San Anselmo Father, Son Survive Harrowing Visit to Downtown San Rafael

Pepper spray remains holstered throughout dangerous ordeal

A trip to a dentist near downtown San Rafael prompted San Anselmo resident Jeff Whopps to educate his six year-old son about the criminals they were sure to encounter in the larger town. “Dr. Seda’s office is on D Street, which I believe is Southside Crips territory,” the dad said before setting out. “If anyone offers you fentanyl, you kick off your clogs and run.”

Upon arrival in the gritty urban area, the man’s fears seemed to be confounded by a passing middle-aged woman who told the boy how cute he looked in his flaxen overalls. But Whopps wasn’t fooled; he explained that the woman was one of the prostitutes that ply their trade day and night in San Rafael, and that her remark was an attempt to drum up business. “Life on the streets takes its toll,” he added. “The sad part is, she’s probably only about 18, 19 years old.”

After the appointment, the boy was startled by the sight of a unhoused man lingering on a street corner. “Son, this is what happens in big cities like San Rafael,” said his father, fishing a few coins out of his money belt. “People slip through the cracks and become scary hobos.” 

The pair somehow reached the safety of their vehicle, and were off to Fairfax for a birthday party — though not before dad schooled his son on the neighboring town’s pansexual underbelly.