Photo: j.r. mchale/FlickrI received this email from Chuck Kooshian yesterday, which I thought was the most miserable story of moving through Los Angeles in the rain, narrowly beating Joe Linton's attempt to deposit a check during a power outage. Everytime I read or witness one of these LAPD crackdowns or tickets of pedestrians crossing a street against a flashing hand or yellow light, I wonder how often the LAPD tickets someone for starting and completing a left turn after the light turns red, which is far more dangerous for everyone involved.
Anyway, take it away Chuck:
The Shakedown.
The sky over downtown LA was the color of an old tireweight. I was in town chasing a lead ona big job. The politicians in Sacramento had passed a law saying every part ofthe state had to cut down on driving to prevent climate change. LA wanted tohire an operative to tell the politicos they needed to rethink that idea,because it was a death sentence for Southern California.
As the rain let up I took a stroll down 7th. Abig blonde follow loomed out of the wet shadows asking for a handout, but Ibrushed him off. I turned and crossed the street just as the light turnedyellow. I dashed across in time andheaded down Hope Street.
A black and white screeched to the curb and a voice insistedI hang around for a while. Two gorillaswith guns got out. One went around backto cut off my escape while the talkative one let me know the score. It was illegal for a pedestrian to cross thestreet on a yellow light in the City of Angels. He wrote me up; I could pay onthe internet. They let me go but my attitude had changed. I knew then that the City had cars deep inits DNA. Pedestrians were viruses that needed to be controlled. I left town that afternoon, wishing LA goodluck with that whole peak oil thing. Maybe they can shake down a few pedestrians for gas money.
