Los Angeles bag ban leads to increase in petty theft

“Banned by Nanny State”

I want to congratulate my city councilman, Mike Bonin, for his support of Los Angeles’ ban on plastic grocery bags.

You see, earlier this evening, I was at my local Albertson’s (1). While there, I had trouble finding a handbasket to hold the items I was buying. The manager saw me and came up to apologize. You see, they were low on baskets and had to order 200 more because…

PEOPLE WERE STEALING THE BASKETS BECAUSE OF THE STUPID BAG BAN!!!

Which phenomenon, by the way, has happened before.

Knowing our city council, they’ll probably pass an ordinance against stealing the baskets, rather than admit their mistake and rescind the bag ban.

Great work, guys.

Note:
(1) Sepulveda and Palms, if you want to know where the cool kids shop.

Read Full Post »

Do cyclists have no sense of courtesy, or common sense?

“Signal, blast it!”

So, this morning I was nearly hit from behind by a cyclist who came up the sidewalk behind me without bothering to let me know she was there. Had I moved a half-step to the right at the wrong moment, she would have taken my knee out.

Were this the only time something like this happened, it would be annoying, but nothing to write home about. Just one of the annoyances of pedestrian life.

But this happens far too often not to be infuriating. Do people riding bicycles not understand that people in front of them might not know they are there? That even a low-speed collision can cause serious injury? Is it too hard to use a horn, or a bell, or even to call out “coming through?”

From the Los Angeles municipal code:

• Sidewalk Riding (LAMC 56.15) Prohibits the riding of bicycles (or other human power devices) on sidewalks (bikeways or boardwalks) with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice.

I maintain these people are breaking that very ordinance, though small satisfaction it will be to me for them to get a ticket while I’m on the ground, writhing in pain.

Wait! What am I saying? Bike riders are healthy, Green, saving Gaea — they’re virtuous!  The sidewalks and roads are theirs by divine right, and therefore they need not worry themselves about lesser mortals such as you and me. It’s your responsibility to watch out for them, you drudge, lest your body damage their bike.

Meanwhile, I have to keep looking warily over my shoulder when walking to the grocery store.

Jerks.

PS: My apologies to any civilized riders reading this. I just needed to vent.

Read Full Post »

Just another day in Los Angeles

So, a few minutes after I got home this evening, I heard lots of sirens and then helicopters overhead. Naturally, I had to go see what was up. This is what I found, just a few yards from where I live:

Lots of LAPD:

And still more were arriving:

While, behind the police barrier tape, some were talking and waiting for who-knew-what:

This many cops probably meant there was a gun involved, so I thought it best to stay behind the fence and keep the nice officers between me and… whoever they were looking for.

And, to add a surreal moment to this Southland scene, as I ran through the grounds of my building to get that last shot of cops in action, I passed our swimming pool … and two women passionately kissing.

Only in LA. 🙂

Read Full Post »