Saturday, March 19, 2011

LA Noir: Pete the Drug Dealer and A Naked Guy

Happenings on the LA Buses

So I was sitting on the subway the other night, chatting with Diego, who works at Universal Studios.  Diego got off at 7th Street and another kid sat down.  I glanced over and he started motioning for me to lean over, like he wanted to whisper something.  Umm...okay no.  I don't know you.  But he leaned forward anyway, "hey, I got some kush for sale."  Oh haha.  No, I'm good.  Then the best part happened.  See this guy was totally spaced and his pupils were HUGE!  He leaned back and sat a little awkwardly...and the rest went something like this:

Drug Dealer: "So what are you doing Friday night?"
Me: ...pause..."Oh, well, you know, I have finals next week, so I should probably study."
DD: "Oh yeah. So, uh, you go to that school down on Alameda?"
Me: "No, I'm at UCLA."
DD: "Oh, that one down on Alameda?"
Me: "Uh, no it's out by Santa Monica."
DD: "Oh yeah I think I heard of that."
Me: ...

Then the DD jumps up as his stop approaches.  And stares at me, deer caught in the headlights style with his huge pupils.  And he yells:

DD: "Hey you didn't take my number" - and he told me his number so slowly and deliberately, like I didn't speak English well and he was struggling with coherent thought -
        "it's 3 - 2 - 3 - 6 - 8 - 5 - xxxx.  And my names Pete!"

Then he literally ran off the train.  Thanks Pete.  Thanks, you just made my night a bit better.


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Just a few days later I had a pretty early final.  Walking through Westwood, the streets were mostly deserted.  I got up near campus and was stopped waiting to cross a street; a motorcycle cop was driving by.  And there was this man on the other side of the street, he looked a bit down-and-out.  As the cop drove past him, the man started banging his chest with his fists and yelling at him.  In like 3 seconds flat, the cop had his bike parked and his night stick whipped out.  The man's response was even faster, in 2 seconds he had taken off all his clothes, spread his arms and legs and leaned face forward against the brick wall.  And there I was just watching this entire sequence play out.  No one else was there, just me, the cop and the now naked guy.

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