Comedian Dave Chappelle had blunt words for his San Fransisco audience during a show last week: "What the f— happened to this place?"
"Y’all ... need a Batman!" Chappelle reportedly told the crowd. The comedian related his experience eating at an Indian restaurant in the city, where he watched a homeless man defecate in front of the restaurant as he walked in.
He also said the city had become "half Glee, half zombie movie."
Chappelle's frank words for his audience come as the city struggles with homelessness and crime, Fox News reported:
Chapelle's criticism comes as the city is struggling to deal with a steep increase of homelessness and crime in recent years. It is estimated that 38,000 people are living on the streets in San Francisco on any given night, which represents a 35% increase since 2019.
Crime and homelessness concerns in San Francisco have been exacerbated by a police staffing shortage, when the department saw a 12% decrease in its number of full-duty sworn officers from 2019 to 2022.
Additionally, Chappelle's experience with public defecation is not unique. In 2018, Sean Miller, a newcomer to the city developed a free app named "the Snapcrap" app to make it easier for people to report human feces and used needles on San Francisco's streets.
The comments also come after a recent study found few people in the Bay Area feel safe on public transportation.
The Bay Area Council found in a poll that 78 percent of residents said they would ride more frequently if trains and buses were cleaner and safer. Just 17 percent of those asked said they feel safe on public transit.
Both Whole Foods and Nordstrom have shuttered businesses in the city over safety concerns.