Carson

[LAtoOCtoSD]

There is nothing dangerous about West or South Torrance, it's a nicer area than most of North Redondo. If you think West and South Torrance is dangerous, you might as well live in a bubble.

[sgvkev]

I wouldn't live anywhere in Carson... even the nicer areas like Centerview, Scottsdale, and below the university have big gang problems. South of the 405 is very ghetto... try south or west Torrance (north's a little too close to Lawndale and Gardena), Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates if you need to be close as the rest of that area isn't that good.

[ron_leddy]

What is the deal with riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in Torrance?

A policeman stopped me the other day and gave me a warning for riding on the sidewalk. How come there are no signs posted any where prohibiting riding a bicycle on the sidewalk?

Is this some tactic used by the police to be able to stop suspecious individuals on bikes?

Ron Leddy - ronleddy@crazyhouseradio.com

[waggie]

i'm a long time cyclist... and ,wow! i used to think it's really stupid to put a sign that says "no bicycles or walking traffic allowed on freeway" at EVERY freeway onramp.

its obvious that motorcycles aren't allowed on sidewalk, but there are no signs, right?

aren't there bicycle lanes close to the curb? those are for bicycles. granted, cyclists are treated really badly by other motorists, thus causing cyclists to move to the sidewalk, which endanger the pedistrians. for some reason, the public opt to endanger the cyclist then the pedastrian...c'est la vie.

i can see why you would plead ignorance, its just such a minor offense no cops really bother to enforce the law. however, it is still the law.. which is why he only gave you a warning for riding bicycle on the sidewalk.

[ron_leddy]

Thanks for your responce but I think that there's more to it than that.
There have been numerous crimes, murders and drug deals done from a passing bicycle and the cops were helpless in their attempt to stop them do to lack of "Probable Cause." Now they have it (on the sidewalks anyway) and any unsuspecting bike rider is their potentual target. Some get warnings, others get tickets. The cop that stopped me said that if I had a clean record when he ran my ID. that he would let me go. Isn't this profiling?

I've lived in southern California my whole life, 40 years I've been paying state taxes (which pay for the sidewalks) now I am told that I can't use them to ride safely out of traffic.

The sidewalks in Torrance are disserted 90% of the time anyway, so what are they there for?

ronleddy@crazyhouseradio.com

[cosmogrl57]

Originally Posted by Josh22

I wasn't putting down minority groups, and I dont think i'm superior either..

I was just stating a simple fact. East torrance is a gang area, and a mostly hispanic area. West torrance is nothing like east torrance, so I was just stating a fact. I'm not putting down any minority groups, BUT, when you enter a city that has: run down looking streets, trashy streets, graffti, people who look like they are in a gang hanging out on the streets and home corners, and 10+ people standing on the street corners looking for work: YOU TELL ME.... does that seem like a good area? That's all I was implying, nothing more.

I've been to all parts of Torrance, so I know what I'm talking about. I've also been to also Hawthorne, Gardena, downtown Los angeles, Compton, paramount, and long beach, so I know when an area is bad or not, and I can tell you Torrance has some pretty run down, un-safe areas. Yet at the same time, it also has some of the safest areas too.

That's what happens when you have a city borded like this:

Redondo beach in the West (Redondo beach being very up-scale, rich, safe area),
Palos verdes in the south (PV being one of the richest areas in LA, and California!)
Gardena/Lawndale in the North (not a good area, mostly)
Carson/unicorpated parts of torrance in the East (also not good areas)
Lomita/Harbor city in the Southeast (not the best areas)
Gardena/Compton bordering it in the North east

JSYK, I have lived in Torrance the majority of my life after moving from Hermosa Beach. East Torrance is not the only place you need to be aware of. West Torrance has Asain gangs- people that are not born here in America, people that come from the islands and had to operate at street level for survival. My home was robbed twice, in the morning!! South Torrance has high drug use resulting in home-evasion crime and North Torrance has Samoan and Black (as well as White, Brown and Yellow) crime. All in all, I would still live in Torrance because it has so much to offer, and crime is every where.

[cosmogrl57]

I moved to Torrance from Hermosa Beach, went to Torrance schools and love this city dearly, but below is the truth about Torrance and the surrounding cities for your info:
South Torrance has high drug actgivity- "Twikers"
West Torrance has Asian gangs - People not born in America; people from the islands who learned how to operate at street level for survival
North Torrance has white and asain gang activity
South Redondo- has white and brown gang activity and is not rich
North Redondo - is the affluent area down by the Avenues
Palos verdes - is safe and good but is not the richest area in the South Bay, Rolling Hills is.
Gardena - has some nice areas and some bad
Lawndale- is not a good area period
South Carson/unicorpated parts of torrance in the East (also not good areas); North Carson is good (by CSUDH)
Lomita is a good area
Harbor city is good in some areas
Northwest Gardena is good
Compton is not good

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Try also posting in the LA forum. Carson is along the 405, arguably at the "edge" of the "South Bay" proper. But certainly not as nice as PV or the beach communities north of PV.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by cosmogrl57

I moved to Torrance from Hermosa Beach, went to Torrance schools and love this city dearly, but below is the truth about Torrance and the surrounding cities for your info:
South Torrance has high drug actgivity- "Twikers"
West Torrance has Asian gangs - People not born in America; people from the islands who learned how to operate at street level for survival
North Torrance has white and asain gang activity
South Redondo- has white and brown gang activity and is not rich
North Redondo - is the affluent area down by the Avenues

The Avenues are in South Redondo. North Redondo is the inland area bordering Hawthorne, Lawndale, and North Torrance, and has some of the same problems as those areas, or so I remember.

IIRC, South Torrance is pretty much like Palos Verdes, in fact the Torrance school district includes part of PV.