Comments on: The Bums of Los Angeles http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/ Meditations on strategy and life Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:06:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: dax http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10983 dax Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:13:16 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10983 Enjoyable post. I grew up in LA and I'd have to agree with the LA being the spot to go if homeless. Although in Berkeley you can get foot massages and other interesting things: <a href="http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2003/07/18/16286561.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2003/07/18/16286561.php</a> I was walking down Haight St. in SF today and saw a homeless kid with a sign saying "need money for a handgun and PCP, make money make money" Lots of competition and crazy in SF, that's for sure. Enjoyable post. I grew up in LA and I’d have to agree with the LA being the spot to go if homeless. Although in Berkeley you can get foot massages and other interesting things: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2003/07/18/16286561.php

I was walking down Haight St. in SF today and saw a homeless kid with a sign saying “need money for a handgun and PCP, make money make money”

Lots of competition and crazy in SF, that’s for sure.

]]> By: Ryan Holiday http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10982 Ryan Holiday Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:41:04 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10982 DUDE I'VE MET THAT LADY. She said that to me when I while I was talking on the phone one time at the intersection of Wilshire and Doheny. She is fucking crazy. Some other time I saw her doing aerobics while pulling a hand cart around. I actually live sort of near Skidrow. At night sometimes you can hear them moaning when you leave the windows open. DUDE I’VE MET THAT LADY. She said that to me when I while I was talking on the phone one time at the intersection of Wilshire and Doheny. She is fucking crazy. Some other time I saw her doing aerobics while pulling a hand cart around.

I actually live sort of near Skidrow. At night sometimes you can hear them moaning when you leave the windows open.

]]> By: Vladimir Sedach http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10981 Vladimir Sedach Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:12:57 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10981 Ryan, you are overlooking one important fact: the existence of Skid Row, which has most of the homeless shelters and soup kitchens in LA. I recommend (ok, this is really sarcasm, don't go there, and don't blame me if you do) taking a stroll there one evening. I did that not long after coming to LA and not knowing where Skid Row was. Fortunately I was able to blend in thanks to a fashionably distressed (ie covered in beer and dirt stains) ironic conference t-shirt and a temporary ER cast on my newly (at the time) broken forearm (which would also quickly become "fashionably distressed," but that's another story). Until that time I did not realize just how much long-term crack addiction can change a person physically. On pretty much every street corner there was someone trying to sell me crack. At one crosswalk a more or less normal looking (even by west-side standards) elderly homeless man struck up a coherent and sympathetic conversation, I think it was about my broken forearm. That was the highlight of the excursion, but seeing the lows in person really brought on new perspectives and made me realize that, no matter what you read in the papers, you really can't quite comprehend the reality fully until you've seen it for yourself. Now for my amusing crazy street person story: when I lived in Santa Monica, every once in a while I would encounter an older (65ish?) decently dressed and groomed blonde woman while shopping, or walking on the street, and half the time she would say: "You're cute. What is your heritage?" Due to the repeat questionings, I assumed she had memory problems, and due to the nature of the questioning, I assumed she was some sort of extreme grandma cougar (I was and still am in my early 20s). Some time later this encounter was repeated when I was out with a couple of friends. This time she hit on my friend who was even younger than me. Not only has he been the subject of her advances before, but we found out from our Beverly Hills-dwelling friend (who had never been hit on by her, I think by virtue of being female) that she is the "walking lady of Beverly Hills," and apparently resides there. The lesson here is that not all crazy street people in LA are homeless, or even living in poverty. Ryan, you are overlooking one important fact: the existence of Skid Row, which has most of the homeless shelters and soup kitchens in LA. I recommend (ok, this is really sarcasm, don’t go there, and don’t blame me if you do) taking a stroll there one evening. I did that not long after coming to LA and not knowing where Skid Row was. Fortunately I was able to blend in thanks to a fashionably distressed (ie covered in beer and dirt stains) ironic conference t-shirt and a temporary ER cast on my newly (at the time) broken forearm (which would also quickly become “fashionably distressed,” but that’s another story).

Until that time I did not realize just how much long-term crack addiction can change a person physically. On pretty much every street corner there was someone trying to sell me crack. At one crosswalk a more or less normal looking (even by west-side standards) elderly homeless man struck up a coherent and sympathetic conversation, I think it was about my broken forearm. That was the highlight of the excursion, but seeing the lows in person really brought on new perspectives and made me realize that, no matter what you read in the papers, you really can’t quite comprehend the reality fully until you’ve seen it for yourself.

Now for my amusing crazy street person story: when I lived in Santa Monica, every once in a while I would encounter an older (65ish?) decently dressed and groomed blonde woman while shopping, or walking on the street, and half the time she would say: “You’re cute. What is your heritage?” Due to the repeat questionings, I assumed she had memory problems, and due to the nature of the questioning, I assumed she was some sort of extreme grandma cougar (I was and still am in my early 20s). Some time later this encounter was repeated when I was out with a couple of friends. This time she hit on my friend who was even younger than me. Not only has he been the subject of her advances before, but we found out from our Beverly Hills-dwelling friend (who had never been hit on by her, I think by virtue of being female) that she is the “walking lady of Beverly Hills,” and apparently resides there. The lesson here is that not all crazy street people in LA are homeless, or even living in poverty.

]]> By: SB http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10980 SB Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:28:44 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10980 They can cook on the sidewalk "with" impunity. They can cook on the sidewalk “with” impunity.

]]> By: Ryan Holiday http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10979 Ryan Holiday Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:11:02 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10979 Not the most, the worst. LA has the worst - as in, the worst at being homeless. Not the most, the worst. LA has the worst – as in, the worst at being homeless.

]]> By: Patrick Moran http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10978 Patrick Moran Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:52:13 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10978 bullshit, New Orleans has by far the most homeless people. With all the abandon houses and warm weather, there is nothing but face tattoos as far as the eye can see. bullshit, New Orleans has by far the most homeless people. With all the abandon houses and warm weather, there is nothing but face tattoos as far as the eye can see.

]]> By: Taephit http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10977 Taephit Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:48:34 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10977 I've only been to San Fransico once, (and it may only have been due to the sheer mind-blowing numbers of homeless there) but it had by far the craziest homeless I've ever seen. I have fond memories of riding the trolly with crazy homeless screaming, twitching and shitting themselves. Also lengthy conversations about love, stabbings, drug abuse engaged in by a street priest and his homeless tranny friends. (I never thought I'd see a homeless tranny. Always assumed it takes a lot of $ to maintain the tranny lifestyle...ah, San Fran) I’ve only been to San Fransico once, (and it may only have been due to the sheer mind-blowing numbers of homeless there) but it had by far the craziest homeless I’ve ever seen.

I have fond memories of riding the trolly with crazy homeless screaming, twitching and shitting themselves. Also lengthy conversations about love, stabbings, drug abuse engaged in by a street priest and his homeless tranny friends. (I never thought I’d see a homeless tranny. Always assumed it takes a lot of $ to maintain the tranny lifestyle…ah, San Fran)

]]> By: Adam http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10976 Adam Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:01:24 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-bums-of-los-angeles/#comment-10976 Ever read "Down and out in Paris and London" - George Orwell. If not give it a try. Ever read “Down and out in Paris and London” – George Orwell. If not give it a try.

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