Adam J. Choit

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!

Recently I decided to venture to Off Broadway Shoes, a large shoe warehouse on Sunset Blvd near my apartment.   I had an idea of what kind of shoes I was going to look for, but there was no guarantee that I was going to purchase a pair  — just wanted to look.

What I did intend on purchasing though was shoelaces, black shoelaces.  Black shoelaces for two pairs of sneakers I plan to work back into my footwear rotation.

After glancing at some shoes for a while, I decided not to purchase a pair.  I decided it was then time to get my shoelaces and move on with my life.

I figured this place would keep shoelaces near the register — ya know by the socks, the polishes, and other accessories.  After wandering around in circles for 10 straight minutes on my search, I asked the cashier….

“Do you guys sell shoelaces?” Her reply?  “No, we don’t.”

After glancing around this giant warehouse, which sells almost every type of shoe and shoe accessory imaginable, there was only one thing I could think of to say next…

“HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?”

Earlier today I was walking on Sunset Blvd in my neighborhood.   I could hear across the street a man yelling.   Even with traffic flying by, I could both see and hear him screaming into his cell phone, presumably in the midst of some argument.

Anyway, on my side of the street, I could see another man walking toward me.   I was thinking to myself, me and this guy are going to exchange glances or words that basically mean “Look at this jackass yelling in public…”

Instead I noticed this guy walking toward me was actually talking/babbling to himself (crackhead?)  so we never poked fun at the moron across the street…

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…

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“…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’s funny to me that this is something that some hotels and motels like to boast about.  We’ve all driven by lodging having signs like “Free HBO” or “Pool & Hot Tub.”  I’m sure it’s in no way the only place that does this, but the Comfort Inn over on Sunset Blvd near my house is one place that boasts about “Clean Rooms.”

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE CLEAN ROOMS.  It is expected, and is not a luxury or a bonus, especially considering you’re in the business of renting out rooms for money.  People rent the rooms, they leave, THE ROOMS GET CLEANED, and then new people rent them out.  This is how a hotel works.

Telling me you have clean rooms is as stupid as telling me the room comes with a bed.

“OUR BATHROOMS HAVE SINKS, SHOWERS, AND TOILETS”

If they haven’t yet arrived, signs like this are on the way…