For many SFians, tour buses are about as common as the tourists they serve. But thanks to increased enforcement of SF’s solicitation laws, it might get a little harder for our fleece-buying friends to catch a double-decker to the Wharf.
It’s illegal to solicit on the sidewalk in San Francisco, which means, reports KCBS, that tour buses must “conduct their business in secret,” as telling passers by the price, or even passing out brochures could get tour bus companies cited.
First-time offenders are receiving fines of $250. After that, the price jumps as high as $750 on the second citation, and $1,000 on the third.
How are potential riders supposed to make a ticket purchasing decision, then? According to KCBS, potential riders can get on a bus, and talk prices then. Yeah, that doesn’t sound awkward/creepy AT ALL.
One of the folks writing the tickets is former cable car gripman, 10-time champion of the Cable Car Bell-Ringing Contest, solicitation law enforcer and tour bus-hater, Officer Carl Payne.
He tells KCBS “Union Square is the only little green area we have in downtown San Francisco. Why would they want to surround the park with smelly, stinky tour buses?”
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