...with Joel Pomerantz
All Walk the Wiggle tours are free! (Donations are welcome, of course…)
Did you know...
Before the famous bridge existed, the gap in the mountains where San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean was also called the Golden Gate. >>
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FAQ
- 1. What are Thinkwalks about?
- 2. Why are Thinkwalks so unusual?
- 3. Why is Joel the perfect tour guide for this purpose?
- 4. Where do Thinkwalks go?
- 5. Can I come, even if I’m not a nerd?
- 6. What if I’m not a San Franciscan?
- 7. Are Thinkwalks only on weekends?
- 8. What’s a typical group size on Thinkwalks?
- 9. Aren’t Thinkwalks on foot?
- 10. What if I want to join a bike tour but have no bike?
- 11. How much does a Thinkwalks tour cost?
- 12. Can I bring a friend at the last minute?
- 13. The weather’s looking bad for tour day. Is it still on?
- 14. Is Thinkwalks.org a nonprofit organization? (with links to blog posts)
- 15. Are there group discounts?
- 16. Can Joel speak to my class?
- 17. What’s a custom tour?
- 18. Did you coin the term “the Wiggle”?
- 19. What happened to the Golden Gate Park Transportation History tour?
- 20. My friend went on a Water Walking tour. It didn’t sound like the one I attended. Why were they so different?
- 21. Is Thinkwalks Joel Pomerantz?
- 22. Is Thinkwalks a front for the Wigg party?
- 23. What’s the connection between Thinkwalks and Shaping SF tours?
- 24. I’m new to SF. What should I do?!
- 25. I found what I think is an error in your research. How should I correct it?
Q: What are Thinkwalks about? TOP
A: Geography, public art, cultural exploration and the sensations of discovery, enhanced by groups of curious people bouncing ideas together.
Q: Why are Thinkwalks so unusual? TOP
A: They are as unusual as the city they’re about. Thinkwalks are not about Hollywoodish details of cute incidents in the “colorful” past. Thinkwalks are about the bigger questions: Why is the city as it is today—and so different from other cities? What are the connections between natural processes and human events that create our unusual culture?
Q: Why is Joel the perfect tour guide for this purpose? TOP
A: Who? Joel? Oh! Me!? I design and constantly redesign Thinkwalks not just to spew info, and not primarily to entertain, but rather to excite passion. I’ve been told that my passion is contagious, but mostly I think it’s just that curious people like you can easily be set off toward gleeful inquisitiveness once the oppressive mantle of anti-intellectualism, gifted to you so dearly by our society, is lifted. Allow me.
Q: Where do Thinkwalks go? TOP
A: Mostly in the center neighborhoods of San Francisco. These include the Mission District sweeping over and around the hills through the Castro, Haight Ashbury and Golden Gate Park to the Pacific. The Water Walking tour is the only one with steep streets to climb.
Q: Can I come, even if I’m not a nerd? TOP
A: No! I mean, yes, but you are a nerd! A nerd is a hard thing to define. I mean, if you sometimes wonder What the heck is under this sidewalk? and you take a glance when a crew is digging, then you should come—even if you’re not a self-proclaimed nerd. If you’re thinking Why would anyone care about that? then don’t come unless you’re ready for a change. But be warned: the recent rapid increase in nerdification in San Francisco is due partly to acclimation (26.2%) and outright epiphany (1.4%). You could be next!
Q: What if I’m not a San Franciscan? TOP
A: You certainly can come. I’ll be mixing in references to nearby locations and other common local knowledge, so you should be prepared to pull me aside after each stop and get the low-down on key bits you weren’t able to follow. If you’re a visitor or newcomer planning to go to Alcatraz, ride the Cable cars, see Pier 39 or Fishermans Wharf, or chafe at the numerous homeless people, then please read my brief advice to make the most of the touristy parts of the city. See also Advice for visitors and newcomers.
Q: Are Thinkwalks only on weekends? TOP
A: Please request a tour any day you like. If there’s enough advance notice, it will attract the interest of others. Most Thinkwalks are either weekends or 6 p.m. on weekdays when it’s still light. (I hesitate to call it summer.)
Q: What’s a typical group size on Thinkwalks? TOP
A: Eight. If fewer than four people sign up, I may insert some self-pitying remarks during the tour or just postpone and beg forgiveness. If more than twelve want to come, I give airline-style incentives for some people to come a different day. (These are vouchers for local activities which you could do anyway, without the voucher, or which are entirely defunct). If there’s a mad rush I can schedule in an additional tour, accommodating a custom request (such as emphasizing a particular topic or traveling by bike), but inviting anyone to join in.
Q: Aren’t Thinkwalks on foot? TOP
A: In keeping with the name, Thinkwalks tours are generally short walks. Bike rides will be marked clearly. A tour on bike by request extends the range and allows broader material to be included. See custom tour info<link>, for how easy that is. Custom tours are also available by motor vehicle, if provided by you.
Q: What if I want to join a bike tour but have no bike? TOP
A: If you need a bike, I may be able to help. If my spare doesn’t fit you, there are rentals in convenient locations, like Stanyan Street.
