It's the Bay Area. Your neighbours will revolt if you decide to grill a steak without getting a permit. They're all 80 year old ancients who've decided that children are the great evil. In Berkeley, they tried to get student housing banned under the idea that the students cause pollution. Nice one.

But it does illustrate a point: most people are enthusiastic supporters of rich NIMBYs. They'll complain about this and that but in the end they're enthusiastic supporters of rich NIMBYs.

This isn't an accurate picture of the Bay Area I just left after residing in for five years. It's almost like you're only familiar with one corner of it.