Guess Who has Ed Jew's Number(s)...?By Sarah Phelan
...mayoral candidate Grasshopper Alec Kaplan, that's who!
Grasshopper pictured, playing guitar atop his taxi cab, which is wheelchair accessible, just in case you're wondering.
Just when you think things couldn’t get worse for beleaguered “District 4” supervisor Ed Jew, someone goes and unscrews the numbers from his house at 2450 28th Avenue.
That screwdriver-wielding someone is mayoral candidate and taxi driver Grasshopper Alec Kaplan, who told us he removed the numbers at 6:30 AM, July 23, “after ringing the doorbell on three separate occasions at the house where Jew doesn’t live.”
“I wanted to talk to Jew about whether he’d let me live in the house,” said Kaplan, explaining that he's homeless and asked three longtime neighbors of 2450 28th Avenue if they’d seen Jew.
“None of them ever had, except for one who said, he’d only seen him once in the last few weeks,” says Kaplan, who sleeps in his taxi, which is painted purple with green grasshoppers, and is running for mayor, so he, "can have a place to live.”
Noting that in addition to a house in the Sunset District, Jew also has a taxi medallion, Kaplan asks “Do you know anyone who has ever been transported in Ed Jew’s cab?” As it happens, the medallion in question belongs to Ed Jew's family, and the Taxi Commission is already reviewing the matter of medallion ownership, in general, rather than yet another Jew-centric investigation.
According to an article in Asian Week, in the 2002 election, when Jew unsuccessfully ran for D4 supe, he represented himself as President of Howard Mock Jew, Inc., a San Francisco taxi company. Currently, his cab company appears to consist of one cab, San Francisco Taxicab Medallion Number 443, which is operated by Bay Cab Company, but prior to June 24, 2003, this medallion was operated by Friendly Cab.
While the Taxi Commission is delving into the medallion issue, mayoral challenger Grasshopper Kaplan says he wants to sue the Commission for First Amendment violations. Why? Kaplan claims that he was told he'd have to pay $800 for a color-scheme change, after he painted "To Impeach is Patriotic" on the back of his otherwise purple and green taxicab van.
But according to the Taxi Commission, the matter still hasn't been decided.
"A color scheme change means going from one company to the next, like from Yellow to DeSoto, but he's just adding something to his cab," Taxi Commission Office Coordinator Vicky told us.
"Initially, he wanted to call it a taxi wrap, which is when a company is advertising something, but the Commission said his message is not advertising anything," Vicky continued. " So then he said he wanted to call it a color scheme change, so now the Commission plans to consider its policy on exterior design tomorrow night."
With the Taxi Commission set to consider Kaplan's "message" and its policy in Room 400, City Hall, at 7PM, July 24, next stop for Kaplan and his cab may well be Ed Jew’s flower shop in Chinatown.
“I have long hair. I shower every ten days, and flowers must have showers,” explains Kaplan.
As for Ed Jew's house numbers, Kaplan says that he is keeping them “in numerical order," and that they are made of brass and are "more or less" well-polished. "But I have no plans to polish them," he notes.
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Comments (5)
I don't understand why SFBG is highlighting a nut case for mayoral candidate. Why don't you talk about real candidates like Tony Hall, Lonnie Holmes or Ahimsa Sumchai?
Posted by Quo-Vadis | July 23, 2007 06:18 PM
People of San Francisco, Residents of District 4:
Make your voice heard!
This Friday, July 27th, at 9AM.
Go to the Steps of the Hall of Justice (850 Bryant @ 7th), and tell Ed Jew that it is time to resign.
It is only right that the D4 Supervisor represent the people of District 4.
We will be showing up early, about 8AM, and making ourselves heard!
Ed Jew's multiple staged entrances through the crowd of Chinatown folks should not be the only story that the media covers.
Bring Signs, bring your voices, and bring your friends!
Can’t make it Friday?
Let Gavin know how you feel. The Mayor is scheduled to make an appearance at Jefferson Elementary. (Irving and 18th Ave.)
That’s Saturday, July 28th, 9 AM.
Once again, come early, and express your opinion!
These gatherings of concerned citizens are in no way affiliated with any political candidates or organizations.
Posted by applejuice | July 25, 2007 12:58 PM
Ed Jew Resign!
People of San Francisco, Residents of District 4:
Make your voice heard!
This Friday, July 27th, at 9AM.
Go to the Steps of the Hall of Justice (850 Bryant @ 7th).
Tell Ed Jew that it is time to resign.
It is only right that the D4 Supervisor represent the people of District 4.
We will be showing up early, about 8AM, and making ourselves heard!
Ed Jew's multiple staged entrances through the crowd of Chinatown folks should not be the only story that the media covers.
Bring Signs, bring your voices, and bring your friends!
Can't make it Friday?
Let Gavin know how you feel. The Mayor is scheduled to make an appearance at Jefferson Elementary. (Irving and 18th Ave.)
That's Saturday, July 28th, 9 AM.
Once again, come early, and express your opinion!
These gatherings of concerned citizens are in no way affiliated with any political candidates or organizations
Posted by applejuice | July 25, 2007 04:19 PM
this is a fun story. the taxi commission will be abolished if the muni reform measure passes.
i'm not sure i want muni in charge of these numskulls but something definitely needs to change. a big part of still needing a car in this town, which i loathe, is the greed of the current taxi drivers and medallion owners that refuse to let us put the 100's more cabs on the street.
will muni change that?
Posted by james | July 26, 2007 07:34 PM
Grasshopper is a crazy person that needs serious help.
I know him and feel sorry for him.
To highlight a nutcase like this however makes this blog such a joke, I am upset I read this crap.
Posted by Lou | September 5, 2007 11:30 PM