There Goes The Neighborhood

I lived in San Diego for a decade, but even with Roger Hedgecock’s re-trials, and Maureen O’Connor’s mayoralty, things were never as bad as they appear from the headlines.

On Friday KGTV reported that Beach Closed After Man Dies In Shark Attack

SAN DIEGO — A shark attack on a man was reported at Solana Beach Friday by San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The man died at the scene, sheriff’s officials reported.

A witness who was part of a Friday swim group the man was with at the time told 10News of seeing a swimmer bitten by a shark below both knees. The attack took place about 150 yards offshore and several swimmers wearing wetsuits were in a group when the shark attacked, Solana Beach lifeguard Craig Miller said.

The experts believe it was probably a Great White who mistook the swimmer for a sea lion, and the county beaches remain closed. I know that beach, well.

Then I read this report today: 13 die in Mexico drug battles near U.S. border

TIJUANA, Mexico – Gunbattles broke out between suspected drug traffickers who fired at each other while speeding down heavily populated streets of this violent border city early Saturday, killing 13 people and wounding nine.

Dead bodies scattered along a road marked one of the deadliest shootouts in Mexico’s three-year-old drug warfare.

Based on the description, the battle would seem to have been along one of the main shopping districts, because I don’t remember there being too many six-lane avenues in the city and I’ve driven on all of them. Bad gas was the biggest worry most people had in Baja while I was there.

Wildfires, sharks, and drug wars – maybe my friend the retired Navy pilot should rethink spending the summer in Coronado.