Leaving La / California - Asap (Los Angeles, San Diego: fence, cost of, safe)

[fastfilm]

What was that great line in "Sea of Love" by the police detective character played by Al Pacino? Something like "Everybody's got it in for the 'corrupt' cops, but when you're in real trouble, suddenly I'm your Daddy!"

I'm neither religious nor right wing, but I'm certainly more tolerant of others' rights in the U.S. than some posters here. I contest that if you disagree you must leave: how un-American. And for potential relocators, you would do well to heed the observations of someone like an L.A. policeman who sees all sides of Los Angeles, its downsides as well as its selling points, than well-paid residents of toney West side enclaves who write that everything is just ducky.

[CESpeed]

It's amazing to me how that the only truth people ever want to hear about LA is how nice the weather is, how many celebrities one can meet or how one can make tons of money just by moving here.

The reality is most of the people who live here are struggling to make ends meet. Just yesterday I was at the Century City mall and saw two security guards chasing this kid who apparently robbed a store in the mall. All over the city, except for the most affluent areas, there is graffitti on the walls and anywhere the monsters can write or scratch on. English is quickly becoming an endangered language. And yes, violence is on the rise.

Two women at USC were raped withing the past month. In Inglewood, four people have been killed by Inglewood PD in a six week period. A mother and three of her children were killed in Palmdale. Robberies and thefts are on the rise.

And people keep moving here thinking it's utopia. Raggedy isn't that why you're moving here? You think LA is utopia but PacifiCop is right there are other areas of this State and this Country that offer the same financial opportunities that Los Angeles does. The fact is if people who are flocking to LA stayed and built up the places they are from, there would be more jobs, etc. All over the country.

I work for a high end cruise line where cruises cost an average of $30,000 per couple most of our guests come from small towns not LA, NY or other big cities. Most people living in big cities are too busy working to make money to enjoy the money they make.

[Raggy dee Ann]

Who said anything about moving to LA or it being utopia? Been there done that, worked hard, made the money and had a ball. If I had to move back I would, but I'm looking at a few acres down the road in another county.

Seriously lady, you seem to have a perpetual dark cloud over you all the time...life can't be that bad can it?

[runnergrl]

Because I didnt want to read through the pages of responses to the OP, I just want to say, Amen, brother, you are preaching to my choir. I have been here 3 yrs and I have never yearned to go back to my home place until I experienced the apathetic attitude people have about faith here....so absorbed in the pop culture. It is sickening.

BTW....I was raised in the south....and you are right about the humidity....we have bugs too, but bugs dont cause crime either. As I mentioned in another post...I would take the rednecks and bible thumpers anyday over this culture....no offense....but at least they are REAL.

I wish the best for your move to a real area where real people are.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by LA_NativeGirl

Fast Film and PacifiCop, I agree with your comments, right on!

I have lived in So. Cal my whole life, I am relocating this summer, not sure where to, hence I stumbled across this board. But back to topic. My brother is in law enforcement, so what you said definitely resonates!

Last year my 30 something co-worker walked from his home in Burbank to the local video shop to return a movie, and was muggged, for his video! He fought back the 2 punk attackers, but after receiving a cut/stab to his hand.

No one can be truly sheltered here in Southern California. I pray when I accidentally make a wrong exit off the 110 Fwy and end up in a bad side of L.A. It is amazing what goes on there.

I will miss Southern Cal. as I knew it, it has much to offer, unfortunately it is deteriorating rapidly.

I'm a third generation native of California and moved away the beggining of this month to Oaklahoma. Why? I didn't live in LA but Riverside but the same thing applies. Lots of angry people. Crime nobody bothers to report. The dissapearence of the place I remember growing up in. And the lack of hearing the english language. In between here and Riverside was days of beautiful open country, places where people smiled and meant it and weren't always on edge. I didn't realize how on edge I was until I left.

I fully understand the exodus of new transplants to other places. I met a couple of nice men on the train going to the midwest last year who are retiring and looking at all the small towns along the way. I was raised in the San Fernando valley but would hesitate to go where my family lived now. I'll go back for a holiday or so to visit family, but it will not be the place I left as my eyes have been opened.

