San Francisco St. Paddy's Day Parade

I was crossing Polk Street in front of City Hall around noon on Saturday, making a quick dash in between St. Patrick's Day parade contingents, when I realized I was shoulder to shoulder with somebody else doing the same thing.



Turning to my right, I realized the somebody else was Mayor Gavin Newsom, and he wasn't even accompanied by his usual crew of bodyguards and personal handlers.



Though he's of Irish American ancestry and is currently running for California Lieutenant Governor, he explained to somebody why he wasn't in the parade: "I'm working really hard on the budget right now, bro." Yes, he really said "bro."



Then he posed for a few pictures with babies and babes in the crowd.



According to the ever reliable Beth Spotswood, he was just stopping by to introduce Sheriff Hennessey to the crowd with "It's Hennessey Time!" before returning to his office to make yet another dreadful YouTube video. (Beth gives this latest effort a B-.)



Marching in the parade, however, were San Francisco Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi (above), walking by his car...



...and Supervisor Bevan Dufty who looked more like Pee Wee Herman than ever (hat tip to h. brown) in his phalanx of balloons.



It was Supervisor Sean Elsbernd who looked the most relaxed and comfortable. Maybe it was because he was finally amongst his own people instead of those "progressives" on the Board of Supervisors.



The most pleasant aspect of the annual event are the kids marching and watching.



They seem to enjoy themselves immensely.



I have always thought the best day possible to commit a major crime in San Francisco, particularly arson, would be during the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.



Seemingly every uniformed public safety official in the city marches in the event and many of them continue afterwards to the Temple Bar a couple of blocks up Polk Street.