Hey, have any of you USA Today newsies ever actually spent a day and/or night walking the streets there recently? The City by the Bay may not be quite as dangerous as Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore or New York.

However, with one of the nation’s highest homeless populations, it isn’t as safe for visitors as Lancaster PA, Bismarck ND nor Tucson AZ. Wandering these days along Lombard, Market, Castro and other iconic San Francisco streets is not only dangerous, but also very repulsive.

Many of the growing thousands of homeless live in makeshift tents, doorways, parks or out on the sidewalks. Some are mentally ill and/or drug addicts. Their ravings, trash, begging, unwashed bodies and human waste make walking in the areas extremely unpleasant.   

Recently, San Francisco police had eased the problems with the use of digital security efforts to get to crime scenes more quickly. However, it was stopped by city politicians as abuse of human rights. Of course, they didn’t consider the ever-increasing violence and abuse against tourists by growing thousands of homeless street people.

The long list includes 88 countries around the world, with some already familiar to senior wanderers as extremely hazardous for Americans. Of course, they name North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Libya. However, the list also contains popular, and usually peaceful destinations, including France, Italy, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

The top of the official list starts with the most violent, and urges Americans to just stay away. For most of the more popular countries, the advice is to practice ordinary daily caution. In summary, especially for physically-challenged senior travelers venturing abroad, be constantly aware of potential dangers.

For detailed info, go to www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/destinations/2019/07/17/travel-advisory-list-country-us-department-state

As Max Bialistok once said in The Producers: If you got it, flaunt it! So, for a thousand bucks a night or more, you can briefly live like a king, queen, emperor, mafia boss, Trumpish business tycoon, pro athlete or movie star.

Consider a British royal castle, French oceanside Riviera retreat, California luxury estate or a private Pacific island mansion. Airbnb Luxe now offers more than 2,000 upscale destinations, with luxury locations in the Far East, America, Europe and other desirable world sites. For deals, photos and more info, go to  www.engadget.com/2019/06/25/airbnb-luxe-high-end-home-villa-rentals

If you’re enrolled in the Uber Platinum or Diamond plans, and have the cash or business expense account, you can book it. That way you’ll avoid the slow two-hour ground traffic to and from the John F. Kennedy Airport.

Of course, it’ll cost a bit more than a cab ride, from $200 to $225 each way, and more during the busiest hours. The choppers are owned and operated by HeliFlite, based in Newark, N.J., each with a two-pilot crew. For more info, go to www.uber.com/blog/new-york-city/uber-copter