European Visits The USA For The First Time And Is Shocked And Disappointed By The Experience
Tourists’ beloved Los Angeles, known for its TV and music industry, buzzing culture and never-ending sunshine, set a new tourism record recently. In 2018, it welcomed an estimated 42.5 million domestic visitors and 7.5 million international visitors, making it a 50 million record and reaching a new milestone.
But not every tourist seems equally impressed with The City of Angels. This recent post from the Los Angeles subreddit, written by a European who visited LA and the US for the very first time, shone a light on the not-so-pretty side of the city.
The author who goes by the handle TheRealBanksyWoosh shared how shocked he was with what he saw there. From “drunk and high people” to “so many homeless and poor” with “five, six tents under each bridge” and “trash and feces everywhere,” TheRealBanksyWoosh wrote he never felt so unsafe.
Read on below for his full account on Los Angeles, and be sure to share what you think of it in the comments below!
A European tourist was so shocked by the level of inequality and disregard for life in Los Angeles when he visited for the first time that he shared his experience with others
Image credits: MIANHU XIAO (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Mihály Köles (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to the author of this post shared on the Los Angeles subreddit, who’s from Belgium and works at a university as a sociologist. “In Europe, we are aware that the social security system and the healthcare system of the USA are less extended than in many European countries,” he explained and added that “at the same time, we consume a lot of American media and movies, so in the back of my mind, unconsciously, the USA was very comparable to Europe.”
However, once the Redditor TheRealBanksyWoosh arrived in LA, he was surprised to see “so many homeless, poor and psychotic people.” He told us: “It became apparent to me that the USA suffers from all the problems that I knew about, but multiplied tenfold. Europe is definitely not a utopia, and I don’t want to portray it that way, but I’ve never seen anything like it over here.”
The author explained that you can get robbed in Barcelona or Rome, but he has “never seen two cops checking with their feet and a flashlight if a human being is still alive.” He added: “I’ve seen abject poverty in Africa and Asia, but it was never normalized. People continuously talk about it in underdeveloped countries, they are aware that it is a problem.”
“Meanwhile, in LA, in one of the richest countries on the surface of our planet, the poverty and the human suffering feel very normalized. As if it is ‘normal’ that people are dying while numerous $100k cars pass by next to that person.”
Image credits: TheRealBanksyWoosh
The author said that he always compared the USA to other western countries, but it all changed during this trip. “Honestly, the lack of general safety, the staggering inequality and the lack of social tissue remind me more of Brazil or South Africa. I find it disgusting that the social inequality is so racially structured.”
TheRealBanksyWoosh said he doesn’t like to compare two countries, “because then this post feels as if I’m using human suffering in one country to glorify my own country.” He said that Belgium also has many problems, but since we asked, he shared some insights. “Belgium is way safer than LA, although we have our own issues, of course. In Europe, racism, discrimination and poverty exist as well. But I’ve never witnessed it so openly, as if it ‘should’ be this way,” the author argues.
When walking in LA, “it felt like the poverty was a functioning part of the system instead of a cyst that should be erased. I think it is the culmination of deliberate choices, masked as incompetence.”
Moreover, according to the author, in Belgium, people do not have to work two jobs and still be afraid to end up homeless. “We don’t have people who have to sleep in their car. I don’t see old men above the age of 70 who have to work in Starbucks to survive. Despite Belgian shortcomings, we do have a safety net. The huge consequences of that safety net became very explicit during my visit in LA.”
The post quickly turned into a conversation about the homeless crisis and inequality in the US, and many people shared their own similar experiences while traveling
Having said that, there were some things that the author really liked. It was the friendliness and willingness of Americans to have an honest, friendly conversation.
“It seems like many Americans are fully aware of the situation that I’m describing, which makes it even more odd that the issues don’t get resolved. What is the role of the government in this matter? What is their responsibility? Is it ‘normal’ that the government merely acts a police officer? Many Americans had interesting opinions about these things and yet, LA remains full of human suffering,” the Redditor explained.
TheRealBanksyWoosh also said that nonetheless, “LA offers a great array of fantastic museums (that are free, which is very cool!), great restaurants and wonderful nature.”
