I live in the heart of the Mission and I endorse that quote from the parent comment 100%.
Once every few days I even share public transit with a homeless person! Oh, the horror!!
The people I see out on the street are suffering terribly, sick, unable to escape the gravity of their situations, and the vast majority are not malicious. Anyone who does not see this has chipped away key bits of their own soul.
Yes, but the minority who are malicious can render public spaces completely unusable.
Or hasn't been smacked in the face yet , or had someone unhinged on the nyc subway state they are going to kill everyone on the train in a manic episode.
These are not un-rare events at all, it's just in a city with millions of people, most may never have it happen but we've all seen it. Nobody wants it to be them that day.