1968 SPECIAL REPORT: "PSYCHEDELIC RUNAWAYS"

Runaways and Hippies Bring Growing Problem
(UPI)-If there is anything most parents fear, it is that their adolescents might turn hippie. And if there’s a magnet for teeny hoppers, it’s San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District, the nation’s hippie capital. Tile result is trouble. Runaways are flocking here to the hippie world of wild costumes, LSD, marijuana, electronic music and easy sex. Juveniles are turning up from Miami, Washington, New York, Montreal and points in between, as well as nearby communities. Recently, 14 teen-age girls from Fresno, Calif., were picked up by police. in one swoop. The number, escalating weekly, is double or triple of normal, according to the Juvenile Bureau chief, Lt. Andrew Kristensen. And in the forthcoming “summer of love,” the hippies expect as many as 200,000 youths-many penniless.
Among the visitors will be more runaways. Police say the hippies have their own nation-wide “communications networks.” Through newspapers in several cities, letters and word of mouth, hippies all seem to know where to go. And teen-agers easily come by the same lists of places to get food and shelter. Most hippies will open their doors to any sympathetic stranger. The lists are so extensive that one probation officer talks of “an underground railroad network” among California’s coastal cities.
Once in the bizarre Haight Ashbury, Kristensen complains, “You can’t recognize them. They can get lost for six months.” The hippies, youthful rebels who reject most of their parents’ values, bewilder adult eyes with beards, long hair and theatrical garb. But in the church basement office of the Diggers, a hippie self-help organization, they say, “You can spot runaways right off.” On one wall is a gallery of photos sent by frantic parents, and on the other wall an Oriental hanging and a sign, “Sex Is Good For You.” A young girl opens the door, and Eric Zavatterro, 18, wearing a silver necklace, says: “I don’t want to say anything freaky, like how old you are. But did you split last week?”
The girl, it turned out, was 18, a legal age to be away from home. Marcia already has had one marijuana arrest and was on her way “to the country.” The Diggers arrange for the return home of three or four runaways each day. Police are picking up a daily half-dozen. Arthur Lisch, a Digger leader, warned city officials months ago of the growing runaway problem, and asked unsuccessfully for help in setting up shelters, run by hippies, to give temporary care to juveniles. When the Diggers find a runaway, they don’t rush to the phone. They let the teen-ager talk, and “accept him for what he is." “Everybody here knows what they are running for, what they are looking for,” says Mike Donaldson, 23, former San Jose, Calif., gas station attendant.
“We give them help.” Sometimes the Diggers call certain doctors and ministers, friendly to them, for volunteer help in talking with the runaway. But usually the Diggers contact the parents only when the runaway gives his permission. And when the parents come, says Lisch, “We try to shake them up.” He believes the parents, not the children, are the guilty ones. When a child runs away, family communication has broken down, and Lisch says some leave home just to scare parents into recognizing the problems. The trouble with the Diggers’ activity is, it’s illegal to harbor a runaway. “I don’t see why the hippies are concerned about runaways,” says Inspector Edward Barden of the Missing Persons Bureau.
“It’s not their job.” Lieutenant Kristensen Is considering felony child stealing charges or misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquicy of minors. Normally, runaways are picked up by police and taken to the Youth Guidance Center. Hipies claim the center is really a jail which exposes decent runaways to brutal criminals, homosexuals and heroin addicts. Kristensen replies that at least the guidance center has staff professionals schooled in dealing with problem children. Also, he says the arrest is a warning to authorities that a juvenile may be turning bad. Lisch feels, “All the guidance center does is to make the kid feel guilty and the parents selfrighteous.”
#HIPPIES
#HAIGHTASHBURY
#1960S

[@fcukyou2_]

watching this just reaffirms my belief that no matter the time in history, people just live the same lives. everyone has the same problems deep down.. you can think of every decade and think of a group of kids that get treated as the outcasts or problem kids, runaways... and they always have same social problems with society...

[@WilliamSelassie]

no buzz off, cats were getting drafted in those days

[@Jamestele1]

You are correct. I'm not sure if that was a thing in the 1870s. Maybe it has always been: Popular kids who play sports and wear the latest cloths; people who wanna be popular but are stuck on the bench; creative beatniks who are considered weird, etc.

[@WinChun78]

@@Jamestele1 The beatniks and creative ones were always the most intelligent. By definition, those who are part of the herd are herd mentality. Every great poet, writer, painter, musician always went out on a limb to find their true self, where others will not go.

[@MsNooneinparticular]

Yep, daddy's an authoritarian with a bad temper who sees himself as "placid". Gotta walk on eggshells around him just to live. Seen that movie a few times in my life.

[@MUFC1933]

You n me both pal

[@irishfuk3219]

That was awesome brother. I was a little kid wandering those streets at that time. Crazy to see old footage of the hood

[@davidsolomon1263]

Still is fun wandering around that city

[@irishfuk3219]

@@davidsolomon1263 totally different place. When I grew up, there wasn't the violence or homeless junkie issue. The park, even with thousands of kids sleeping in it, was NOT dangerous at night. You could walk around and find camp fire party's all over the place. I'll Hill at 6th and Fulton was a party every night. Not anymore. Not even close

[@Jamestele1]

I was a second generation "hippie-freak" and some of the biggest hassles came from former hippies who "grew up". I get it now as an older guy. I grew up with friend's hippie parents influencing me and older friends. My parents were old-school, with my dad pretty much being Red Foreman from That 70s Show!

