Del Seymour, founder of the nonprofit organization Code Tenderloin, leads a walking tour known as the “anti-disaster circle” around the city of San Francisco, USA. Although Seymour originally aimed to showcase the city’s beauty, the tour inevitably exposes the disasters and poverty prevalent in the area.
San Francisco: A Response to the “Disaster Circle” Tour
The tour was organized in response to an initially planned “disaster circle” tour by an anonymous city commissioner. The disaster tour intended to expose poverty, neglected buildings, and other hidden ills in the city. However, the $30 tour, or approximately Rp460,000, was ultimately canceled as the commissioner feared being identified and facing potential repercussions.
Seymour, who regularly conducts tours through Tenderloin San Francisco, brought a group of 70-80 people to protest the original tour’s concept. He told the New York Post that he scoffed at the original tour’s plan.
“It is not at all healthy or beneficial to our community,” he said. “We do not want to live in the situation we are in. We want to do something about it, but you can’t do anything when someone else attacks you,” he added.
A Glimpse of Drug Use
While this alternative tour highlights the positive aspects of the city, homelessness and drug addiction are still prevalent.
Drug use is visible, with some men and women lying on the streets welcoming Seymour’s tour. The New York Post describes a sometimes overpowering stench of urine mixed with human and animal feces in the vicinity.
Seymour attempts to explain the available programs for the community in the area to help them while pleading for the community to show sympathy.
The Replacement Tour
In lieu of ‘SF Anonymous Insider,’ a woman who identified herself as journalist Dr. Mia Morgan White attempted to conduct her own tour while insisting that she was not an “insider.”
However, she was accompanied only by a San Francisco Standard reporter and another woman. She expressed her disgust with the programs created by Seymour in the anti-disaster tour.
“We have a city with a $16 billion budget that can be used anytime, but the money always goes to criminals,” White said.
According to an 18-month investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Tenderloin District in San Francisco is nicknamed the “Million Dollar Mile” by drug dealers. The city is teeming with drug dealers, and the drug trade thrives due to lenient drug policies.
The Crisis in San Francisco
San Francisco, renowned for its picturesque landscapes and vibrant tech industry, faces an ongoing crisis. The city grapples with homelessness, substance abuse, and increasing poverty rates, challenging its reputation as a hub of prosperity and innovation.
The controversy surrounding the canceled “disaster circle” tour has brought to light the city’s stark disparities and the need for effective solutions to address these pressing issues.
As Del Seymour and other activists continue their efforts to raise awareness and advocate for change, the fate of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents remains a matter of concern for both locals and outsiders looking in.
