Watching the news tonight, seeing the amount of violent crime going on in the SF Bay Area, notably that which happens on public transit.

What I think is happening is that homeless either on drugs or struggling with mental health have begun using busses and trains as shelter. 

Over the past 15 years, I've observed that the transit hubs and stations have been the places where drug activity is extremely high, with addicts rolling up in blankets underneath bus stop enclosures, some sitting down in groups to light up meth pipes behind them.

I've caught BART trains and walked by rows of junkies sitting on the floor near the entrances, their fix kits arrayed about them on a jacket.

Getting off a bus on my way to work, a guy on a bicycle asks me in a hard to place accent if I know where we can go to smoke some crystal. 

"No I do not." I say, loudly but matter of factly, not even slowing my stride. He starts wobbling, "Oh, I'm sorry!" He is now afraid he will get in trouble. 

"Ts'all right." I drawl, too focused on getting where I'm going to be the drug guy police...