In the early ‘80’s a friend of mine went to the military induction??? center where they test you mentally and physically.
They sent him down by bus but he had looked at a map and figured what could happen on 3 blocks or so. Keep in mind he’s a big white guy.
He said he had never been so scared as going from the bus station to the hotel this trip. He said it was non stop people, easily in the 100’s just wandering the streets looking to take some kids money, belongings or both. I made the mistake of taking a short cut through Oakland that same year and it had just turned dark in Winter around 6:00pm. I pulled over to check something and what I saw was unbelievable, literally 100s of people just walking the streets and just as we has started to draw a crowd, we were gone. I’d rather throw a rod than get stuck there again.
Hookers on the street on Sunday morning, lines at a liquor store at 8:00 am during the week. Those are my memories of Oakland.