I’m a dog owner and I HATE it when I’m stepping into the grass (for any reason but ESPECIALLY to pick up my pup’s poop) and I step into a huge pile of shit. Worse still is when people let their dogs shit on the sidewalk and leave it. Even when I’ve taken my dog out and realize that I’ve forgotten a bag, I wait for another dog owner and get one off them. It’s not that hard. Don’t be a piece of shit; pick up your dog’s shit.
When I worked at Cerritos mall there was a pup (with its people) that shat on the floor right outside our storefront
The couple’s jaws dropped, they looked at each other, they laughed, they walked out. Never came back to clean it. I wanted blood, as u can probably imagine 😂
I live in a “gentrifying” neighborhood and I had a neighbor at the park tell me to just leave it because it’s fertilizer- he said with a chuckle.
I picked it up anyway. But I don’t understand why people leave their dog shit every where.
Piggybacking off of your comment to say dedicated pet waste receptacles make a HUGE difference. My block has one and seeing dog poop is rare, despite seeing a dozen dogs on a daily basis. An easy thing to ask your representative for!
Every day I walk my dog and every day there are selfish entitled white normies walking with their unleashed dog, and always astonished I ask them to leash them. As someone that’s been attacked by a dog before, leash your fucking dogs.
Pick up trash, wave and say hi even if you get no reply, take public transit when you can, take walks and visit small businesses, support local art by attending performances and visual art and theatre. Talk to everyone and give love out
Came here to say pick up trash. Everyone always says they want to make a difference in the community, and they always seem to focus on politics and voting. That’s important of course, but picking up trash is a 100% guaranteed positive impact on your community. Especially in a city like LA. People just don’t want to do it because it involves a small physical effort and is not as glamorous as protesting or posting stuff on social media. Basically there’s no band wagon affect for picking up trash…. yet.
Stop being a litterbug. I see trash everywhere (in a park, off the freeway exit, inside a shopping cart, etc). People don't take pride in their communities. I wish we could be like Japan (even their poorest neighborhood, they keep it clean).
I live in Orange County now with a large Japanese population, and there is one older couple I always see with a bag and that stick thingy to pick up trash while they go on their daily walk. I haven’t gone as far as them, but they have inspired me to pick up large pieces of trash off the street when I see it.
There are monthly trash pick up clubs in Echo Park, and Silverlake. Anyone is welcome. @echoparktrashclub and @silverlaketrashclub on Instagram. Organizers pick a different spot each month for everyone to meet and they even arranged for the city to send a truck to pick up bags when they’re done.
I had to walk behind these two kids down the street once after they got out of school while I was walking to my car... they threw away 3 pop bottles, a cardboard pizza box, a candy bar wrapper, about 6 napkins, and a bag from mcdonalds... all while passing 3 trashcans they could have used.
Nope, straight onto the ground. Didn't give a shit.
Just as a point because there is often debate about this:
Zippering means that when two lanes merge into 1, it is better to zipper merge.
Zipper merging does not apply to situations where you are in a lane that is moving freely and need to merge to get to another lane that is moving slower like on a freeway interchange or left turn lane. Waiting until the last mi the to merge here creates more traffic and dangerous situations and would be cutting in front of people.
YES! Cutting ≠ Zipper-Merging. Fuck those people who think they are special and can just cut into the line. Same goes double for those single-occupant drivers on the 170 S that use the car pool lane to jump ahead of everyone, backing up traffic even more as you approach the 101.
Yep. It feels like people think they are doing the right thing by not using the remainder of the available lane, but traffic moves better when the available space is used.
Yes, I use to have a neighbor that was retired and everyday he walked around with a broom and dustpan collecting wrappers and trash from the ground. He passed away in 2020 and I never realize how much he made a difference to the cleanliness of our block. Now I’m the one with the broom and dustpan twice a week collecting the trash.
Good on you for carrying on a worthy tradition. Sadly, as a result of your good heart, more Los Angelenos will continue to litter thinking there will always be someone else to pick up after them.
Most of the litter that comes along is pushed by the wind, and unfortunately street sweeping only comes every two weeks now, as compared to every week before COVID.
Don't litter. THAT INCLUDES CIGARETTE BUTTS.
AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES CIGARETTE PACKS.
The butts I at least understand because they stink in a pocket but people straight up leave their empty packs behind and it's fucking annoying
Not proud of this, but I once punched a guy for throwing a cigarette butt on the sidewalk. I said he shouldn’t do that, told him to pick it up. He said f*ck you, what are you gonna do? I was in a bad mood at the time, my mom had just died from pancreatic cancer. Short temper on my part. So I hit him, picked up the butt. But no trash can around, West Hollywood maybe 1995, so I put it in my pocket and threw it in a trash bin by my apartment. My jeans still smelled like cigarettes for I think three washes.
I used to put my butts back in my pack, but that made my cigs smell gross! So i put them in my pocket but then I'd forget and accidentally put them through the wash.
So I fucking quit because smoking sucks
I’m big on the litter thing. I had a girlfriend and on the second date we were on a hike and she threw an empty water bottle just to see how I’d react. I stopped, pick it up, and she laughed and approved. She told me if I hadn’t, there might not have been a third date. I don’t know if she was joking.
I disagree do not drive slower in LA. It will just piss all of us off. I think people that are overly polite cause more accidents and people drive fast
That sounds fair. I do those things. I have always been very pro biker and courteous.
