Planters installed outside San Francisco Walgreens in the Castro meant to deter illegal activity, loiterers

CBS5 via MSN ^ | September 18, 2023 | Betty Yu

[Vendome]

Fed up with illegal activity and loiterers, the community, Walgreens and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman came together to place plants outside a popular corner store in the Castro.

Allen Janz, whose dad lives around the corner, took notice of the new planters outside the Walgreens at 18th and Castro streets.

"They're very pretty. And I think they're going to be trashed. I mean, they'll be trashed in a couple days I think," said Janz, who is visiting from Anchorage, Alaska. "And I don't have an issue with it, but the homeless people are just going to just move around the corner."

Walgreens provided the planters, SF Public Works paid for the soil and plants, and Mandelman invited the community to fill them over the weekend.

"We have people setting up tents right outside the house," Janz said of his dad's house.

"Like two days in a row, there's homeless right outside my flat and I should be maybe sympathetic of course, but I'm not really sympathetic. I'm just tired of this," said Geoff Wilson.

"I thought it was a good idea at first," he said of the planters. "People congregate there, which is OK in my eyes, but open drug use, and using the bathroom there and leaving trash there is not OK. I have to deal with that on the regular, because I'm also homeless."

Other neighborhoods in San Francisco have used industrial planters in hopes of discouraging encampments.

[Vendome]

Fed up with illegal activity and loiterers, the community, Walgreens and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman came together to place plants outside a popular corner store in the Castro.

Allen Janz, whose dad lives around the corner, took notice of the new planters outside the Walgreens at 18th and Castro streets.

"They're very pretty. And I think they're going to be trashed. I mean, they'll be trashed in a couple days I think," said Janz, who is visiting from Anchorage, Alaska. "And I don't have an issue with it, but the homeless people are just going to just move around the corner."

Walgreens provided the planters, SF Public Works paid for the soil and plants, and Mandelman invited the community to fill them over the weekend.

"We have people setting up tents right outside the house," Janz said of his dad's house.

"Like two days in a row, there's homeless right outside my flat and I should be maybe sympathetic of course, but I'm not really sympathetic. I'm just tired of this," said Geoff Wilson.

"I thought it was a good idea at first," he said of the planters. "People congregate there, which is OK in my eyes, but open drug use, and using the bathroom there and leaving trash there is not OK. I have to deal with that on the regular, because I'm also homeless."

Other neighborhoods in San Francisco have used industrial planters in hopes of discouraging encampments.

[Dr. Sivana]

They need to ply Chopin or at least Barry Manilow 24/7 to clear the infestation.

[EvilCapitalist]

If Walgreens wants to get rid of loiterers, start playing classical music.

[EastTexasTraveler]

Litter boxes for the homeless?

[EvilCapitalist]

Beat me by 9 seconds.

[Vendome]

More from NBC Bay Area News:

[Vendome]

[CatOwner]

Walgreens is run by idiots and a glutton for punishment. Nothing, sort of the city arresting criminals, is going to fix San Francisco. Closed down and move away from the criminals.

[No name given]

If California doesn’t want that, they need to stop voting for the rat party!

[dforest]

Are the planters armed?

[T.B. Yoits]

Cacti would work.

Pinging 'Diana in Wisconsin' who posts the Weekly Garden Thread.

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/foliage/best-defensive-plants/

[Leaning Right]

They need to put a sign on the wall. “Please do not move the planters.”
Because otherwise the bums are going to throw the planters into the street.

I kid, of course. Sign or not, the bums are going to throw the planters into the street.

[PGR88]

Just get a larger size....

[T.B. Yoits]

Sign or not, the bums are going to throw the planters into the street.

People are surprised at how heavy such planters are. Those would likely need a forklift or pallet jack to move, especially once they were watered.

[SheepWhisperer]

I’m certain the the planters are already on the poopmap.

[Bernard]

Those containers look like either garbage cans with no handles, or maybe bath tubs. The bath tubs might help improve the area, but who wants to change the water? Not me.

[mass55th]

They’ll just pee, crap, dump their cigarette butts and garbage in them.

[Vaduz]

Yes it’s been proved effective it drives them loco.

[ViLaLuz]

[ridesthemiles]

PLANT POISON OAK IN THEM