But they probably had really good leftovers.

When discussing our collective desire to move out of San Francisco to somewhere where the cost of living is reasonable, my sister-in-law, Sarah, offered a particularly "last-straw" story.

Note that Sarah is recently out of college, works as both an unpaid intern at a publishing house (internships are the new economy's slave labor) and as a clerk at Amoeba records. She pays way too much rent for what she's getting and recently her bicycle was stolen out of her apartment. This all contributes to her frustration.

Sarah: So the other night I was waiting to catch a bus to take me to a costume party. The party's theme was Las Vegas and Weddings so I was dressed as 'something blue.' This costume consisted of blue pants, a blue sweater and a knit cap. While I was waiting to catch my bus some Marina girls...

Mena: Marina girls?

Sarah: Rich girls that come to the Haight to throw money around.

Mena: Oh.

Sarah: Anyway, I'm standing, waiting for my bus and these girls pass and offer me their leftovers!

Mena: No way!

Sarah: Yeah. I was just standing with my arms folded. It wasn't like I was sitting on a stoop.

Mena: What did you say?

Sarah: I said "No! I don't want your leftovers." But the thing is that after this exchange, nobody would make eye contact with me.

Mena: I'm sorry. But you have to admit, it's pretty funny.

Sarah: I guess. You should have seen these girls -- their clothes looked brand new -- like they had never even touched them before.

Mena: Continue talking like that and I'm going to start offering you leftovers.

Comments

[Patty]

I went shopping on Haight when I was vacationing in SF this summer, I totally know what you are talking about, I mean, wtf is up with the GAP right at the corner of Haight and Ashbury? Evil corporations!

[Andi]

No kidding! I had the same thing happen to me once! What is it with these rich girls thinking that anyone who is wearing clothes that have actually been worn, or that, god forbid, don't come from Abercrombie or some other hype-driven megalopoly need charity? And why aren't they handing over cold hard cash instead of lame leftovers that they couldn't eat because it would ruin their perfect figures?

Sorry, rant over...

:)

Andi

[Electrin]

If there had so much money...why would they be carrying leftovers in the first place?

Call me crazy, but I'd eat fresh food everyday if I could afford it.

Send leftovers this way please...

[Ed]

I've seen the "leftover" phenomenon go down more times than I care to admit. The great thing about Marina Girls and their "just don't get it" male prima donna cousins is that their rather limited view of the world permits one to have a good deal of fun with them. One of those condescending freaks aggravated me so much that I convinced him that giving pints of blood to a charity in one sitting would be the ideal way to contribute to the problem, rather than the leftover approach. Apparently, my skills as a persuasive liar were remarkably high that evening. He asked me for places where he could do this and I helped him find a number for the Red Cross. For all I know, he tried to give pints of blood the next morning.

Andi: To answer your question, I think they believe nearly everything that Gavin Newsom says.

Electrin: Farmer's Market. It's always saved my ass during the lean times when I only had about $25 to my name. Produce produce produce.

[tllgrrl]

i hope this doesn't come off as a rant or something but...

hate to tell you this, but 'marina girls' are EVERYWHERE.
any place you go there will be a part of town where there are those who are "shiny happy people" and those who are not.
in SF they're Marina Girls.
in L.A they're Valley Girls
in Vegas they're Summerlin Girls
in Chicago, New York, Seattle they're _____Girls. fill in the blank.
and regarding having a Gap on Haight & Ashbury: bfd. what's the problem? Gap's a store. people shop there. if the company didn't think people would shop there, they wouldn't have opened a store there.

look, the 60s are gone. (and children, i was there in the 60s so you can't tell me anything.)
surprise: the Haight now has people who shop at the Gap. the minute the store fails to turn a profit, it'll be gone. or, it'll be successful and a part of the neighbourhood.
i saw it happen to the Gap on Melrose in L.A.
people were all up in arms about the 'gapifying' of precious Melrose.
the store was there for must have been almost 10 years. it's not there now, but a lot of the shops that have been there for 20 years and more are still around.
and what's in the Gap space now?
Urban Outfitters. which is--when you think of it-- just another version of, you guess it..the Gap.
: )

[kmel]

I think I would have had to say sweetly, "Why thank you for the generous offer, but what makes you think I would want them?" The Miss Manners approach can sometimes be so much more devastating than, say, opening up the container and dumping them over her head. Although ...