“It’s a tough nut to crack, but I am certain that it is full of wonderful, interesting and cool things to do and explore. A lifetime of adventures, but one that is overgrown by poverty, a lack of safety, drug abuse and intolerable inequality,” the author concluded.
All the people saying “well yeah, duh, it’s LA” are very much missing the point.
I know right! "Your first mistake was to see the horrific parts of the country and recognise that it exists. Just don't do that"
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I'm amazed that anyone is surprised that the US is a dystopian hellscape. The comment about "not in my backyard" is 100% correct. I once tried to open a large halfway house in a nice area (because they are always in the worst possible places) and people did indeed threaten to sue.
Really? Not so much. In fact it has always been a dream of mine to work on putting a homeless shelter together. I really don't care as far as locations... So that would make at least two of us. Definitely NOT 100% correct is it?
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America is like this. It's like a participation trophy and your parents telling you how special you are. We've been talking about how great we are not because it's true, but because we decide not to know better. We think other countries are backward because most have never been anywhere else and a lot of people don't realize how backward the states are. I think if more Americans really knew how better human rights are in other countries they deem "second class", and how those countries pity us, they'd be more embarrassed and motivated to fix our broken s**t. And this is NOT just LA. I've lived all across this country and traveled to many international one. America's issues are symptomatic of demonizing and criminalizing those who need help and favoring/celebrating the upper class. Our country is really broken and no one cares.
I don't believe in the participation trophy BS.. I do believe that is part of how America got to be how it is. But I believe that it taught people not to try. That they can slack off. Giving everyone a trophy would create a feeling of success where it didn't exist. Let me ask you, because as an American, I don't consider any other country "second class." What are you referring to? Who said this to you, or why did you ever get this in tour head?
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The middle and upper classes abandoned American cities in the 60s. It's called white flight. The majority of us don't care what happens in the downtown areas we just don't go there. We swoop in from the suburbs eat dinner, catch a game or a play, and swoop right back out again. Drugs, untreated mental illness, and inflated housing costs have wrecked America and we shuffle the losers in to dangerous tent cities and pat ourselves on the back because we gave old canned goods and $25 to the food bank. The cops we pretend to hate enforce unwritten rules that keep the homeless away from the nice safe areas. It's economic apartheid.
Do you fall in that majority? I dont... my word! So you hate America and don't try to help anyone. Got it. Sorry, but I don't fall in that camp. I think that all things have a workable solution, I don't make broad generalizations, and definitely don't look down on anyone with a mental health issue...
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About the most important article I've seen here. The bottom line the problem that causes every other problem is greed. Agreed also keeps other problems from ever being solved. And it truly is as simple as that.
I've visited the US for work over 20yrs. My experience (with a few exceptions on the NE seaboard) is they are more comparable to cities in rapidly developing nations such as Sao Paulo or Hanoi than anything you'll find in western Europe. Weirdly, its the smaller provincial towns that make more sense to me- they retain a certain frontier spirit and consequently some form of community (assuming you're the right colour and religion to be welcome). Which brings me to two related points. As a European I was never really prepared for the degree to which everything is politicised in the USA- even administrators at local government level seem to be talked about as being 'dem' or 'rep'. For now at least our european civil service is seen as largely impartial. And second, let's be honest, non-metropolitan USA is not generally a secular country. I've heard even educated friends use language which makes it very clear they expect society to be organised in a religious way.
In the 1980s Reagan closed the Mental Health Systems Act - that put a lot of people on the streets with mental illness. Things won't get better until as a country we take responsibility for this. https://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homeless_mental_illness/
You used a Salon article for a reference...you have to do better. There are so many more facets.
Load More Replies... I'm Canadian but lived on the Westside of LA for four years. It was a fantastic experience for me and my family. I agree that it can be quite shocking though - the disparity between haves and have nots. I find that the difference between Canadians and Americans can be characterized in this one anecdote. I was chatting with a neighbor that seemed quite reasonable and otherwise "normal", until we spoke about healthcare. He said to me with a completely straight face, as if he could not understand my point of view whatsoever, "why should I pay more taxes so a poor person can have free healthcare?" Clearly, the majority of voters feel this way, otherwise poor people WOULD have free healthcare, like most people on the planet do. It's sad to see how poor people have the deck stacked against them.
