Top Cat(s) – How Not To Ride A Cable Car

The ideal vacation is one where you don't have to sweat bullets over where you are staying. I have a friend in SF who was extremely gracious in putting up with me for almost 2 days. Plus we hooked up with another friend from high school and his family.


It was excellent. And in some respects, it was like a living nature study into the world of the men folk. The places we dined were meat intensive. Really good food but served on huge plates with starches and an occasional veggie or two.

Observation 1. Men really need women in their lives.

Cuz another dude isn't going to ask questions like "are you really gonna eat a double fudge sundae after scarfing that huge chunk of cow and taters?"

I didn't say those words but I thought them. And yeah, they did. Come to think of it, there was a lot of chocolate syrup poured on that sundae. This might be ice cream envy on my part.

Observation 2. Men folk are fixated on doing and achieving stuff.

The guys were fixed on making sure LJ, a neat kid, got to ride the cable cars. I wasn't all that keen to hang on to a moving vehicle going up a hill.

But when in Rome, do as.

LJ was just happy to be with dad and other people that were paying attention to him. But the guys wanted LJ to ride the cable car. Car one passes us by. Cars two, three and four pass by.

We then discover that although we are standing by the sign the actual boarding location is in the street. We relocate to the corner and one of the guys takes the point. Cars five and six pass us by. They were stuffed with tourists.


The guys are still set on getting LJ on the cable car. LJ is getting restless and after 25 minutes, my toe bones are not happy. Cars seven, eight and nine chug up the hill. The guys finally yield and we head back to the rental car. We aim for Pier 39.

In the automobile, I saw a beautiful view of the ocean and the steep hills of San Francisco. I would not have seen this sitting inside the cable car or hanging off the sides of the cable car for dear life. "This is great!" I yelp. The guys are still disappointed. I ask myself wasn't the point to see this?

Observation 3. The answer is no. The point was to put LJ on the cable car.

What about sharing time with an engaging six year old? Having the time to joke and kid around? Being present in the here and now?

Nope, it was about the kid riding the cable car.

Observation 4. I really appreciate men but I like being part of the women folk.