On a recent Wednesday afternoon, four people stood outside the Kailash Hotel, a single-room occupancy hotel across the street from the 16th Street BART Plaza. Another man, perhaps in his 20s, crossed the street and handed $3 to one of the group and got a pipe and a lighter in return. The man took a hit, and the group dispersed, two of them heading into the Kailash.
The young man stayed outside, pacing back and forth, pressing his nails into his chest. He moved his hands up and down as if he were scratching himself, waiting for the others to re-emerge. About 15 minutes later, the two people who had walked into the hotel returned, and the young man ran up to them. “Where’s my fenty?” he demanded. The couple ignored him and walked away.
“Fuck, I lost my $3 and my fenty,” yelled the man, almost in tears. “Fuuuuuck.”…