21st century San Francisco Bay area

[Azure1127]

Hi guys! Why did the writer mention “21st” in this sentence? I have no idea. Maybe it’s just a… name? Or to emphasize that things are different now due to the epidemic?

Podmates Paul and Jennie dubbed our trip a “Circum-bobulation” because of the improvisation necessary for COVID-era social distancing, the limited daylight hours in January, and impacted parking in 21st century San Francisco Bay Area.

Here is the essay:baynature.org

Looking forward to your replies!!

 

[Myridon]

21st = twenty-first
21st century = the years 2001-2100 - the century we are in now, modern times

 

[Azure1127]

21st = twenty-first
21st century = the years 2001-2100 - the century we are in now, modern times

Thanks Myridon ! I know that, but why the writer say “21st century” in particular ? I mean, is there any different from 19th century?😳

 

[Cagey]

In the 21st century it is more difficult to find parking than it was in the past, when there were fewer people and cars in San Francisco. Somehow this has affected the plans they made.

 

[Azure1127]

In the 21st century it is more difficult to find parking than it was earlier, when there were fewer people and cars in San Francisco. Somehow this has affected the plans they made.

Thanks! The writer should have experienced parking there in 20th century🤓

 

[dojibear]

I know that, but why the writer say “21st century” in particular ? I mean, is there any different from 19th century?

Parking in the Bay Area? Yes, there is a difference.

In the 19th century, there weren't any automobiles. That made parking automobiles much easier...

 

[Azure1127]

Parking in the Bay Area? Yes, there is a difference.

In the 19th century, there weren't any automobiles. That made parking automobiles much easier...

Ahhhhhh, I forgot the 20th🥺🥺🥺! All in all, I get you🤩🤩

 

[Sylvia Sun]

In the 21st century it is more difficult to find parking than it was in the past, when there were fewer people and cars in San Francisco. Somehow this has affected the plans they made.

That's make sense! thx!!!

 

[Vanna Xiao]

But……, what does the "impacted" mean? I speculate that whether it means that the pandemic has influenced the parking.🤣🤣

Thanks Myridon ! I know that, but why the writer say “21st century” in particular ? I mean, is there any different from 19th century?😳

 

[Roxxxannne]

From this sentence alone, it sounds as though something (like an ever-increasing number of cars in the Bay Area) has had a negative impact on parking in the last 20 years. This is an essay written for readers in the Bay Area who probably have a good idea of what she's talking about.
In terms of the particular hike that she took in January 1, 2021 on Mt. Tamalpais, if parking was already difficult in the Bay Area, then it would likely have been very difficult on Mt. Tamalpais. A lot of people wanted to get out of their houses and apartments after months of being cooped up (as she puts it) because of Covid; walking on Mt. Tamalpais was a relatively safe thing to do during the pandemic; and the areas where one can park at the trailheads on Mt. Tamalpais can accommodate only a very few cars. SHe alludes to how difficult parking was when she says they started half a mile uphill from the ranger station (where she would have parked normally) and to cars whizzing by looking for parking spots.

 

[kentix]

There has been a lot of growth in the San Francisco Bay area in the last 20 years (the 21st century), especially due to the computer industry. Many rapidly growing computer companies are there. Data on the internet says that in 2000 there were 400,000 people employed in San Francisco and in 2020 there were 600,000. Many of those people will be driving cars so that's a lot of additional cars on the road.

 

[dojibear]

Mount Tam is 25 km away from the city of San Francisco, so parking in San Francisco is irrelevant.

EDIT: but the article says "Bay Area", which includes the entire region near San Francisco.

In the next sentence the writer explains the exact impact of the parking issue: they had to park the car half a mile (0.8 km) away and walk. "So we began half a mile uphill from Pan Toll Ranger Station (see: impacted parking, above)."

The story says this trip took place on Jan 1, 2021, after months of lockdowns and other covid-related problems.

The trip started from Davis, which is 140 km from Mt. Tam. So they were driving in the car 1.5-2 hours.

 

[kentix]

The author didn't say the city of San Francisco. They said "the San Francisco Bay Area" and that includes San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Marin County, and many other places.

 

[dojibear]

From this sentence alone, it sounds as though something (like an ever-increasing number of cars in the Bay Area) has had a negative impact on parking in the last 20 years. This is an essay written for readers in the Bay Area who probably have a good idea of what she's talking about.
In terms of the particular hike that she took in January 1, 2021 on Mt. Tamalpais, if parking was already difficult in the Bay Area, then it would likely have been very difficult on Mt. Tamalpais.

I lived 14 km from Mt. Tam(alpais). Mount Tam is in a mountainous area, with almost no homes or other buildings nearby. Anyone "parking" there is a tourist visiting Mount Tam itself.

Marin County is odd. The eastern part of it (about 25%) is more-or-less flat, and is packed with homes and other buildings. Almost 400,000 people live there. On Google Maps, this part is white. The western part (75%) is mountain forest, with hardly any roads and no buildings (except for a few small towns on the coast). On Google Maps, this part is green.

Mount Tam is in the green area, and is in Mount Tamalpais State Park (a nature reserve belonging to the state: no home or businesses can be located there).

 

[Roxxxannne]

By "if parking was already difficult in the Bay Area, then it would likely have been very difficult on Mt. Tamalpais," I meant that if people were driving thousands more cars in the Bay Area than 20 years ago, say, then there would be more people driving to Mt. Tamalpais than 20 years ago, especially in January 2021, when people like the author of the essay wanted to get out of the house. Since Mt. Tam is a state park and (I assume) has not increased the size of the very small parking areas at places like the Pan Toll Ranger Station, it would be very difficult to park there on January 1, 2021.

 

[Celilia]

By "if parking was already difficult in the Bay Area, then it would likely have been very difficult on Mt. Tamalpais," I meant that if people were driving thousands more cars in the Bay Area than 20 years ago, say, then there would be more people driving to Mt. Tamalpais than 20 years ago, especially in January 2021, when people like the author of the essay wanted to get out of the house. Since Mt. Tam is a state park and (I assume) has not increased the size of the very small parking areas at places like the Pan Toll Ranger Station, it would be very difficult to park there on January 1, 2021.

So it means there are mang aspects to impact parking such as COVID, more cars, small parking lot,right?

 

[Roxxxannne]

The population of the Bay Area has increased and so has the number of cars; that has had an impact on parking.
On Mt. Tamalpais, the parking area at the ranger station has space for only a few cars. She implies that more people than usual drove to the Pan Toll Ranger Station to park and hike on Mt. Tam on January 1; they wanted to celebrate the new year safely, outside. So Covid indirectly had an impact on the parking, which was already difficult because there are more cars and people in the Bay Area now.

 

[Vanna Xiao]

The population of the Bay Area has increased and so has the number of cars; that has had an impact on parking.
On Mt. Tamalpais, the parking area at the ranger station has space for only a few cars. She implies that more people than usual drove to the Pan Toll Ranger Station to park and hike on Mt. Tam on January 1; they wanted to celebrate the new year safely, outside. So Covid indirectly had an impact on the parking, which was already difficult because there are more cars and people in the Bay Area now.

Yeah， it does make sense. I have a similar experience today. We have received the inform just now that the lockdown of our university has been broken, so that students can go out of school. Consequently, there is a long queque of people who are eagering to see the outside world waiting in front of our gate. 🤣 🤣