Most of the content I that publish is based on my observations; I can only go as far as my knowledge can take me. To be honest, I’m skeptical about sharing details on this next story, but I sense there are aspects of the narrative that need to be told. Even though I'm apprehensive, I will record it to the best of my abilities. I hope that this entry raises caution and awareness, as being a witness has done so for me. With all of that Said: Viewer Discretion is advised.
For those who don't know, I prefer taking public transit as often as it is convenient, so I can save money on maintaining my car and leave a smaller carbon footprint. During the week I’d park & ride at the station nearest our house, as they have an open lot. Many commuters pass through this station to ride the Gold Line train or catch the bus, so it’s usually crowded in the morning. It's common to see the same cars every day as it is easily accessible to the neighborhood. I will often see cars that I recognize, but never cross paths with their riders; that’s just how it goes.
(08/08/19): I noticed a vehicle that had been sitting in the station parking over the last few days of the week. My first thought, maybe the driver got lucky and landed a good spot a few days in a row. The more I payed attention, the more my doubt would grow. I had never seen this car before, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. The vehicle was filthy; spotted by the rain and dried up in a desert storm. It had some logo on the side “Get Around” - I wondered if it was someone’s ride share vehicle. Some part of me said, “that's none of your business, just go.”
There are signs around this station stating “72-hour limit” for overnight parking. I don’t know how authorities regulate this, as I don’t see security cameras anywhere in the lot. I know that Police officers will occasionally visit the station and stay posted - I assume this is for Metro safety and surveillance purposes. Personally, I wouldn’t trust parking my car in the lot overnight. If it’s easily accessible, it can be just as vulnerable. So I told myself if I saw that car again after the weekend passed, I’d call Metro about it.
(08/12/19): Monday Morning came and it was time to catch the train to work again. Whenever schools starts another semester, the station starts filling up earlier in the morning. I arrived around 7:45AM and the lot was nearly at capacity. Low and behold, the Get Around was still parked against the wall. So I called transit authority with no delay. An officer picked up and I explained the situation. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to file a report; I provided some location details to start. When it came time to inspect the lot, I stepped outside of my car to look more closely.
“Can you describe the vehicle to me?”
“Let me see: It’s a silver Ford, it looks like the rear right passenger window has been broken in. The car is very dirty and no one else is parked near it ... I’ll walk around to see the other side and- Oh My God! There’s someone in the drivers seat. They’re leaned back in the seat and their mouth is gaping; I can’t tell if the person is alive or breathing. I don’t know if they’re just sleeping or unconscious? I know that this car has been sitting in the lot for the past few days; I don’t know if they have been living inside it! I don’t see anyone else here at this time. I'm going to stop looking this way now...”
“It's Okay, that's perfectly Fine. Thank You reporting this; I’ll send someone over there right away.”
To be honest, I don’t know that anyone was actually “there” anymore. The body looked exhausted, dehydrated, sunburnt against the driver seat. My inner voice said: “Holy Shit, this guy looks done.” When I saw them there at the wheel, something in my stomach twisted and turned - the pain was so abrupt, it pierced my core. I’ve never felt shocked like that. I couldn’t face it anymore, even with the Officer on the phone - They told me I didn’t have to do anything else. I no longer felt safe in the lot, so I drove off to work.
That same day in the office, I thought about the person in the Get Around. I don’t know if anyone else noticed until it was too late. I don’t know if anyone saw, or tried to do anything over the weekend, but I know that’s out of my control. I’m glad I called the authorities, but I felt like I should have acted sooner. What do you tell the relatives when one of their familiars has been found like that? Virtually abandoned, presumably until death. I cannot say whether they were alive or not, but no one was present. Just like that, the truth came out altogether.
One week has passed since this series of events and I’m still taking some time to think about it. During the time that I started noticing this, I felt like I might have been the only one seeing it. I’m sure there are pieces of the puzzle that may never surface, but I realize I might be one of the few people willing to talk about it. Metro’s slogan for suspicious activity goes, “See Something, Say Something.” I did the best using my own judgement and that’s all I can say for myself.
