When the city won't help you, it's time to DIY. Photo: LA EastsiderLast week, the news blog LA Eastsider reported on efforts of residents in Echo Park and other Eastside communities to fight back against Dodger fans that cruise through and park on residential streets. Basically, faced with a city that hasn't been quick enough to help out, residents have taken to posting their own signs, barricades and even dressing as security guards to keep fans looking for free parking off their streets.
When I first saw the article, I wanted to repost it, but thought better
of it. In this city, DIY projects tend to get erased awfully quickly
when someone shines the light on them. Sure enough, when I checked
back yesterday there was a note that many of the signs that were put up
were taken down the same day the article posted. Consider this Fletcher Bridge Redux.
Just as in the now-famous Fletcher Bridge incident, regular people are trying to protect themselves and their streets after he city turns a deaf ear to their concerns. The Eastsider explains:
With City Hall and the Dodgers unable or unwilling to spend money on traffic and parking control measures that meansomething, residents say they are on their own. "We are kind of left todo what we have to do," said the resident from Solano Canyon.
Of course, now the signs are down so the limited protection the community created for itself are now gone. One of the commenters on Eastsider claims that the communities are working with the city and Eric Garcetti's office to try and come up with a long-term solution and I'll keep my eyes open for what's happening on those streets.
In the meantime, wouldn't it be nice if there were a transportation story involving the Dodgers that wasn't about car-culture run amok?