Q: How much does a Thinkwalks tour cost? TOP
A: Everything is sliding scale. Not familiar with that term? Here’s how it works: After a tour, I put out the donation bucket and you spit in it or shed your wallet contents, depending on how much you liked the tour. I always suggest $15 to $40 on most tours, $10 on some, and leave it open entirely on the Walk the Wiggle tour. I also have cool stuff I hand out, asking you to up your donation a little if you indulge. If you want some tips on what to pay, scan this chart and explanation of how your money funds good stuff. You can also donate for tours you’re about to take, already took, or wish to support.
Q: Can I bring a friend at the last minute? TOP
A: Just one? Probably, but it’s best to call me at 415-505-8255 and ask—unless I’ve already begged you to bring extra folks in the Tour Details email that I send a day or two before the tour. Since it’s last minute, please call; don’t email.
Q: The weather’s looking bad for tour day. Is it still on? TOP
A: Probably. Only severe and consistent bad weather, as rarely happens in San Francisco, will cancel. Since it’s last minute, please call (415-505-8255); don’t email. Remember: even locals forget that standing in the wind for hours requires special layering. If it’s cold or windy, you will be very cold without a hat, scarf or warm layers. I use these five nifty weather indicators to decide whether to cancel, and to learn how to follow local patterns.
Q: Is Thinkwalks.org a nonprofit organization? (with links to <funds> blog posts) TOP
A: Sort of, but not a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable blah blah blah. Thinkwalks is set up purposely in a way best described as not-for-profit. Legally, I believe donations to Thinkwalks are tax-deductible, but only if you can show that the recipient uses the funds for certain charitable purposes. It’s not as easy to show that in the case of Thinkwalks, since there’ve been no 501(C)3 or other papers requested or granted. No government has sanctioned the Thinkwalks nonprofit status or .org domain. I rarely interact with the government on those issues, because I’ve been a pacifism-based war-tax resister and draft non-registrant since I was a teen. I have no interest in thumbing my nose at the authorities, nor asking for approvals. To read more about that, you can google my name and IRS.
Q: Are there group discounts? TOP
A: No. If you’re a group asking for a special tour for an event, conference, fellowship, class, etc., it will probably take extra planning and coordinating and I’ll set a price accordingly. Usually I charge $350 because I like that number. I make adjustments for shoestring groups.
Q: Can Joel speak to my class? TOP
A: Yes. Happily. If the class is shorter than 90 minutes, the topic should be very specific.
A: I’m not using the term ‘custom’ to show how ’boutique’ and expensive I can get. I mean it the old way: your choice. We can arrange custom tours for your group or you can make a custom request for open Thinkwalks. In either case, you request something general (location, topic, length, transport, date) or detailed (e.g., a tour of the existing water well sites by Muni bus, a walking and chartered limo survey of Jewish political muralists, etc.). If we agree on a price, you can keep the tour private. Private tours sometimes also include a follow-up, indoor, discussion. If the tour is open to all, it will be posted as a Special Tour, alongside the usual Thinkwalks.
Q: Did you coin the term “the Wiggle”? TOP
A: I’m not sure. I wrote the article first popularizing the term. I’ve tried to track down which of us in the early bike activist circles coined it, to no avail.
Q: What happened to the Golden Gate Park Transportation History tour? TOP
A: It’s now the Outside Lands Bike Cruise.
Q: My friend went on a Water Walking tour. It didn’t sound like the one I attended. Why were they so different? TOP
A: I don’t cover the same material as on any previous tour, even a tour by the same name. To keep the material fresh, not rote, I’m constantly discovering new stuff to add and dropping less accurate or less researched parts of tours. Also, I adjust a tour as I get to know the people in that day’s group; everyone steers the content.
Q: Is Thinkwalks Joel Pomerantz? TOP
A: Yes, but. Various wonderful volunteers, co-operating researchers, special requesters, and even the occasional contractor have helped make Thinkwalks what it is. These include Chris Carlsson, Christopher Richard, Vanessa Amessa, Martina D’Allessandro, Jesse Eisenhower, Stacey Swimme, Morgan Fitzgibbons, Nancy Botkin, Cheryl Brinkman, Mary Brown, Pi Ra, Alexander Sharone, Juliana Gallin and others.
Q: What’s the connection between Thinkwalks and Shaping SF tours? TOP
A: Chris Carlsson of Shaping San Francisco and I have worked on many projects together, including a multimedia people’s history and compilation now called FoundSF. Chris and I meet regularly to coordinate and exchange information while improving our tours. Our allied projects are the only ongoing public tours in SF (that we know of) that cover natural and political history specifically to get people to be more effective in shaping our collective future.
Q: I’m new to SF. What should I do?! TOP
A: If you’ve read this far, call me. No joke. 415-505-8255. Any hour. I love helping voraciously curious people focus the task of settling in San Francisco.
Q: I found what I think is an error in your research. How should I correct it? TOP
A: Email me at thinkwalks at earthlink doink net. Please be prepared for me to either be extremely excited (if I’ve been personally researching that topic) or just politely thanking you (if it’s not one of the areas I’ve become obsessed with). Or maybe you’re contagious, too!
