Saga of a Hurled SF Weekly Box

We know these are tough times for the print media, but who would have expected this?

It wasn't yet 10:30 on Sunday morning, when we heard that an SF Weekly box had been moved -- no, seemingly hurled -- from its comfortable post among the line of newspaper boxes in the BART plaza on the corner of 24th and Mission Streets. We hurried down to check it out. Ruling out the morning gusts as a culprit since all the other boxes were still in their designated spots, we thought this had to be the result someone with malice against the SF Weekly specifically. Those metal boxes aren't light, and this one had moved a great distance. Perhaps the uncivil discourse on our comments section just isn't enough of an anger outlet for some. Could it be angry Yelpers still bitter from last week's cover story? Anarchists? Magneto?  

But ever resourceful, the Missionites had adapted the box from a mere means of newspaper distribution to a piece of post-modern urban furniture to listen to the evangelical singers on the corner by 12:30 p.m.

The misplaced box even started to attract tourists.

And skateboarders.

By 1:40 p.m., it even held an impressive twig collection. An interpretation of our cover story on foraged food, perhaps?

By 3:30 p.m., the saga was over. The box had been hauled away, leaving a lonely cavity in the lineup of newspaper boxes on the corner and a burning question in our mind about who hates us THAT much. Update: As of 9:40 Monday morning, the box had reappeared on the corner. 

Photo credit: Francisco Barradas and Lauren Smiley