Reddit users alert S.F. newbie that the poop on his daily walk is from humans, not dogs

A Reddit user took to the social media site to rant about the piles of poop he encounters daily on his walk to work and questioned why San Francisco pet owners don't clean up after their pets.

Redditors in the San Francisco community were quick to point out, "More likely than not, the feces you're encountering is human."

The thread then explodes with activity as people discuss the city's ongoing problem with a large homeless population using the streets as lavatories due to a lack of facilities.

The city knows about the issue and is addressing it

The drama that unfolds on Reddit might seem amusing, but human defecation on streets is a serious, sensitive issue city officials continuously face and are working to address.

"We have cleaning crews on the street every day, 24/7," Department of Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon says. "Our hot spots crews, which start at 4:30 a.m., focus on the encampments and steam clean the sidewalks once people pick up their belongings and move out of the way."

What's more, the city transports portable toilets to 16 locations around the city daily as part of the Pit Stop Program. Collectively, the lavatories are used about 20,000 times a month, and even more will be added once additional funding is secured Gordon says.

When locals spots a mess around the city, Gordon encourages them to call 311 to send a clean-up crew.

A San Francisco Clean Patrol truck finishes hosing down the sidewalk across the street from the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE building after tweets of homeless men defecating on the streets go viral. A San Francisco Clean Patrol truck finishes hosing down the sidewalk across the street from the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE building after tweets of homeless men defecating on the streets go viral. Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Reddit users alert S.F. newbie that the poop on his daily walk is from humans, not dogs 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

But ultimately, the answer to this problem is getting more people off the streets, which means fewer people using them as lavatories.

"We believe the city needs additional shelters and resource centers and at least some of them need to be open 24 hours a day seven days a week," says Jeff Kositsky, director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. "We are planning to open two new navigation centers next year and that will help. However we have not made further plans pending the outcome of a number of revenue measures on the November ballot."

Redditor is fed up with San Francisco's human waste problem

The user who started the thread goes by "anonbutler" and moved to San Francisco two and a half years ago. He posted an image of his route that takes him through the eastern side of the SoMa District, starting near the ballpark and heading east until crossing Market into the Financial District.

He writes that the journey passes through "...a relatively good part of the city," but "still every damn day there [are] so much feces."

"Initially I found it weird, then I got used to it and now I just can't take it anymore," the thread goes on. "I think so I am having a mental break down like Deandra from 'It's Always Sunny' where I see poop everywhere now."

And then anonbutler asks, "Why don't people cleanup after their pets in SF?"

The Reddit community discusses whether the feces on this route are more likely to be from humans or pets, and the overwhelming agreement is that it's most likely human. There's discussion about the lack of facilities for the homeless and the growing problem with drug use.

"Buddy of mine worked for SFPD," explains dmareddit. "Heroin 7/10 times is cut with baby laxative. Considering we have a lot of heroin addicts recently, there's the reason right there."