Sunday 11 December 2022

I made an attempt on the first night in LA to walk the 6 blocks to Burlingtons but abandoned that idea shortly after leaving the hotel as the streets became quite deserted, dark and dotted on both sides with the homeless tucked in for the night, either in a tent or a doorway.

Over the 5 days I've been in LA, I have been aching to shop at Burlingtons.  So today was the day, mind you, I don't have a good sense of direction from where the hotel is in "downtown" - a very nice Hilton positioned close to LAPD and a variety of court houses dotted around City Hall.  So I had two choices as I was navigating an L-shaped walk to Burlingtons on a morning with misty rain but not too cold despite it being winter in the northern hemisphere.  

To my regret, I chose the wrong route and about three blocks from leaving the hotel, I found myself in San Pedro Street (known to the locals as the border of "skid row").  As I progressed, more and more tents and stagnant bodies lined the footpath until each metre of the footpath was inhabited by a tent - the makeshift home for the homeless.  Naively I thought this would only be one or two blocks so I persevered.  Then another block and another block and by now I was still in the middle of it.  A spent syringe lay next to a huddle of a body and up ahead I saw a white reception tent.  Well, the newly-elected Mayor had won on the platform of helping the homeless from her Day 1 on the job, so I thought the tent was her publicity and 'action day'.  No, it was Sunday breakfast for the street people so I manoeuvred onto the road to pass a row of their porta-loos clogging the pathway and kept my head down.  Dressed in my rain jacket with hood, I didn't seem to attract any attention plus I was moving at a fast pace.  Lots of debris and rubbish littered the road and filled the gutters such as sheets of cardboard they use for warmth or burned rubbish heaps.  Plenty of cars driving in the streets and a glimpse of a passing bus gave me a modicum of courage to continue.  I had no wi-fi to get an Uber, it was unlikely I would be picked up from such a location anyway!  I passed a very well-dressed couple unloading from their shiny pickup truck that I imagined were religious saviours for the 'residents' of the area.  Then, approaching me was a very tall, gold-laden woman striding purposefully to somewhere carrying a huge bunch of keys - I couldn't imagine what she was there for but seemed on a mission.

Finally I noticed a fire station in the side street so asked for reassurance that I was close to Burlingtons.  Yes, only another 4 blocks, all my walking had been in the wrong direction.  After a few more startling scenes to deal with; drug deals - hookers - masked with the heavy aroma of dope, I had been through possibly the worst neighbourhood of LA feeling very vulnerable and anxious but hadn't been approached or followed and can be thankful I had been wearing my raincoat with hood and mask and carrying my water bottler which I figured could be used in defence if needed.

I was finally at Burlingtons - what a disappointment as it was small and crammed and very different to my favourite in New York.  Security guards monitored customers but I seemed to qualify for entry which was a very quick visit to justify the effort of getting there.  I retreated to Macys a few blocks away and found a safer route home but still witnessing the 'homeless' contagion on every block - some were mobile with their belongings in trolleys.  There seems to be a greater proportion of males and no kids.