- - - - -
This took place in my neighborhood of Montecito Heights / Lincoln Heights - Los Angeles CA.
For those who don't know, I prefer taking public transit as often as it is convenient, so I can save money on maintaining my car and leave a smaller carbon footprint. During the week I’d park & ride at the station nearest our house, as they have an open lot. Many commuters pass through this station to ride the Gold Line train or catch the bus, so it’s usually crowded in the morning. It's common to see the same cars every day as it is easily accessible to the neighborhood. I will often see cars that I recognize, but never cross paths with their riders; that’s just how it goes.
(08/08/19): I noticed a vehicle that had been sitting in the station parking over the last few days of the week. My first thought, maybe the driver got lucky and landed a good spot a few days in a row. The more I payed attention, the more my doubt would grow. I had never seen this car before, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. The vehicle was filthy; spotted by the rain and dried up in a desert storm. It had some logo on the side “Get Around” - I wondered if it was someone’s ride share vehicle. Some part of me said, “that's none of your business, just go.”
There are signs around this station stating “72-hour limit” for overnight parking. I don’t know how authorities regulate this, as I don’t see security cameras anywhere in the lot. I know that Police officers will occasionally visit the station and stay posted - I assume this is for Metro safety and surveillance purposes. Personally, I wouldn’t trust parking my car in the lot overnight. If it’s easily accessible, it can be just as vulnerable. So I told myself if I saw that car again after the weekend passed, I’d call Metro about it.
(08/12/19): Monday Morning came and it was time to catch the train to work again. Whenever schools starts another semester, the station starts filling up earlier in the morning. I arrived around 7:45AM and the lot was nearly at capacity. Low and behold, the Get Around was still parked against the wall. So I called transit authority with no delay. An officer picked up and I explained the situation. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to file a report; I provided some location details to start. When it came time to inspect the lot, I stepped outside of my car to look more closely.
“Can you describe the vehicle to me?”
“Let me see: It’s a silver Ford, it looks like the rear right passenger window has been broken in. The car is very dirty and no one else is parked near it ... I’ll walk around to see the other side and- Oh My God! There’s someone in the drivers seat. They’re leaned back in the seat and their mouth is gaping; I can’t tell if the person is alive or breathing. I don’t know if they’re just sleeping or unconscious? I know that this car has been sitting in the lot for the past few days; I don’t know if they have been living inside it! I don’t see anyone else here at this time. I'm going to stop looking this way now...”
“It's Okay, that's perfectly Fine. Thank You reporting this; I’ll send someone over there right away.”
To be honest, I don’t know that anyone was actually “there” anymore. The body looked exhausted, dehydrated, sunburnt against the driver seat. My inner voice said: “Holy Shit, this guy looks done.” When I saw them there at the wheel, something in my stomach twisted and turned - the pain was so abrupt, it pierced my core. I’ve never felt shocked like that. I couldn’t face it anymore, even with the Officer on the phone - They told me I didn’t have to do anything else. I no longer felt safe in the lot, so I drove off to work.
That same day in the office, I thought about the person in the Get Around. I don’t know if anyone else noticed until it was too late. I don’t know if anyone saw, or tried to do anything over the weekend, but I know that’s out of my control. I’m glad I called the authorities, but I felt like I should have acted sooner. What do you tell the relatives when one of their familiars has been found like that? Virtually abandoned, presumably until death. I cannot say whether they were alive or not, but no one was present. Just like that, the truth came out altogether.
One week has passed since this series of events and I’m still taking some time to think about it. During the time that I started noticing this, I felt like I might have been the only one seeing it. I’m sure there are pieces of the puzzle that may never surface, but I realize I might be one of the few people willing to talk about it. Metro’s slogan for suspicious activity goes, “See Something, Say Something.” I did the best using my own judgement and that’s all I can say for myself.
- - - - -
This took place in my neighborhood of Montecito Heights / Lincoln Heights - Los Angeles CA.
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