[susannah]

the contempt eveyone in this posting has for the marina girls puzzles me a bit. sure, no one wants to be thought of as a charity case i suppose and that ythe "blue girl" was is weird, was probably awkward and potentially funny. but isnt the fact that these people (they were actually people, not just labels - you dont like being labelled and im sure they dont either) saw someone they thought could use a meal and offered theirs something to find hope in and not disdain?

[kmel]

Labels or no labels, it's just smart to wait for someone to ask you for your leftovers first, don'tcha think?

[Sam]

Well, gee. I guess I'm covered if I never offer anyone help - I'm supposed to wait for them to *ask* for it, and then decide whether or not I will deign to act. How wonderful to have the opportunity to add humiliation on top of an genuine need for assistance.

Honestly, I find the Marina girls, for all their cluelessness, FAR more in the right than those of you who are castigating them for wanting to assist, however hamhandedly, or joking about taking advantage of people's honest desire to help those "less fortunate than themselves" by cackling about how you persuaded them to give blood. (Ed, have you ever given blood before, or do you just convince others to do so?) Its this kind of sanctimonious attitude toward people who are trying, however ineptly, to assist in some small way, which inevitably convinces them that helping other people isn't worth it if all one gets is shat upon. Good strategy.

And by the way, when was the last time any of *you* took the risk of offering a stranger some assistance? Just wondering...

[kmel]

Dude! I was only talking about leftovers. Do you walk down the street offering your spare change or half-eaten food to random people, or people you think look scruffy? I don't think anyone here is poo-pooing random acts of kindness. There are just better ways to go about it.

[kMo]

Well, people! I can sympathize with Blue Girl, as it can be demeaning and humiliating to be considered a potential anorexic.

However.

Have you all decided to leave SF? I am living in a reallly small town, both size and mind, and the prospect of living in a City with diversity, history and activity seems much more important that asving a few dollars. Hell, you can starve in small town as easily as in big city, when the only major company leaves town or goes up in flames.

Three things you won't find in small town:

Taking a bus
At night
Clubs

And people would offer you leftovers anyway. Only this time won't be Marina girls, it would be some nice christian couple.

[Mena]

There was supposed to be humor in my story, not really any moral lesson. But, really, my point was that my sister-in-law (who is not weird, by the way) was standing at a bus stop, WAITING FOR A BUS. Yes, I do think it is admirable to offer left-overs to those who may seem hungry or are actually panhandling. Believe me, it's difficult to walk down Haight without being asked for money. The fact that these girls were so out of touch with who is "needy" and who is just trying to take mass-transit was the funny thing. It's not worth getting worked up about.

[Andi]

Really folks, the problem is with their use of stereotypes (though, I suppose we are being hypocritical for criticizing them for using stereotypes.) Personally, I have a tendency to offer whatever it is that I have brought for my lunch to those who ask me for money for food, but I would never offer my lunch to someone who did not ask. I know I would be humiliated if someone assumed that I was destitute (I know this from experience) based solely on my appearance. I would hope that people would try to be considerate of others.

[Donna]

I love this story, it's hilarious. Leftovers from a restaurant - where your folk has touched the food - is *not* something you offer a girl waiting for a bus. These little snots were getting their kicks.

Enjoyed it. Nice site, too.

[fertile_jim]

in seattle i think they would be called "spu girls" and they would be christians. i'm sure someone will have another opinion. in berkeley they'd be "albany girls" but it's getting so that they are everywhere. maybe you'd call them "tri-delts". however, when all is said and done, i prefer their form of condescension to the ucb frat boys who leaned out of their car window and yelled "scumbag!" at my wife because she is not blond. my problem is, the well-meaning bourgeoisie mistake me for a street person all the time...they just mistake me for the scary-crazy kind, and cross the street. hmm, maybe it's not a mistake.......

[gsh]

The Lincoln Park Trixies of Chicago would be hung upside down from their Prada loafers before they offered anyone their leftovers. Your preppies are much more friendly.