Oh man, come to Chicago next time, the homeless population here makes me so sad, especially when there’s plenty of places to add extra housing to, so many abandoned buildings, and with all the money illinois has, they could also easily house a good chunk of homeless folk.
Any major city in the US has a huge homeless problem. There are some that are worse, like LA or Chicago, but all of them have the problem and the same solution (except maybe NYC with the availability of empty housing).
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What happened? Regan was gov. Of California and emptied the mental health hospitals on to the streets, did away with most social programs for before and after school care and then did the same to the country plus worse as president.
Hmmm, so we can blame Reagan for all of our problems. No one else should hold any responsibility? That's a pretty lame assertion.
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Only a man would say that he felt more unsafe in LA than in Morocco. Shows how different it is travelling as a woman
Absolute bs. Morocco is fine for women solo travellers, as long as you’re taking all the usual precautions (same for most countries)
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There are places in Sweden I refuse to go to and I also feel extremely unsafe being out when it’s dark-live in Stockholm. This ties in with, what I thought was, common knowledge about all other countries in the world which have places one shouldn’t go to. Of all the 19 yrs I stayed in USA, it was in Los Angeles, and I never felt unsafe. Why? Because I didn’t have grandiose delusions of that I’d fare “well” strolling around downtown at night. Shouldn’t one study this before traveling? I LOVE Los Angeles! I grew up there. Americans taught me some manners I surely shouldn’t have had, had I stayed in Sweden. Have you guys seen the sh1t-show that’s going on in Sweden? All countries are bad but they’re also equally good-with what they have to offer. Don’t compare.
And yet its always as fascinating to read about how bad the “land of the free” really is
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To all of our friends abroad: Please PLEASE do not look at Los Angeles as the standard for life in the United States. We are a huge nation, and there is a vast diversity in cultural lifestyles here. Most of us out here also see LA as Koo-Koo Bananas town.
I don't think most of us do think Los Angeles = all US. We're all aware there are issues in the US but NOWHERE is perfect and we all despair of our own country's problems! I've never wanted to go to LA but I've enjoyed the parts of the US I have visited.
Load More Replies... It is kinda funny to see people here cry about the usa hate. It is very interesting to read about your dystopian country. The worst developed country in the world and its inhabitants think its the “land of the free”. It is hilarious!😂 yep downvote all you want.. you live in a dumpster just waiting to catch fire
California…LA is one city in the entire US and this tourist wrote off the whole country based off one city? That’s silly. California is notorious for its homeless and for doing nothing about it. My goodness where they’re from they likely have to deal with racism just because your accent isn’t local. Nowhere is perfect and it’s annoying when people feel the need to point out the obvious, the obvious we all are aware of. Guess what though? We have no control over fixing it. We can vote people in and what do they do? Nothing. The only thing we could do is overthrow the government and start over, but that isn’t going to happen either.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience while visiting the states. I’m from the Midwest (USA). I’ve travelled extensively internationally when I was younger and I’ve visited many states both east and west coast. I will say that my trip to San Fran a few years ago was shocking. I suppose I didn’t stay in the best part of town, according to friends, but was unable to walk across the street or to an Uber 3ft from the hotel without being accosted by an unhoused individual too high to understand where they were or what was happening. We live in a world that is deeply troubled and divided. No matter where you live, it’s only a matter of time until it reaches your doorstep or a friends. Your experience is not akin to the states, unfortunately. It’s a global issue. Also, next time you visit a new country, do your research. I can think of a million places in the U.S. to visit with much better views, people and experiences than Hollyhood and DTLA. Just my two cents 😉
I had exact the same thoughts when I went to Atlanta. It was really wtf moment, especially in the metro
I thought it was a good idea to go to LA for two weeks, in Hollywood. By myself. I work with homeless people back here in the Netherlands, but daaaayum, LA is a whole other level. On my 1st day, my Uber driver drove me thru Compton, Watts and Skid Row. Next day I drove thru Beverly Hills to get to the Getty Museum and I got so sad seeing the extremely different living conditions. LA is not my type of city. Luckily New York made a faaaar better impression. I heart NY!!!
