Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [255]
Curb colors also indicate parking regulations. Red means no stopping or parking, blue is reserved for drivers with disabilities who have a disabled plate or placard, white means there’s a 5-minute limit and the driver must stay in the vehicle, green indicates a 10-minute limit, and yellow and yellow-and-black curbs are for stopping to load or unload passengers or luggage only. Also, don’t park at a bus stop or in front of a fire hydrant, and watch out for street-cleaning signs. If you violate the law, you might get a hefty ticket or your car might be towed; to get your car back, you’ll have to get a release from the nearest district police department and then go to the towing company to pick up the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, apply the hand brake, put the car in gear, and curb your wheels—toward the curb when facing downhill, away from the curb when facing uphill. Curbing your wheels not only prevents a possible “runaway” but also keeps you from getting a ticket—an expensive fine that is aggressively enforced.
Safe Driving
Keep in mind the following handy driving tips:
• California law requires that both drivers and passengers wear seat belts.
• You can turn right at a red light (unless otherwise indicated), after yielding to traffic and pedestrians, and after coming to a complete stop.
• Cable cars always have the right of way, as do pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks.
• Pay attention to signs and arrows on the streets and roadways, or you might suddenly find yourself in a lane that requires exiting or turning when you want to go straight. What’s more, San Francisco’s many one-way streets can drive you in circles, but most road maps of the city indicate which way traffic flows.
By Ferry
TO/FROM SAUSALITO, TIBURON, OR LARKSPUR The Golden Gate Ferry Service fleet ( 415/455-2000; www.goldengateferry.org) shuttles passengers daily between the San Francisco Ferry Building, at the foot of Market Street, and downtown Sausalito and Larkspur. Service is frequent, departing at reasonable intervals every day of the year except January 1, Thanksgiving Day, and December 25. Phone or check the website for an exact schedule. The ride takes half an hour, and one-way fares are $7.85 for adults, $3.90 for seniors, passengers with disabilities, and youth 6 to 18. Children 5 and under travel free when accompanied by a full-fare paying adult (limit two children per adult). Family rates are available on weekends.
Ferries of the Blue & Gold Fleet ( 415/773-1188 for recorded info, or 705-5555 for tickets; www.blueandgoldfleet.com) also provide round-trip service to downtown Sausalito and Tiburon, leaving from Fisherman’s Wharf at Pier 41. The one-way cost is $11 for adults, $6.75 for kids 5 to 11. Boats run on a seasonal schedule; phone for departure information. Tickets can be purchased at Pier 41.
SAN FRANCISCO
Area Codes The area code for San Francisco is 415; for Oakland, Berkeley, and much of the East Bay, 510; for the peninsula, generally 650. Napa and Sonoma are 707. Most phone numbers in this book are in San Francisco’s 415 area code, but there’s no need to dial it if you’re within the city limits.
ATMs In the land of shopping malls and immediate gratification, there’s an ATM on almost every block—often droves of them. In fact, finding a place to withdraw cash is one of the easiest tasks you’ll partake in while visiting San Francisco.
Nationwide, the easiest and best way to get cash away from home is from an ATM (automated teller machine), sometimes referred to as a “cash machine” or “cashpoint.” The Cirrus ( 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS ( 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks span the country; you can find them even in remote regions. Go to your bank card’s website to find ATM locations at your destination. Be sure you know your daily withdrawal limit before you depart.