Kinda ironic. California was the place to go and people from all over were drawn there. Now they and others who were there before are finding new places to go. Sad that whats left are the people who are willing to live in that atmosphere, but people have a right to live in peace too.

When teotwawki hits, I'd sure hate to be in socal.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by Pacificop

I've been busy setting up business accounts throughout the Southern US all inpreparation for my family's move there. If it weren't for the fact that my house took a serious nose dive and lost all of its equity. I'd be living elsewhere right now.

To the other comments: Jaded? I don't know, maybe that's part of it. But having traveled a large part of this country and speaking to hundreds of cops throughout the nation, I know its not the same everywhere. There are parts of this country where family, church and community are still number one priorities. I think if I were truly jaded, I'd think that it was hopeless everywhere and stay put.

Well ... I'm married to a cop, my neighbors are law enforcement (local cops, CHP, CDCR) and I work with a lot of cops. Most of them are happy here and don't share your attitude.

Granted, we don't live in LA but ... the cops I know are pretty happy on the left coast. They make good money and the pension as well as other benefits are great.

If, in fact, liberal policies are so bad, I don't know why LA's crime rate is so low. You can see it in the stats on this website as well as this KFI news story ... (which, as you probably know, is a conservative not a liberal station) ...

"The number of murders this summer in L.A. dropped to its lowest level in more than 40 years."

KFI AM 640 More Stimulating Talk Radio

On the flip side, Houston and Dallas crime rates are through the roof so ... family values and all of that isn't actually doing much for the crime rate in conservative states like Texas. Why? Cities like Dallas don't have the tax base and budget to pay cops like yourself to fight crime.

On a personal note: I do know a couple of cops who, like a lot of people, either paid too much or borrowed too much on their houses. It sounds like you're in the same situation since you're saying you've lost all of the equity in your house.

I'm sorry if you're in a miserable situation but most of the cops I know (and I know quite a few) ... are very happy here.

I hope that you can move to the south sometime soon. I've lived there too. It certainly isn't utopia ... far from it but ... maybe it will be a better fit for you.

[tekboi]

Well, i was considering moving to LA from New Orleans permanently. I'm going to have to think it over some more now....

[LizzyNola]

Sorry, you seem to be having such a hard time, but goodby and good luck!

[Tasksgirl]

I find this hilarious, I am NEVER scared in Los Angeles and I go all over, I have only lived here 4 years so I have seen other places, I absolutely LOVE it here and I am only 21 and married and we are making it here just fine, you do not have to be rich. I do not live in, nor do I frequent the "nice" or "rich" places.. I live the Glendale/Burbank area (middle-class I would say) and often spend time in the valley, and I have worked in Inglewood and in Santa Monica and in L.A. itself..

[FunkyMonk]

LA is insane. Everything the original poster said is true. I lived there for a while and then moved to a smaller city, and when I got to that city I was acting really on edge and fast paced. Everyone else was smiling and enjoying the moment. And I was rushing around trying to do everything. And my mind was racing along with it. It took me a few months to just slow down out of that LA pace. And when I did, I felt great.

Sometimes I miss LA. LA definantly has a lot of great things going on too. It can be a very fun place. But i'm not rich, so I will not live there again. If you are not rich, living in LA will make you very frustrated. If you are not rich, most of the good things about LA will be out of your reach. And all of the bad things about LA will be at your doorstep.

The people of LA..... well, honestly, a lot of them are very hard to be around. They are very rude.

I've lived in a few very big cities. And in smaller cities. But in LA, the rudeness factor is at a higher level. There is an egotistical vibe there that is unlike any other place i've been to. And there is nothing cool about it. Every day I had people do very, very rude things. Blatently disrespectful and aggressive things. Violent, cold-blooded things.

In many ways, LA is like a city in a developing country.

LA isn't a great place for an ordinary person. But if you are in LA, and you have a ton of money. You will have an awesome time.