Undiscovered gems of alarming information on the web are the Street People of Los Angeles (SPOLA) accounts (Twitter and Instagram). They are top draws among social-media sites for some–not because they are thrilling or inspiring, but because they expose the brutal, shocking reality of what's going on across Los Angeles streets every day. There's no doubt that the violence that is taking place at the moment is not confined to Los Angeles but is happening all across the country.
SPOLA uploads videos of ordinary Californians in their attempts to conduct their everyday routines. There are images of drug-addled people dressed in half-skirts, dirty, slithering about libraries and residential areas as if they were zombies. Sometimes they're in a trance; other times they're shooting at children as they stroll by or engaged in sexual relations on the curb…the videos are even more shocking due to the fact that there's no end to the hordes of them. This is the daily routine in a typical California city.
A recent video released by SPOLA exposes the sad situation of Los Angeles' public transportation. Americans who aren't from the state frequently scold Californians for not using public transport more. The state is considered to be the “green fiends” of the country. Its politicians frequently proclaim its environmental efforts, and federal officials refer to California to show what going “all-green energy” ought to be like. Governor Gavin Newsome constantly encourages citizens to take their cars off the road and take public transport. He's got a “plan,” which is to simply regulate gasoline-powered automobiles until they're nearly impossible to afford and then to make gas so costly that those who own their own vehicles won't be able to pay for full tanks. This is all designed to push residents to public transport.
Anyone who's spent even 10 minutes in California knows that the majority of the state isn't suitable for public transport, especially in comparison to Los Angeles. The population is too dispersed. Los Angeles isn't like New York City or San Francisco. It's a sprawling city and not a confined metropolitan region. It's not ideal for an efficient train or bus. In the end, every resident hates traffic. Wherever you are in the state of California, there is a traffic issue. Homelessness and traffic are two problems that unify Californians across all other divisions. They hate traffic.
The majority of residents would be delighted to ride the bus or train if it actually got them to where they had to go (it does not) and was on time (it is not) and offered a reliable, safe journey (cue: a roar of laughter). It's the height of hypocrisy and elitism to insist that Californians use public transportation, even though the state has the most shabby version of it in the country.
If you're not convinced, visit the SPOLA account. The latest video from SPOLA shows how popular public transportation is in Los Angeles right now. Would you like your daughter to take a ride on the L.A. Metro to school or work every day? Maybe Governor Newsom should take a trip in the L.A. Metro before he adopts his next set of commuter laws.