[@renwickhumphrey9498]

Wow! 👍👍👍👍Love this old footage. You a freaking genius bro! Makes me sad for the old days and the music is off the wall too! Thanks

[@ralphmilano8918]

strawberry alarm clock

[@user-jz6to8md3c]

Incense and peppermints.

[@adm712]

A Hezakya "psychedelic/hippy" video without "Tobacco Road" is like a cheeseburger without cheese 😃

[@ralphmilano8918]

charly manson picked up similar runaways in SF

[@user-jz6to8md3c]

paul watkins escaped the manson insanity.

[@jessepeiffer5465]

So damn good ❤!!

[@gregman1715]

Great Look Back At The 60s

[@renwickhumphrey9498]

She's a Stoner.

[@MUFC1933]

She's something.

[@noecaballero9]

Duh. Haight and Ashbury

[@brianthrasher9781]

These cops from the sixties are dead on for actor cops.

[@Jamestele1]

it's really interesting to watch for sure

[@annabell3385]

All the people in Haight Ashbury "were so nice and so willing to do anything" for that girl but I bet it was her parents that put the braces on her teeth.

[@sunkintree]

Money money money. When will you learn that it neither buys love, nor acts as love?

[@gabriellebernard198]

I love hippies!

[@bhall4996]

Man, her daddy is a conductor on the train to Squaresville man!..... I'm talking a real flat tire man!.... she jus wanna drop out man..

[@worstxb1playertylerteehc635]

Will line this up for tomorrow viewing as watching the heavyweight Boxing championship fight tonight

[@richardmiller1289]

What's weird is the cops in the 60s seem like you're actors playing a role in a movie I guess the WWII generation of cops were just a different breed.

[@Anne.411]

Damn they grilling her and they aren’t allowed to be asking all them questions

[@joseantoniomoch4006]

That young priest must have sowed his wild oats with all of them young, purdy gurls around!

[@kingofthecatnap6246]

you mean boys, right?

[@joseantoniomoch4006]

@@kingofthecatnap6246 lool, apparently he cared for the girls for a change.

[@noecaballero9]

I can relate

[@deshaefromarounthawayricha7324]

1st salaam my brotha ✊🏾

[@siddokis2945]

They look more like her grandparents.

[@joseantoniomoch4006]

They were in their late 30s actually, but that's the way people looked back then. Dig?

[@siddokis2945]

@@joseantoniomoch4006Naw, I think they had her in their late thirties, more likely. Probably alcoholics also. Can you dig?

[@citizenjournalist2401]

@@joseantoniomoch4006 💯

[@Slickmickyoyo97]

16:00 The girl here is roughly 18, roughly 73 now. I bet if she watches this, she's thoroughly mortified, and misses her sweet dad enormously.

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

Anyone know what happened to Marcia?

[@freebird.family.35]

Come on man put on some janis airplane Hendrix and chill johny law peace

[@HezakyaNewz]

They won't let me use Hendrix....alot of tracks have very very strict copyrights...I have used dozens of Plane songs....but Hendrix... Beatles are off limits...which puts a higher Hole in the creative side. There's alot of others off limits too. Prince is one..Jay Z.....F THEM!! Fun fact...they don't tell us the track is off limits until after you already edited and uploaded the video. They immediately block the video. So all that hours of work for nothing. Only to go back...re edit the video...cut the song out..replace with another one hoping they are more relaxed.... crazy 😦

[@freebird.family.35]

@@HezakyaNewz o yea I understand yea those cops harassing the young hippy girls should have just out on some Hendrix or joplin you know and chilled instead of harassing those young girls you know like even back then cops harassing people because they just want to live free and be happy but thanks for the info you have a lot of great videos ever get a chance would love to see some on Charles manson family that have not been seen I know it's hard to find that kind of videos alot of times you know stuff that hasn't been seen but public before but yea thanks again for all the great videos peace...

[@freebird.family.35]

I misspelled a few words I'm my last comment sorry about that

[@joseantoniomoch4006]

Are they still in custody or have their parents come to pick them up?

[@kingofthecatnap6246]

@@joseantoniomoch4006 Lol

[@takincareofbusiness5793]

Not a word about the unspoken pain. Sexual molestation and abuse both in immediate family & nearby. Victims know better than to speak. Quite apparent to those who know what to look for. Sometimes the parents are oblivious. And any! topic but the secrets.

[@user-dw1zj7it4t]

Christopher Williams is now known as "Jerome Michael Rogan" I'm creating a new Commune called "The Garden" In West Sussex England

[@alfreddorsey8916]

This is new running away from money?? 🤕

[@aisle_of_view]

How many of these folks died decades sooner than they needed to?

[@kingofthecatnap6246]

i dig hippy chix (still) 😻 Parents were squares.

[@lw775]

Acab, never talk to pigs.