The Lone Terrorist

I often walk around The City during lunch hour. I generally don't carry any identification--partly to avoid the temptation to buy something, but mostly because I don't like my stride impeded by a swinging purse.

Yesterday was no different, although I did notice that the firetruck from the fireboat station was called out. There's only one truck at that location, so they're not called out very often.

I managed to avoid the news all evening and all the way into work this morning because that's when I found out about the rampaging Afghani and his SUV.

And I didn't hear that his chase ended near the Jewish Community Center until I read Michelle Malkin's blog. Oddly, I never thought about there being a particular Jewish neighborhood in San Francisco. There's Mt. Zion Hospital, the Jewish Home for the Aged, and the Jewish Community Center, as well as several synagogues. But a neighborhood? There are no signs like there are for North Beach (historically Italian) or Chinatown or Japantown.

How could a 29-y.o. Afghani from Fremont know where to go when I don't? Did he just get lucky? Head for the most prominent synagogue? In this City of churches (and, yes, there are lots), how did he know that Temple Emanu-El was socially and politically connected (it's the home temple of Sen. Feinstein) and where it was, exactly? San Francisco is very loosely based on a grid--emphasis on the "loosely." There is major freeway construction with off-ramps constantly closing or redirecting drivers to unexpected places.

This episode smacks of some planning to me. At least, a quick look at Mapquest before he left home.