A constituent asked BART staff a question about the potties during a public meeting yesterday. The inquiry? Would BART consider removing sex designation on single-stall bathrooms inside the stations.

Bart director Tom Radulovich, according to SFGate, responded thusly:

In San Francisco we've got unisex bathrooms. They're called elevators.

Hee. Also: true.

Coming to you from dynamic duo Matier Ross, our favorite platonic couple have word on what retiring San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong will pull in annually after she vacates her position. Ahem:

When she leaves the Hall of Justice sometime this year, Police Chief Heather Fong, 53, will have 32 years under her belt - and will be pulling down about $229,500 a year for life.

In case you think you read that wrong, yes, that is "for life." This sweet deal is due in part, according to M&R, to voter-approved post-9/11 patriotism that allows retiring workers to receive retirement money "equal to 90 percent of their highest paycheck."

Mission Mission's Allan Hough brought this to our attention today. Ahem.

'I just got a call. Wrong number. "Hi, I was wondering if you guys have a video called 'Transgendered Prison?'" Ah, the hilarity of 415.'

Hilarity, indeed. Also, we cannot seem to find TP anywhere online, so the cinematic gem might be dubious. If you find it, do send it our way.

Sarah Palin -- who, let's face it, governs some useless mass of land in Canada -- thinks she's more qualified than God to help run the US. According to Ralph Nader, she's isn't, and even his running mate, Matt Gonzalez, has more skills than Palin. He says:

[VP candidate] Matt Gonzalez has more experience than Sarah Palin ...San Francisco is a lot bigger than Wasilla.

Nice one, Ralph.

That said, and we hate to have to point this out, Gonzalez never ran the city of San Francisco. Yeah. (Oh oh, dd Matt fudge his resume? Like, "Responsibilities: oversaw 30,000 city employees. Managed annual budget of over $5 billion. Charmed the panties off of 776,733 residents." Because: he did none of those things as city supe.)

If we may add a teaspoon of alarmism to you afternoon coffee, you are going to get mugged and/or killed. And soon. And right here in SF.

OK, not exactly. But today's article in the Chronicle, "Surge of Robberies in the Bay Area and Beyond," has us feeling like we just spent the day flipping back and forth between Cold Case Files and Law & Order marathons. See, a lady had her purse violently snatched from her in broad daylight last July in the Marina District. And no one, it seems, came to her rescue while she screamed for help during the attack. She tells the Chron:

"As a single woman living in the city, I always thought if I screamed loud enough somebody would come and help me," said Terri, who asked that her last name not be used because she fears retribution from the two suspects who are facing robbery charges.

"But the reality is nobody is going to come. It made me see the city in a whole different light."

This puzzles us since San Franciscans live for sticking their noses in other people's business. (Have you ever seen passersby helpfully swarm over a lost tourist who needs directions to the Wharf? We really are a helpful bunch here in the City.) We're certain that none of you, dear readers, would ever ignore a damsel in distress. Or would you?

Oh, and your unbridled Marina hate can commence...now.

Former Marin resident and current insane person, Sharon Stone, made the following Jerry Falwell-ish quip the other day.

They're not being very nice to the Dali Lama, who's a good friend of mine ... I'm not happy about how the Chinese are treating the Tibetans, I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else ... All these earthquakes and stuff happened and I thought, 'Is that karma?' When you are not nice, bad things happen to you.

Interesting. Is this woman severely retarded? or just mean? or both? Please advise.