David Borgenicht - San Francisco

By David Borgenicht & Ben H. Winters

Illustrations by Brenda Brown

Copyright 2009 by Quirk Productions, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Worst-Case Scenario and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook are trademarks of Quirk Productions, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data available.

ISBN: 978-0-8118-7049-8

Manufactured in China
Designed by Jenny Kraemer
Illustrations by Brenda Brown
Visit www.worstcasescenarios.com

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Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

WARNING: You really should have been more careful. Now youre facing one of the worst-case scenarios presented in this bookat least you have the book with you, to refer to. But you must use your good judgment and common sense and consult a professionally trained expert to deal with these dangerous situations. The authors, publisher, and experts disclaim any liability from any injury that may result from the use, proper or improper, from the information contained in this book. Nothing herein should be construed or interpreted to infringe on the rights of other persons or to violate criminal statutes. We urge you to be respectful and safe.

If youre going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair... and for Gods sake, watch your back. Sure, this is the city that gave the world the Summer of Love and delicious, harmless Rice-A-Roni, but when you get right down to it, Frisco is packed with dangersstarting with the scorn heaped upon you by the locals if you call it Frisco.

But take heart. Whether youre trying to stop a runaway cable car, ride out an earthquake while stuck in an elevator, or disentangle yourself from a yoga pose gone wrong, this little book is going to be a big help. The Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: San Francisco delivers crucial advice on important subjects such as how to stay warm in the summer, escape a sea lion attack at Fishermans Wharf, and park on a hillassuming you can find a space.

San Francisco is rightfully known for its liberal openness and proud peaceful heritage, the birthplace of the United Nations and the Grateful Dead. But it was also the birthplace of the novelist Jack London, a bleak realist whose stories are full of people freezing to death in the bitter cold. Now there was a guy who understood worst-case scenarios. And as London once said, Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well.

We couldnt have put it better ourselves. Have funand good luck!

The Authors

When you get tired of walking around San Francisco, you can always lean against it.
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1 Run slightly ahead of the car.

Run alongside and just ahead of the right front side of the car. Even if the driver is incapacitated, a cable car attached to its cable will not be traveling more than 9.5 miles per hour.

2 Leap into the gripmans position.

Grab the vertical bar on the front right side of the car and use it to hoist yourself up and into the cable car.

3 Grab the grip lever at the front of the car.

The grip lever is a long metal pole emerging at an angle from the base of the cable car at the front of the vehicle.

4 Pull backwards on the grip lever.

This will cause the cable cars grip to let go of the cable.

5 Operate the foot brake.

Press down on the foot brake located immediately behind the grip lever, causing the metal brake shoes to press against the wheels, slowing, and then stopping the cable car.

6 Pull the emergency slot brake.

Grasp the red grip to the left of the main grip lever and pull back as hard as possible, sending the emergency slot brake slamming down into the slot and bringing the cable car to a sudden halt. Hang tightly onto to the lever after you pull it to keep from being thrown off your feet.

7 Evacuate the cable car.

Be Aware

A cable car weighs approximately 15,000 pounds, and has a passenger capacity of 60 to 70 people; a fully loaded car could weigh upwards of 30,000 pounds.

Operating a cable cars grip lever is extremely difficult; only 30 percent of applicants to be cable car operators successfully get the job.

Pulling the emergency slot brake is very rarely done; it is both very difficult to pull, and extremely difficult to get out once pulled. It pushes the brake down so far into the slot that it must often be removed with a torch.

1 Turn on your lights.

Do not turn on your high beams as the lights will reflect off the fog and create a glare.

2 Apply the brakes.

Decrease your speed to one half the posted speed limit. Avoid tapping repeatedly on the brakes as it may spook the drivers behind you.

3 Open the window.

Turn off the radio and ask other people in the car to be silent. Listen carefully for the sound of approaching cars.

4 Guide yourself by visible objects.

Watch as your lights illuminate lampposts, mailboxes, and lane markings, and use them to stay in your lane.

5 Increase your following distance.

When you see brake lights ahead, employ the six-second rule: the moment the lights ahead pass a fixed object such as a lamp-post, count slowly from one to six; if you pass the object before six seconds are up, decrease your speed.

6 Pull completely off the road.

If the fog continues to thicken, remove yourself from the road and turn on your emergency lights so other cars are aware of your presence.

Be Aware

The rule of thumb for driving in the fog is to exercise the same caution as if you were driving at night, in a heavy rain: cut your speed in half, drive defensively, and pull off the road if conditions become extreme.

The western parts of the city, such as the Sunset and West Portal, are foggier than the eastern and southern parts, as fog generally rolls in from the ocean and dissipates as it moves further inland.

San Francisco can experience heavy fog in the summer, fall, and winter.

1 Alert the authorities to the emergency using the intercom system.

Move to the front of the car and find the Attendant Call box. Press the button and then release it. When the attendant answers, describe the nature of the emergency and your train number, which is written on the intercom.