| In this feature, the Club introduces you to people you see every day, but you might not know who they are. The Club reminds you that we all have names and stories to tell. |
They raised the rent. He’s living in an RV. Here’s his story.
Hometown: Burbank.
Family: “I was raised by my grandparents. My mom didn’t have the means to raise a kid. I got a lot of my morals from them.”
Friends: “I knew pretty early on that a lot of the people who were my friends really weren’t. They were more like acquaintances. After high school, everyone drifts apart.”
Story to the Street: “I didn’t even get to finish high school. I ended up having to go to an adult school so that I could work and pay rent. I got an apartment and I was working and going to night classes. But they ended up kicking me out before I could finish my class. That was only after a couple of days. They said I smelled like weed.
“About six months ago I lost my apartment. I was staying over on Balboa, and the dude we were renting from raised the rent too high, and I couldn’t afford it.
“And then it was too far for me to commute, so I’d end up showing up too late [for work] too many times, and eventually I just had to go.”
What Would Help: “When you live in an RV, there are not very many places you can park it and live out of it. Everyone’s main concern when they’re parked somewhere is the cops showing up, and everyone’s terrified of the cops for some reason. Maybe some understanding would be nice.
“It’s nice here. The other night we all had dinner together.”
Favorite Place in LA: “The Wisdom Tree in Griffith Park, over by the Griffith Observatory. You get a 360-degree view of LA County. I like nature – you can’t not like it.”
In Five Years: “Well, that depends on whether you want me to be optimistic or pessimistic. Optimistic? Working, in a house.”
Advice for everyday people: “Hardships build character. The struggles you go through define who you are in the end. If you struggle, you’ll be quite the character.”
There’s a lot more to this interview online at: youtube.com/cityemployeesclub
The interview, conducted by guest interviewer Shawn Dworkin, took place last October across from Woodley Park.
See This Interview on YouTube
The Club posts our “People We See” video interviews online. See them on the Club’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/cityemployeesclub