If you have watched any news or documentaries you would not be shocked by LA. Most cities/downtowns are rough, have the most locations to help homeless, drug addicts, mental health so that's where people with those issues congregate. LA has long had issues, it's not a shock unless you romanticize a place and then get a good dose of real life. Maybe stop watching movies and believing the blitz.
I get what he is saying- but unless he traveled to multiple US locations throughout the country- both urban and rural- basing his perception of the US on his experience in one single city is unfair. It's like if I took a trip to Germany, only went to Berlin, and then said "nope- all of Germany is trash. I hate it" without giving the rest of Germany a chance.
LA doesn't represent all of America, but it's problems are common to all major US cities. LA isn't even among the top 10 most dangerous cities in America! (Forbes, 2022) How can a country with so much wealth have such staggering problems with homelessness, violent crime, untreated mental illness, etc.? The OP is exactly right to ask these questions. For the answers, start by looking at how quickly we Americans rush to defend such atrocious inequality.
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LA is not representative of the USA. Almost everyone knows California cities (ESPECIALLY LA) are different from other USA cities!
This guy saw ONE city out of thousands and thousands. How dare he think the entire country is like that and think he is qualified to judge us. He needs to zip it.
Most major cities in America are going to have sections best left alone, they're going to have homelessness, drug use, etc. Even many smaller cities & towns have the same problems. But most are not as bad as LA. I'm in Houston, TX. Landmass wise, we are the largest city in the country, but only 4th or 5th by population. We have the same issues LA does, but less people and they are more spread out. Big cities like Houston, NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia etc much cleaner overall than LA,we are far from perfect. But we all have areas & attractions & culture we love to share. Unfortunately downtown LA is a rather poor example of that area. Next time you might consider calling a city's or state's tourism bureau. They can recommend areas to visit & avoid.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums camp, sh!t, p**s, sleep and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beach.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums camp, sleep, sh!t, p**s and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beaches.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums not camp, sleep and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beach. Never go in the filthy c
NYC does not have a decrepit "city center" though... I mean don't get me wrong, we have a homeless problem too, but there is no part of Manhattan that compares to Downtown LA.
Same. I think most people are. Yet BP keeps doing it. You'd think they'd take notice of their audience getting p i s s e d off about it each time! Even those of us who are not from the US. So it must mean that it's popular in some way or gets more clicks or something. It would be better if every post that is about the bad side of the US got ignored by us all... but we don't and I can't see that happening unfortunately🤷
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Yeah, sure, it is the 'extreme left' and 'woke' causing the problems... you sound politically very stupid. There isn't much that is 'left' in the US just variations on the right. Woke means being aware of racial and social injustice so if you think that is wrong you are a scumbag, and if you hate socialism please never call for the fire department if your house burns down. They are provided by... drum roll... socialist methods 🙄. God I am sick of right wing f e ck w I t s.
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Most of us don't think like that, any more than most Americans are whatever stereotype you can come up with. Yet all countries have stereotypes, as you yourself are trying to portray! WE are NOT trying to straighten you out, we actually want to straighten ourselves out (and wish you would as well). This is just clickbait on Bored Panda and not worth getting your knickers in a knot about. I do get the anger and sorry the people you worked with were fools - clearly all were jobs that didn't require much in the way of foresight and intelligence 😏
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You must be saying 'end the monarchy' to older Brits. The trend in younger people, backed up by polls, is a preference to replace them with an elected head of state. Most people are okay about the Queen seeing it out, most of us have known nothing else, but then it drops off sharply when you start talking about Charles.
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Wow, okay. You have an interesting interpretation of this story. Not sure if your comment is actually helpful tbh, you seem kind of out of touch.
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All the people saying “well yeah, duh, it’s LA” are very much missing the point.
