army, course, crime, district, Eucalyptus, faa, federal, feds, Golden Gate Bridge, golf, illegal, national, observation, observation tower, park, piper loop, presidio, red, richmond, San Francisco, tower, trespass, trespassing, U.S., United States, white
Posted in parks | No Comments »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Not even sure what to call this ex-military observation tower as I am unaware of its name. But I’ll tell you, the views from up there are terrific and with none of those pesky trees in the way. It’s painted FAA red and white like Sutro Tower for a reason – it’s a hazard to navigation it’s so high.
Now, you can’t go there legally I don’t think, judging by the signs that I’m sure are posted on the fence you’d need to climb over to begin your climb. Speaking of which, this thing is all wobbly by design. And that’s fine, but you don’t know how it’s been maintained over the decades. Think about that if you try to climb up.
What’s it still doing standing above the eucalyptus if it no longer has a purpose?
Click to expand
Last time I was up, there were empty beer cans strewn about, so that’s proof that somebody goes up there sometimes. Oh well.
You’ll just have to bide your time and wait for the Golden Gate Bridge to open up to climbers, whenever that happens…
Tags: army, course, crime, district, Eucalyptus, faa, federal, feds, Golden Gate Bridge, golf, illegal, national, observation, observation tower, park, piper loop, presidio, red, richmond, San Francisco, tower, trespass, trespassing, U.S., United States, white
Posted in architecture, bay area | No Comments »
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
This is the scene on San Francisco’s Market Street near Union Square – can you see the sign going, “NO OVERNIGHT CAMPING“?
Click to expand.
That’s the way San Francisco property owners do things using Municipal Police Code Section 25. A sign like this tells the cops that the person hanging out on private property hasn’t been given permission.
Distribution of “No Trespassing” Signs July 2008: The Community Guides distributed the “No Trespassing” signs to merchants,building security/concierge, and street-level businesses. The signs request enforcementof the Municipal Police Code Section 25 to all the street level businesses.After signing the forms, the merchants, street-level tenants and property representatives displayed the notices on the windows of their business and other visible places, they do not give anyone permission to sleep, lie, or in any way remain in their doorway. These notices help SFPD and Community Guides address issues of sleepers and campers inside ofdoorways. The notice expires every six months
See? This one is similar:
NO TRESPASSING REQUEST FOR ENFORCEMENT OF MUNICIPAL POLICE CODE SECTION 25 San Francisco Municipal Police Code Section 25 provides that no person shall willfully rema.in upon any private property or business premises after being notified to leave by the owner, lessee, or other person in charge . Notice may be oral or in the form of a written notice posted in a conspicuous place. A violation of Section 25 is an infraction. A second violation within 24 hours (Section 26) is a misdemeanor. To the San Francisco Police Department: I hereby request that the San Francisco Police Department enforce the above Municipal Police Code Sections on my beha-If and in my absence. I have given no person(s) permission to sleep, lie, or in any way remain within my doorway located at (private property) while my business is closed. _- I further state that I will notify the San Francisco Police Department in writing within 24 hours if I do give a person(s) permission to sleep, lie, or in any way remain within said doorway, providing the Police Department with the person(s) name. I agree to post a copy of this notice in a location where it will be visible to all persons within said area. I understand that this letter of request expires six months after the below-signed date. Signature of owner or agent Date: Address 2 copies: Owner AGENT TO POST JULY THRU DECEMBER YEAR.
Tags: $25, 785, 785 market, atm, automated teller machine, bank, bank of america, california, campers, camping, code, department, district 6, homeless, infraction, market, misedemeanor, municipal, Municipal Police Code Section 25, night, no, notice, overnight, panhandling, police, private, property, public, San Francisco, section, Section 25, section 26, SFPD, sign, sleeping, soma, south of market area, street, trespasser, trespassing
Posted in buildings | Comments Off
