For Dec. 9, 2023—before encountering the problem delaying new posts—I had planned to share some sightings in Hillcrest that same day. I had ventured there to drop off at FedEx a box containing my wife’s Galaxy Tab S8. For holiday sales, Samsung offered insanely generous $600 trade-in against the S9 Ultra, which I ordered for me and Annie happily inherited my S8 Plus. Expect a future first-impression about the larger tablet.
The homeless are prominent fixtures along University Avenue in, ah, Hellcrest. Used to be that street dwellers had crusty, weathered appearances; many had problems with alcohol, drugs, or mental illness—perhaps all three. But during the past 12 months or so, particularly, more of San Diego’s homeless appear to be new to the streets, older in age, or both. Many of them cart along more belongings—shopping carts carrying real possessions, not the debris collected hunter-gather style by long-time wanderers.
The Featured Image and companion, both captured using Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, give glimpse of the new class of homeless. The four shopping carts and rolling suitcase represent the sum remaining possessions that secure some sorry soul to his old life. My question, after seeing the two plastic containers that once contained cat litter: Is/are there pet companion(s), or was he compelled to abandon the animal(s)? I don’t know.
Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/320 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 11:57 a.m. PDT. The other: f/1.7, ISO 20, 1/1250 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 11:55 a.m. The second shot provides context and is a tickler for the next post, which will address the bicycle brigade.