I know right! "Your first mistake was to see the horrific parts of the country and recognise that it exists. Just don't do that"
Load More Replies... I'm amazed that anyone is surprised that the US is a dystopian hellscape. The comment about "not in my backyard" is 100% correct. I once tried to open a large halfway house in a nice area (because they are always in the worst possible places) and people did indeed threaten to sue.
Really? Not so much. In fact it has always been a dream of mine to work on putting a homeless shelter together. I really don't care as far as locations... So that would make at least two of us. Definitely NOT 100% correct is it?
Load More Replies... America is like this. It's like a participation trophy and your parents telling you how special you are. We've been talking about how great we are not because it's true, but because we decide not to know better. We think other countries are backward because most have never been anywhere else and a lot of people don't realize how backward the states are. I think if more Americans really knew how better human rights are in other countries they deem "second class", and how those countries pity us, they'd be more embarrassed and motivated to fix our broken s**t. And this is NOT just LA. I've lived all across this country and traveled to many international one. America's issues are symptomatic of demonizing and criminalizing those who need help and favoring/celebrating the upper class. Our country is really broken and no one cares.
I don't believe in the participation trophy BS.. I do believe that is part of how America got to be how it is. But I believe that it taught people not to try. That they can slack off. Giving everyone a trophy would create a feeling of success where it didn't exist. Let me ask you, because as an American, I don't consider any other country "second class." What are you referring to? Who said this to you, or why did you ever get this in tour head?
Load More Replies... The middle and upper classes abandoned American cities in the 60s. It's called white flight. The majority of us don't care what happens in the downtown areas we just don't go there. We swoop in from the suburbs eat dinner, catch a game or a play, and swoop right back out again. Drugs, untreated mental illness, and inflated housing costs have wrecked America and we shuffle the losers in to dangerous tent cities and pat ourselves on the back because we gave old canned goods and $25 to the food bank. The cops we pretend to hate enforce unwritten rules that keep the homeless away from the nice safe areas. It's economic apartheid.
Do you fall in that majority? I dont... my word! So you hate America and don't try to help anyone. Got it. Sorry, but I don't fall in that camp. I think that all things have a workable solution, I don't make broad generalizations, and definitely don't look down on anyone with a mental health issue...
Load More Replies... About the most important article I've seen here. The bottom line the problem that causes every other problem is greed. Agreed also keeps other problems from ever being solved. And it truly is as simple as that.
I've visited the US for work over 20yrs. My experience (with a few exceptions on the NE seaboard) is they are more comparable to cities in rapidly developing nations such as Sao Paulo or Hanoi than anything you'll find in western Europe. Weirdly, its the smaller provincial towns that make more sense to me- they retain a certain frontier spirit and consequently some form of community (assuming you're the right colour and religion to be welcome). Which brings me to two related points. As a European I was never really prepared for the degree to which everything is politicised in the USA- even administrators at local government level seem to be talked about as being 'dem' or 'rep'. For now at least our european civil service is seen as largely impartial. And second, let's be honest, non-metropolitan USA is not generally a secular country. I've heard even educated friends use language which makes it very clear they expect society to be organised in a religious way.
In the 1980s Reagan closed the Mental Health Systems Act - that put a lot of people on the streets with mental illness. Things won't get better until as a country we take responsibility for this. https://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homeless_mental_illness/
You used a Salon article for a reference...you have to do better. There are so many more facets.
Load More Replies... I'm Canadian but lived on the Westside of LA for four years. It was a fantastic experience for me and my family. I agree that it can be quite shocking though - the disparity between haves and have nots. I find that the difference between Canadians and Americans can be characterized in this one anecdote. I was chatting with a neighbor that seemed quite reasonable and otherwise "normal", until we spoke about healthcare. He said to me with a completely straight face, as if he could not understand my point of view whatsoever, "why should I pay more taxes so a poor person can have free healthcare?" Clearly, the majority of voters feel this way, otherwise poor people WOULD have free healthcare, like most people on the planet do. It's sad to see how poor people have the deck stacked against them.
Oh man, come to Chicago next time, the homeless population here makes me so sad, especially when there’s plenty of places to add extra housing to, so many abandoned buildings, and with all the money illinois has, they could also easily house a good chunk of homeless folk.
