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 | San Francisco Be Aware! Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 24 |  |
 | |  |  | Be Aware!: camera and video camera shops | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
Many tourist from overseas think that it is cheaper to buy personal electronics in the US. There are rip-off stores that sell PAL European video cameras and photo cameras to tourists. They are not cheaper then any other store in Europe, infact it's much cheaper to buy European Video cameras in the Duty Free at the airports in Europe. You will see these stores in San Francisco, New York, and L.A. They fill their windows with neon signs, personal electronics, video cameras and digital/photo cameras. They do "low ball" advertising in the storefronts. Meaning that they have a video camera in the window for $199, PAL system, and when you go into the shop and ask to see it... bait and switch! They will ring up you credit card and then go on and tell you that the camera you just bought; is no good and that you should buy the better model. It all starts from there. They will end up selling you a cheap camera, overly priced, that has no warranty. If you demand to have the same camera in the window they will tell you that they have no more and to come back tomorrow. If you tell them that you want their display model they will say it's not for sale. If you go into those shops you will not get a deal no matter what. And never fall for their wide angle lenses that are supposed to be able to take pictures in the dark. That's B.S. They will tell you to try the lens on and connect your camera to their TV. They adjust the picture quality on the camera to make it look bad, then they screw the lens on and turn the controls to normal and you see. It's a trick. They sell the lens for 200-1000 dollars. It costs them $30. Believe it or not if you buy, you get screwed. There are good places to purchase digital and film cameras in the US. Try Good Guys, Frys, Circut City, Target, etc. These are big, well known stores. PAL system is recommended to buy here, if you find one it will not have a warranty in your country. DON'T BUY EVEN FILM THERE! It's usually bad.
Pay with credit. If there is a problem you can get your money back. Any statements that they make; warranties, features, etc. have them write it on the recipt. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Be Aware!: Food in touristy areas | Tip Rating: | | | | |
As I'm sure most of you know, food in touristy areas are extremely expensive. In San Francisco, this is the case especially for Union Square. In San Francisco, the best restaurants and food are usually in the less-busy neighborhoods (ie, for the best Asian food, go to the Sunset neighborhood - a quiet residential neighborhood about 30 minutes away from downtown). Also, when the weather is okay, having a picnic in San Francisco's squares and parks is extremely delightful, as well as cost-effective. Hope this saves someone some money!!
Definitely head out towards the residential neighborhoods for the best as well as the most cost effective food. For example - the Sunset neighborhood for Asian cuisine, the Mission District for Mexican food, etc.
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| | | | Be Aware!: Street Criminals Prey on Visitors | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
We arrived SF on Sat, 6/3. Sunday, 6/4 we walked to find the Visitors Information Center. Got to vicinity of the VC around 2:45pm. Could not spot the VC, but knew it was there. We must have stood out to the criminal element stationed there. A black man approached. Said he worked for the VC and could help us? We asked him direction to VC. He said "right over here" and started leading. He insisted on leading us to it (Clue #1). I was located down some stairs in "The Pit". He got in front, and said, "we work on donations here" (Clue #2). I said OK, reached into my pocket, pulled out a fold of bills, found a $1for him. There were two security guards in the little 40X40 building (Clue #3 - why guards in a place where everything is free?). Shortly, there was an announcement that the VC would close in 5 minutes. Standing outside to get our bearings, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye a figure was approaching us. He was a black man, early 20's, round face, thick lips, hair in dreadnots. His right hand extended and his eyes fixed on my left jeans pocket with bills. He got within three feet. I told him "No", and we turned to walk away. This guy got fighting mad and began to call me every vulgar name while advancing toward us. His eyes were wild, and no doubt he was going to attack us, in my mind. We walked back into the VC, where a guard was about to start locking doors. We said, "we have a problem here". The street criminal was right behind us. The guard stepped in front of him, pushed him out while the guy was still raging at us, and pushed him off to the left of the building. My wife and I left to the right of the building, climbed the stairs out of the pit, and left the area. If I ever do go back to walk the streets of San Francisco, I can promise you I will be carrying a knife. Only 10 minutes separated us from having that guard there to help us. Otherwise I would have had to fight that guy with only a camera in my hand. Next time, I will have a knife on me. Be careful in this crime-tolerant town.
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San Francisco
on May 29, 2004
on June 22, 2005
on August 26, 2004
on March 23, 2006
on September 26, 2003
on June 27, 2003
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on February 18, 2006
