Waiting for free soup in San Francisco.

---

San Francisco, United Nations Plaza,

24-11-2002.

The United Nations Plaza despite its grand name is the number one hang-out place for the army of homeless that inhabits the centre of San Francisco.

Especially so after 18.00 h. since that is the time the free soup kitchen is supposed to arrive, a free bowl of watery soup and a small vegetarian plate of food.

A free vegetarian hand-out for those that need it, and let me tell you, bro, those that need it, they know it!!!

They gather from all over town, the homeless pushing their habituary Safeway supermarket trolley that contains their worldly belongings, the drunks who have left their usual drinking benches in the park alone, prostitutes still dresses in their slutty "work" clothes and the junkies with their crack pipes and wild eyed looks on their worn-out faces.

When the soup people are late they get nervous and worried having come to rely on this calculated part of their daily budget, a surviving substitute to money for their wretched lives, money that can now be used to buy some more beer, a ball of crack for their pipes, maybe some sluttier clothes that will attract more upper class customers....

Half an hour before the soup bus arrives I'm usually around with a cartonbag packed can of King Cobra beer 32 oz from the liquor shop around the corner. This must be the indian shop owner's best time of the day.

I watch it all while taking the occasional sip from my King Cobra making quick sketches in my travellog and wondering about the lives of these poor wretched human beings smoking smoking pipes full with crack and weed.

Many of them mentally deranged screaming total nonscence.

All of these waiting in increasing anticipation for a free bowl of soup and a small plate of vegetarian food.

---

Photos

Homeless person..
Safeway supermarket trolley.

Information about..
the free soup kitchen in San Francisco