My vote for most friendly city: San Francisco

City Hall

Maybe it was the particularly great weather during my visit or some end of the summer good feeling in the city, but I tend to think that basically people here are just a friendly bunch.


I asked the girl next to me in the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) if this was the 12th Street station. She said no, it was the next one. Since she seemed to know the system well. I asked if she knew how long it would take me from here to the airport. Saying she wasn't sure, she pulled out her smart phone. I thought she was just going to make a call and that was the end of the conversation. A minute afterwards she turned and said she was sorry, but the internet was very slow and she couldn't get the information I needed so quickly! Also on the metro, two people bumped into each other upon entering. Each turned to say sorry. I know some cities where that would have at least been pretext for some hateful stares.

Classic picture: Alamo Square

Taxi drivers are from all over the world. From the Ukraine to Ethiopia, each has their story. Sethi comes from India and his wife used to be a journalist and still does the odd article for the Indian press. He was listening to a radio in Hindi and said there was even a television in Hindi in SF. Everyone must feel at home here.


My reason for being her is to film the opera of the book "The heart of a Soldier", a true story about a soldier who later in life became a security agent at the World Trade Center in New York and saved many people on September 11th 2001 and gave his own life.