Adam J. Choit

I wanted to give everyone an update with Where’s My Crosswalk?

I’m happy to report that I received an email a few days ago from Deborah Murphy, Chair of the L.A. Pedestrian Advisory Committee.  She gave me the great news that after completing a study of the area, the L.A. Department of Transportation has come to the conclusion that a new traffic signal is indeed needed at Vista St. and Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.  Construction is expected to begin sometime within the next fiscal year, which I believe begins in October.

I’m not exactly sure what kind of traffic signal will be installed, but I’m sure whatever is constructed will make the area a lot more safe for pedestrians, and will definitely help local businesses by making it that much more convenient for people to get to them.  I’ll keep you all posted as more information comes in, and I definitely plan to shoot some sort of “afters” of the area.  If possible, I’ll do my best to get out there to capture some of the construction, and maybe grab a few sound bites as well.

Lastly, I wanted to thank everyone who helped this all come to fruition — Deborah Murphy of course, as well as Curbed LA writer Adam Kudler, and Streetsblog writer Damien Newton.  Also thanks to LA Taco, and everyone else who posted and re-posted my video and/or blurbs about this story on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  It was very much greatly appreciated!

After “Where’s My Crosswalk?” has made the rounds on the Internet this week, Fox 11 followed up with a story about this area of Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, CA — between Gardner and Poinsettia by Guitar Center, Sam Ash, & Aroma Cafe.

No mention of me or my video, but hey, at least they’re covering this and helping the cause.

Because there needs to be a crosswalk on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, CA — between N. Gardner St. & N. Poinsettia Pl. How dare they inconvenience me by making me horseshoe around at the closest, but rather distant traffic light.

It’s not exactly safe out there, either.

Please watch & share, help force the city take action. #wheresmycrosswalk

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That’s what I would’ve titled the film, “Knocked Up,” had I been in charge.

Hmmm, this one has a been a long time coming.  Honestly, besides being a very fractured film in itself, it’s nothing much more than right-wing pro-life propaganda….People often think of Hollywood as very left-wingy, but really that’s not always the case.  What is the case is that Hollywood will do whatever it can to make money, often at the expense of quality filmmaking.

Before go I further, let me review a few reasons why Knocked Up  made zero sense:

-When Katherine Heigl was at the club, her sister just left her there alone, with 5 guys, who were all strangers.  That wouldn’t happen ever, in real life.

-Also, when Seth Rogen finally got his act together (in the 3rd act), it all came together so quickly.  A quick montage of him reading a few books on computer stuff, and voila!  He’s now a mature and responsible adult with a job… bullshit.

-Heigl’s character never even really considered having an abortion.  Maybe this lack of consideration would’ve made some sense, had this character had any sort, well, character development —- making such a scenario plausible, believable.

At least in Juno, Ellen Page somewhat considered not having the baby.  Although an in-utero fetus having fingernails might not be the ideal reason for a person to reconsider an abortion, at least in that film the issue was addressed.

If I was in charge, Knocked Up would have been a 5 minute short featuring an abortion, and titled, “Sucked Out.”

Strange things have been happening the last couple of weeks.  By this I mean I’ve found unopened food just laying on the sidewalk.

Last week I found an unopened Snickers bar just sitting there on the sidewalk.  I picked it up, and decided to give it to the first homeless person I came across.  Surely enough, being on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, it took me about 10 steps to come across such a person.  He gladly accepted my found gift.

Just a couple of days ago, I was once again walking on Sunset in Hollywood.  This time I found an unopened 3-pack of 7-11 Macadamia nut cookies.  I picked up the cookies, and went on my hunt for a homeless person.  I found what was clearly one across the street. I went over to him, offered him the cookies.

Would you believe it that he refused the cookies?  He just kept waving “no” to me.  WTF.   Even if you don’t like cookies, it’s food.  Eat them.  Maybe trade them at least.   I mean, can’t he trade the cookies for cigarettes?  How does this work with the homeless people.  I’m sure they have a system, some kinda currency system.

Or is that prison?  Idk.

Eventually I just placed the cookies next to another homeless man who was sleeping next to a carton of juice.  Juice and cookies for him when he wakes up!

I’ve finally decided to speak up about the issue described below that affects my local community in Hollywood, CA…

I spoke to the appropriate government department on the phone, and followed up with an email to them —- here’s an excerpt from that email…

____________________________________________________________

“…I’d like to issue a formal proposal to the city to put in a traffic light/pedestrian crosswalk on Sunset Blvd, between N. Gardner Street and N. Poinsettia Place.

Between these 2 streets on Sunset, there are 3 other streets (N. Vista, N. Martel, and N. Fuller).  What this means is that there is about 1500 feet in between the nearest traffic lights/crosswalks.

This area is a commercial one —- there’s Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Aroma Cafe, and several other shopping centers nearby.  With lots of foot traffic going by, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people jaywalk across Sunset Blvd — even I’ve been guilty of doing so.

To jaywalk across Sunset Blvd is overwhelmingly very, very dangerous.  Sunset Blvd has 4-5 lanes, and is one of the most heavily congested streets in the country.

I’ve seen the elderly jaywalk, and I’ve even seen those confined to a wheelchair dangerously and illegally cross the street.

Please make the necessary efforts to keep our community safe for pedestrians, by establishing another crosswalk strategically located somewhere in between Gardner and Poinsettia on Sunset Blvd…”

It seems about once a week or so, I hear a chopper outside my apartment.  It’s somewhat unnerving, but I also understand that I do live in Hollywood, in Los Angeles, which a major city where shit goes down all the time.  I’m not afraid when helicopters are circling my neighborhood.  It’s just very annoying when I’m trying to fall asleep to the sounds of propellers — not to mention a searchlight right outside my window.

Anytime there’s a chopper circling around, I assume that some nutjob is on the loose.  Murderer, rapist, escaped prisoner.  Could be anyone, but I assume a psychotic.

No biggie, I’m safe inside my apartment.

However, when I’m OUTSIDE walking home late at night, and a chopper and a searchlight are present, there just could be some psychotic nearby, maybe very close to me.

All I’m saying is when I’m outside compared to inside it’s whole different world.

So be careful out there everyone….

With Slumdog Millionaire coming out this week on DVD, I have some follow-up thoughts about the film.  I found Slumdog entertaining, despite it’s outlandish plot.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I just remember how in the story  Jamal’s brother wouldn’t let the little girl hide away with them when they were kids.  Then moments later, the brother is shown to be somewhat evil and is assumed to go down the wrong path in life.  We never really saw this transition happening on screen.

Not to completely bash Slumdog, but I think this is a case of Hollywood kissing it’s own a bit.  I figure it’s just The Academy patting itself on the back for pushing an “Indian film”  so heavily into the mainstream.  “Ooh, look at us.  We revered foreign subject matter.”  Aren’t we deep, enlightened, and worldly?

I remember a few years ago, when the original Harold & Kumar film was released, I read articles about how risky it was for Hollywood to place Asians in the lead roles.  WOULD AMERICANS GO SEE SUCH A FILM?

Maybe I’m being naive, and not considering economics enough, but it just saddens me that somtimes Hollywood finds the need to ask themselves such questions, and doesn’t always put all their energies into simply producing the best quality film.