Safety in San Francisco

Although a much safer city than New York, muggings are not uncommon here. Most of the crime is drug related and gang-related shootings are on the rise. In some areas of the city you can walk down a street lined with ornate Victorians, turn the corner and find yourself at a low-income housing project. The best thing to do is use your common sense; if an area doesn' t feel safe to you it probably isn' t. Take the precautions you would in any big city :

• don' t flash money around
• avoid dark streets and stick to the roadside edge when you are walking late at night
• if you are drunk, lost or scared, don' t appear so
• if you are confronted with a shaky situation, either turn around or pass through it
• if you are attacked, don' t resist as your assailant is probably holding a gun or a knife
• avoid wandering through certain areas after dark; lower Haight Street (east of Filmore Street); Mission Street from 13th to 22nd Streets; the Tenderloin, Hunter's Point and the Golden Gate Park

If you are attacked or raped call 911 immediately and an officer will come directly to the scene.

Smoking\ Drinking Regulation

Smoking has been banned in virtually every public place in the state. From Jan 1 1997, a new law has also prohibited smoking in bars.

The legal age to buy, serve or consume alcoholic beverages in California is 21 years. They are very strict about this rule. A passport, driving license or Californian ID is required in order to get served.

Earthquakes

As you are aware San Francisco is in the line of fire regarding earthquakes. The San Franciscan telephone directory contains four pages of earthquake instructions. Some general guidelines in order to prepare for an earthquake are as follows:

• Be aware where the gas and water shut off valves are and where an appropriate wrench is to stop them

• Find a safe spot in your living quarters and workplace to go if a quake begins. A safe place indoors is under a good solid table or in a doorway away from windows where glass may shatter and fly out at you

• It is safer indoors rather than outside. Being outdoors you are more vulnerable to falling bricks, power lines or roof tiles

• Plan in advance a meeting place for your family; one place near your home, another away from your neighborhood

• If you are indoors and the quake begins head quickly and quietly to your safe spot. Remain there for the time being as an aftershock normally follows the initial earthquake

• Avoid using the telephone unless you are injured

• If you are driving when the earthquake begins pull over and park, do not stop beneath a freeway, underpass or bridge. Remain in the car if there is any chance at all that a downed power line could be touching the vehicle.

• Walk around the house and check for any potentially dangerous situations; e.g. the smell of gas

• Remain indoors for as long as possible. News updates will let you know if your neighborhood is safe or not

• Don' t drink any tap water unless it has been boiled

The earthquake safety hotline is 1-800 286 7233. Upon request they will send you a brochure explaining what to do before, during and after an earthquake.

Tipping

The following are some basic guidelines when it comes to tipping: Hairdressers, barbers, bartenders: 15% of bill, 20% for excellent service

Pacific Standard Time

San Francisco is on Pacific Standard Time, which is three hours behind Eastern Standard Time (New York) and eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (Ireland). Daylight Savings Time, which runs almost concurrent with Irish Summer Times, runs from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October when the clocks are rolled ahead one hour.

Clothes and Shoe Sizes

With regard to women's clothes, drop a size - for example if you are a size 12 at home you will be a size 10 in US size. There is no difference in male measurements. Shoe sizes are also different; for women add two sizes to your regular size, e.g. a size 6 will become a size 8. Men, add one size - a size 9 will become a size 10. For childrens' shoes add a half a size.

Climate

As a result of its coastal location, San Francisco enjoys a marine climate all year round. The temperature normally stays between 60 degrees F and 70 degrees F. However, the temperature can change dramatically during the day as the fog moves in or afternoon winds whip up. The winters in San Francisco tend to be wet and cold although it is never freezing. The Spring offers more direct sunlight while the summer can have good days depending on the fog. Autumn is the most pleasant season of the year when temperatures sometimes reach the eighties.

Opening Times

Standard American business hours are 9am to 5pm during the week and - if the business is open at the weekends - generally from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and 11am to 4pm on Sundays. Every business varies so check in advance. Post offices are open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Gay and Lesbian San Francisco

The city boasts one of the most vibrant and eclectic gay communities in the US. Gay people and the gay "lifestyle" are such an integral part of life in the city that it. s difficult at times to tell where straight San Francisco leaves off and gay San Francisco begins. The action is centered in the gay districts, among which the Castro area reigns as queen. Based around the intersection of 18th and Castro Streets, it is more than just a place to go out drinking, dancing and cruising. It is also a vibrant neighborhood of boutiques, restaurants, cafes and Victorian flats, having lost most of the ghetto feeling it had in the 1970s - partly because its popularity with straight San Francisco has grown and partly because it continues to spread to the surrounding Duboce Triangle, Noe Valley and inner Mission neighborhoods.