Any major city in the US has a huge homeless problem. There are some that are worse, like LA or Chicago, but all of them have the problem and the same solution (except maybe NYC with the availability of empty housing).
Load More Replies... What happened? Regan was gov. Of California and emptied the mental health hospitals on to the streets, did away with most social programs for before and after school care and then did the same to the country plus worse as president.
Hmmm, so we can blame Reagan for all of our problems. No one else should hold any responsibility? That's a pretty lame assertion.
Load More Replies... Only a man would say that he felt more unsafe in LA than in Morocco. Shows how different it is travelling as a woman
Absolute bs. Morocco is fine for women solo travellers, as long as you’re taking all the usual precautions (same for most countries)
Load More Replies... There are places in Sweden I refuse to go to and I also feel extremely unsafe being out when it’s dark-live in Stockholm. This ties in with, what I thought was, common knowledge about all other countries in the world which have places one shouldn’t go to. Of all the 19 yrs I stayed in USA, it was in Los Angeles, and I never felt unsafe. Why? Because I didn’t have grandiose delusions of that I’d fare “well” strolling around downtown at night. Shouldn’t one study this before traveling? I LOVE Los Angeles! I grew up there. Americans taught me some manners I surely shouldn’t have had, had I stayed in Sweden. Have you guys seen the sh1t-show that’s going on in Sweden? All countries are bad but they’re also equally good-with what they have to offer. Don’t compare.
And yet its always as fascinating to read about how bad the “land of the free” really is
Load More Replies... To all of our friends abroad: Please PLEASE do not look at Los Angeles as the standard for life in the United States. We are a huge nation, and there is a vast diversity in cultural lifestyles here. Most of us out here also see LA as Koo-Koo Bananas town.
I don't think most of us do think Los Angeles = all US. We're all aware there are issues in the US but NOWHERE is perfect and we all despair of our own country's problems! I've never wanted to go to LA but I've enjoyed the parts of the US I have visited.
Load More Replies... It is kinda funny to see people here cry about the usa hate. It is very interesting to read about your dystopian country. The worst developed country in the world and its inhabitants think its the “land of the free”. It is hilarious!😂 yep downvote all you want.. you live in a dumpster just waiting to catch fire
California…LA is one city in the entire US and this tourist wrote off the whole country based off one city? That’s silly. California is notorious for its homeless and for doing nothing about it. My goodness where they’re from they likely have to deal with racism just because your accent isn’t local. Nowhere is perfect and it’s annoying when people feel the need to point out the obvious, the obvious we all are aware of. Guess what though? We have no control over fixing it. We can vote people in and what do they do? Nothing. The only thing we could do is overthrow the government and start over, but that isn’t going to happen either.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience while visiting the states. I’m from the Midwest (USA). I’ve travelled extensively internationally when I was younger and I’ve visited many states both east and west coast. I will say that my trip to San Fran a few years ago was shocking. I suppose I didn’t stay in the best part of town, according to friends, but was unable to walk across the street or to an Uber 3ft from the hotel without being accosted by an unhoused individual too high to understand where they were or what was happening. We live in a world that is deeply troubled and divided. No matter where you live, it’s only a matter of time until it reaches your doorstep or a friends. Your experience is not akin to the states, unfortunately. It’s a global issue. Also, next time you visit a new country, do your research. I can think of a million places in the U.S. to visit with much better views, people and experiences than Hollyhood and DTLA. Just my two cents 😉
I had exact the same thoughts when I went to Atlanta. It was really wtf moment, especially in the metro
I thought it was a good idea to go to LA for two weeks, in Hollywood. By myself. I work with homeless people back here in the Netherlands, but daaaayum, LA is a whole other level. On my 1st day, my Uber driver drove me thru Compton, Watts and Skid Row. Next day I drove thru Beverly Hills to get to the Getty Museum and I got so sad seeing the extremely different living conditions. LA is not my type of city. Luckily New York made a faaaar better impression. I heart NY!!!
