santee alley

A new one from Corridor Digital:

My Unarmed In Downtown L.A. Rant:

The start of the video might be (probably is) filmed in and around Santee Alley in L.A..  When I was there a few years ago we heard it was neat so we went and checked it out.  I HATE places like that… knockoffs, cheap garbage, bartering, wall to wall people… my worst nightmare.  Not to mention the fact I went into Starbucks to get an iced coffee with plans to use the bathroom, and the lineup was too big so I decided to forgo the iced coffee and just use the bathroom and bounce.  Unsurprisingly (because were’re talking downtown L.A.) the bathroom was locked up like Fort Knox and when I asked for the key they told me I had to buy something.  The barista told me there was a free bathroom across the street inside a building, down a hall etc.. so I went on a mission to find it.  My mission takes me inside this building with more Santee Alley style crap, but mostly fabrics in this case… I take a left down the one hall she talked about.  My spidey sense is tingling because the hallway is very long poorly lit, has lots of little doors off of it… generally pretty shady looking.  One of the doors opens behind me as I walk past, I turn around and some late 20s looking gangbanger type steps out and starts eyeing me.  Instantly he’s on his blackberry typing something (texting I assume) while watching me.  I see a sign at the end of the hall that says “Bathroom –this way–> $1”.   I was incredibly uncomfortable at this point not only because I had to pee, but I also felt like I was walking into some sort of setup to get my ass kicked.  I aborted the mission, turned around walked right past gangbanger and maintained eye contact while he grinned at me, a grin as If I was about to get jumped.  After what seems like an eternity I make it back out onto the street and get the hell out of there.  Was the Starbucks barista in on some sort of setup for tourists to get robbed?  I’ll never know.

I know what your thinking; “cool story bro” haha

Anyone else ever been in a potential “situation” like that? Ever experienced Santee Alley?  Points if you’ve been to NYC Canal St., basically similar crap on a larger scale.

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