Hanging out at the Cafe Pergolesi, Santa Cruz.
Hearing an older man chat with a younger lady. Clearly he is mentoring her, by the sounds of it she is an up and coming college student about to get into a career in government.
They discuss urbanisation, the conflict between building housing and saving the environment.
"Don't you see all the homeless people here? How can you be against development?" quips the man.
"But the development must have enough affordable housing. We can't be just a city where rich people live! I hear that if you earn less than $100,000 a year in San Francisco then you are considered in poverty. That's ridiculous, we can't build affordable housing that is only affordable if you earn just less than $100,000 a year!" responds the college student.
"Traditionally people would just live in their parents house, it's a lifestyle choice to want to buy a home anyway. How much is your parents house worth now?"
"Millions of dollars" she concedes.
They both decide to change topics.
"I think you should get involved in the leaf blower bill", suggests the man.
They continue talking about a leaf blower bill? Apparently they want to ban leaf blowers because it's a carbon risk, but they want to make it a blanket ban so that people don't pretend that their gas leaf blower is electric.
"Why do we hate leaf blowers so much? They just spew out air and then the community breathes it! Apparently Santa Monica has already passed the bill, you should get involved and see if you can see it through to the city council."
He continues, "You should also start leaning on your professors, get used to getting people to work for you."
Good advice, I think to myself as I get ready to catch the number 17 bus back to Santa Clara. As I ride back towards silicon valley, I wonder, how many variants of that conversation happen every day in the developed world.