If you have watched any news or documentaries you would not be shocked by LA. Most cities/downtowns are rough, have the most locations to help homeless, drug addicts, mental health so that's where people with those issues congregate. LA has long had issues, it's not a shock unless you romanticize a place and then get a good dose of real life. Maybe stop watching movies and believing the blitz.
I get what he is saying- but unless he traveled to multiple US locations throughout the country- both urban and rural- basing his perception of the US on his experience in one single city is unfair. It's like if I took a trip to Germany, only went to Berlin, and then said "nope- all of Germany is trash. I hate it" without giving the rest of Germany a chance.
LA doesn't represent all of America, but it's problems are common to all major US cities. LA isn't even among the top 10 most dangerous cities in America! (Forbes, 2022) How can a country with so much wealth have such staggering problems with homelessness, violent crime, untreated mental illness, etc.? The OP is exactly right to ask these questions. For the answers, start by looking at how quickly we Americans rush to defend such atrocious inequality.
Load More Replies... LA is not representative of the USA. Almost everyone knows California cities (ESPECIALLY LA) are different from other USA cities!
This guy saw ONE city out of thousands and thousands. How dare he think the entire country is like that and think he is qualified to judge us. He needs to zip it.
Most major cities in America are going to have sections best left alone, they're going to have homelessness, drug use, etc. Even many smaller cities & towns have the same problems. But most are not as bad as LA. I'm in Houston, TX. Landmass wise, we are the largest city in the country, but only 4th or 5th by population. We have the same issues LA does, but less people and they are more spread out. Big cities like Houston, NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia etc much cleaner overall than LA,we are far from perfect. But we all have areas & attractions & culture we love to share. Unfortunately downtown LA is a rather poor example of that area. Next time you might consider calling a city's or state's tourism bureau. They can recommend areas to visit & avoid.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums camp, sh!t, p**s, sleep and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beach.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums camp, sleep, sh!t, p**s and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beaches.
Lived in LA for 40 years. It is currently in the worst shape it has ever been in and will only get worse. The Bums (not homeless) are everywhere. Not just DTLA. Unless you live in a bubble district like Pacific Palisades, Brentwood or Manhattan Beach. The author is spot on. It is very dystopian. My advice to Europeans do not waste your time or money. LA beaches are not "Baywatch". Many bums not camp, sleep and shoot up on Venice and Santa Monica beach. Never go in the filthy c
NYC does not have a decrepit "city center" though... I mean don't get me wrong, we have a homeless problem too, but there is no part of Manhattan that compares to Downtown LA.
Same. I think most people are. Yet BP keeps doing it. You'd think they'd take notice of their audience getting p i s s e d off about it each time! Even those of us who are not from the US. So it must mean that it's popular in some way or gets more clicks or something. It would be better if every post that is about the bad side of the US got ignored by us all... but we don't and I can't see that happening unfortunately🤷
Load More Replies... Yeah, sure, it is the 'extreme left' and 'woke' causing the problems... you sound politically very stupid. There isn't much that is 'left' in the US just variations on the right. Woke means being aware of racial and social injustice so if you think that is wrong you are a scumbag, and if you hate socialism please never call for the fire department if your house burns down. They are provided by... drum roll... socialist methods 🙄. God I am sick of right wing f e ck w I t s.
Load More Replies... Most of us don't think like that, any more than most Americans are whatever stereotype you can come up with. Yet all countries have stereotypes, as you yourself are trying to portray! WE are NOT trying to straighten you out, we actually want to straighten ourselves out (and wish you would as well). This is just clickbait on Bored Panda and not worth getting your knickers in a knot about. I do get the anger and sorry the people you worked with were fools - clearly all were jobs that didn't require much in the way of foresight and intelligence 😏
Load More Replies... You must be saying 'end the monarchy' to older Brits. The trend in younger people, backed up by polls, is a preference to replace them with an elected head of state. Most people are okay about the Queen seeing it out, most of us have known nothing else, but then it drops off sharply when you start talking about Charles.
Load More Replies... Wow, okay. You have an interesting interpretation of this story. Not sure if your comment is actually helpful tbh, you seem kind of out of touch.
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