Category Archives: Accident or Ill Fortune

Stop! Runaway Car Collides with Wild Side West

It’s been a bad week for vehicular control here in Bernalwood. Last Saturday we had a car flip over on Precita, while on Wednesday a runaway car bonked into the sidewalk bench at Wild Side West on Cortland. Neighbor Teri … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Cars, Cortland | 1 Comment

Fallen Tree Limb on Anderson Generates High-Tech Koan

If a tree limb falls on Anderson Street but no one is there to tweet it, does it still make a sound? Quite honestly, I have no idea. But if a tree limb falls on Anderson and Angel Cervantes finds it, … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Found Things, Photography | 3 Comments

Geyser Alert! Eruption on Cesar Chavez at Florida

Ah yes, the perils of progress. Luckily, Reader Michael was on hand to capture the spectacle on Cesar Chavez at Florida, which happened just moments ago. Even more luckily, the spew is not brown. PHOTO: Reader Michael

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Infrastructure | 2 Comments

Precita Neighbors Gather to Remember Stephen

On Sunday morning, a group of Bernal Heights neighbors gathered to participate in a memorial service for Stephen, the gracious resident of Precita Park who died on January 20. It was a simple but warm affair. There were some cookies, … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Neighborhoods, People | 11 Comments

RIP Stephen, Familiar Resident of Precita Park

Sad news: Stephen, the homeless gentleman who lived in the western end of Precita Park, died on January 20. Neighbor Jennifer fills in the backstory: Stephen – a longtime resident of Precita Park (he lived at the picnic tables on … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, People | 13 Comments

Oops! Tow Truck Drops BMW on Steep Bernal Heights Hill

Ouch! Reader Rusty captured the chaos last night on Treat Street: Some guy was getting his BMW 335i towed back to his house near the top of Treat, above Precita Park. Unclear why it was being towed back. As the … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

… In Which I Am Revealed to Be Only Marginally Prepared for a Very Big Earthquake

A few months ago, I volunteered myself, my daughter, and my home to serve as on-camera crash-test dummies for a series of earthquake-preparedness videos produced by Totally Unprepared, a public-awareness organization which describes itself as… … what happens when you … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Calamity, Geology and Seismology, Infrastructure, Media | 10 Comments

Whale Fail: Video Shows Bernal Dads Spinout at Sears Point

Recognize the red-and-white car in the photo above? That’s right, it’s “The Whale,” the battle-scarred Volvo 240 wagon driven by the Bernal Dads Racing Team during the recent 24 Hours of LeMons race at Sears Point. Notice something funny about … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Cars | Leave a comment

Gulp! Why You Should Be Nervous About a PG&E Gas Pipeline with History of Big Trouble That Runs Through Bernal Heights

Did you happen to catch this anxiety-generating bit of news last week regarding the safety of PG&E’s gas pipelines?  From the San Jose Mercury News: More than a year after the San Bruno natural gas explosion, PG&E still lacks “a … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Geography, History, Infrastructure | 20 Comments

Tonight! Buy Chicken John’s Book, Help Save His Space for ‘Odd and Unlikely Artworks’

On Cesar Chavez Street near Mission, there’s a prominent mural on a jaunty red building that shouts advice to all passers-by: “Fail…to WIN!” That slogan is the subtitle of The Book of the IS, a new book written by the … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Activism, Art, Entertainment, Events, Interesting Objects | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

Car Crash Creates Big Bang on Bocana

There was some unwelcome excitement on Bocana yesterday, as a vehicle rollover disrupted the evening. Reader Paulie from the Bernalwood Action News Team was there with his mobile phone, and he filed this report: The accident happened near Chuck’s Market … Continue reading

Posted in Accident or Ill Fortune, Cars | 6 Comments