fire pit
used to be you could have a fire anywhere on the beach in s.f. now they have a row of fire pits – big cement bowls for containment. too many kids playing on the beach melted their hands off digging in the sand the next day, only to unearth a saturday night fire still smoldering under the sand. thousands of children, and dogs, and adults died. sea birds, dolphins, and land sharks, countless numbers slaughtered. the sands reeked of seared flesh. it made the ocean an adventure. no one was happy when the park rangers began enforcing the fire pit only rule.
but these fire pits are fun. it encourages strangers to group together around a common heat source. i met a man from czech, who was backpacking around the city while he waited to hear about a job on an organic farm, and a flight attendant born in Hong Kong who lived over in the sunset and flew northwest. she told me about crash pads, and agreed to an interview later.
i think i found a new place to hang out.