As I watch yet another police pursuit in Los Angeles – this one in particular passed within a mile of my house – I felt it was time to share my stories encountering these little Los Angeles wonders.
My POV of the police pursuit. A safe distance…
I first traveled to Los Angeles my last year of high school – I believe it was the summer after graduation but my mom can tell you better. You should call her.
Anywho, we arrive in Los Angeles, take the taxi to our very nice hotel in Hollywood. Sit on our beds and turn on the 6 o’clock news as we get ready for dinner. And lo and behold, a car chase.
My friends, I saw a car chase my first day in Los Angeles, my first hour!
And it wasn’t just any car chase. It was the one where a bystander saved a young girl from getting hit by the car. And it was the one where they showed the driver getting shot.
There was a police shoot out, and instead of zooming out like they do now, the helicopter cameras stayed close. We saw this man jump out of the car, shoot at the police, run and then get hit by a bullet. I saw his body react to the bullet, shake, fall and then the cameras zoomed out quickly. Yeah, you guys messed up.
Welcome to Los Angeles?
I am pretty sure I have been a part of a pursuit
About a year ago, I was driving down Wilshire Blvd, going to a meeting, and a van pulled up to the right side of me, matching my speed. He so clearly did not want to be blocked in by the car in front of him, so he immediately started pushing into my lane. I didn’t realize it at first. Then he pushed even more. I slowed down and he took that as his cue to completely merge into my lane, pushing me into oncoming traffic. We didn’t hit each other. I pulled my wheel to the left, but I was completely in the opposite lane – in oncoming traffic. Thank God there was no one driving towards me, but I remember not even reacting. Not even yelling “What the F&#*! I just remember watching this huge red van take off in front of me, run a red light, then another. I carefully got back in my lane, like nothing had happened. I remember asking myself, “why am I not freaking out??”
THEN I got to my destination, parked, and there was the freak out. I was shaking, the tears were coming. I closed my eyes and just sat. I’m so not as cool as I thought.
Police Lockdowns
I have looked for alternate routes in Los Angeles many times because the police locked down a street, there was a shooter here, a runner there, a bomb threat up the street. And I just want to go home! Well, speaking of home, read about the morning the FBI raided my apartment complex – no place is safe!
But, we have to live in Los Angeles.
If you want to work in the film industry, then you have to live in Los Angeles (or New York or whatever, but LA has the most opportunity…okay, okay that’s another debate, but I have to live in Los Angeles). So you shouldn’t worry about the next police pursuit that will interrupt your life, you should worry about finding the best Veggie Burgers, or the best Yoga Class (that’s what LA people like, right?).
And, if you want to be in a police chase, then PLEASE do not pick rush hour as the time to run. I always feel so bad for those guys. I’m like “idiot, if you’re going to run from police, start at like 10am, not 8am. Idiot.”
As of right now they haven’t caught this guy – but the different news channels compete for the best shot. NBC has the closest so far – this is their “double zoom” – technical term.
**UPDATE** They caught the guy! And thanks to everyone who asked if I was okay š The scary man was nowhere near me!
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