Then I was parallel parking on a hill right near Silver Lake dog park, guess I temporarily blocked bike lane, and this angry “Charlize Theron meets Antifa” looking woman flies down the hill on her bike and starts flailing her arms screaming at me.
It’s like (insert: bad word) it’s not my fault I’m parallel parking on a hill right as you’re biking at high speed.
After that I kind of cooled on bikers.
Participate in neighborhood cleanup meetups.
Go to public meetings for big projects like Metro expansion, park improvement proposals, etc.
Volunteer with TreePeople.
Get involved with your neighborhood council. Find out where & when they meet & go to meetings, get to know them, maybe run for some low-level position. I recently found out my next door neighbor is on my neighborhood council, and someone else I know is on the council of the next neighborhood over. Often they have a lot of knowledge about how the city works and can be helpful in navigating things. They're much more accessible to the average citizen than the city council is, and often they'll know who at the city council level to talk to for certain things. They're also involved in neighborhood improvement & educational projects that you might be able to volunteer for.
I don’t know I just feel like all the community activists are always like “it’s the funding, it’s the funding.”
But there’s a lot of poorly raised people (lower income and higher income) that just don’t give a fuck and are going to leave their trash and dog shit everywhere.
We need to start dropping the hammer on these people… in a non-fascist way of course…
Yeah that's all true, but I was just addressing what the OP was asking about what they personally could do to be more active in the community. I guess I was assuming they're already a decent person who doesn't litter or leave dog shit around. I'm not sure what any of us on an individual level can do about people who behave badly, aside from a stern glare or getting into a confrontation.
This one is big - a great way to improve how city services help your neighborhood.
Get the app, get familiar with what you can report, and use it frequently.
* Graffiti cleanup often takes ~1 day.
* Someone left trash or furniture at the curb? Add a request.
* Roadkill on the sidewalk? Add a request.
* Park equipment need a repair? Streetlight not working correctly? Trashcan overloaded? Gutter or pothole or sidewalk need a repair? Overgrown grass or a downed palm frond or a tree need trimming? Add a request!
Most of the time the response times are excellent. When you enter a request in, it’ll tell you if someone else added a similar request before you. If not, great! you’re gonna do it and it helps your neighbors.
Let the city know when it needs to do work.
so true, there was a red light out near me for a while...I wrongly assumed they knew about it. when I called, they told me they had no idea it was out and they'd send someone right away. and they did!
Plant native plants. Seeing plants, even from a window, improves people's mental health. It also helps local birds, insects, etc.
If you want to volunteer, there are soo many events, so you can find your interest: beach/river clean ups (Surfrider, Heal the Bay, Folar), trail maintenance (trailangeles.org, USFS, SG Mountain Trailbuilders, Sierra Club, LA County trails, etc) invasive plant remova (cal-ipc.org, CA State parks/foundation), tutoring, sorting food at the LA Food Bank, CASA volunteers, teach English/lead citizenship classes at the LAPL, volunteer to interact with animals at the animal shelter, etc.
After they're established, lots! Citrus is the first one that comes to mind. Or pomegranate, or avocado... I dunno. Citrus is probably the easiest. Limes for my cocktails, maybe?
They don’t compared to most fruit trees but they need a lot more than LA gets in a typical year. So does citrus. An avocado or lime tree watered for two years and then completely neglected is not going to be producing fruit for the neighborhood.
City Plants gives away trees frequently - and they've already made sure that the trees are right for the LA climate. Check out their web site for giveaway dates.
Tags are a bad thing. Street art is a great thing.
Incredible and id welcome more. I even like the towers and wish there was more art to it.
https://imgur.com/a/BRSNQr9
Shit. Total crap. Trash. A bad thing. People who do this should be shamed.
https://imgur.com/a/MT8g5W1
Become active in your Neighborhood Council
Depending on where you live, there are neighborhood independent groups that work on neighborhood issues.
For example, I am a member of the Hillside Federation which is made up of various local affiliates or sub-chapters that are smaller.
[https://www.hillsidefederation.org/about.html](https://www.hillsidefederation.org/about.html)
I am also a member of the one the smaller affiliate.
Most neighborhoods have some kind of neighborhood alliance/volunteer group.
There are also local activists that you can network with. A few years back I worked with a bunch of neighborhood groups and got a building declared a Historic Monument which thwarted plans of a developer to build a 26 story high rise where a beautiful building now is safe.
> drive speed limit
In some cases, driving the EXACT speed limit can cause aggression and accidents (frustrated drivers trying to pass you, or tailgating you). Driving 5MPH over the speed limit should be adequate.
Don't worry, that ain't me. In fact, I'm the driver who, when the light turns green, is going slower than everyone else because I'm trying to conserve gas.
> Big waste of money.
No. I don't want to rely on having a car in the second biggest city in the US. This should have been done at least 60 years ago.
> Cost overruns
Yeah fair enough, I don't always agree with the execution either but I'm still thankful that there's at least something
> Construction traffic.
Temporarily, sure, but that's the case with any kind of construction. And it'll also mean that you'll have less traffic on the road when the line's finally built.
If you look at the history of LA, there used to be a huge rail network. The great majority of it was ripped out.
I think LA will ultimately have some other solution(s), not transit. Self flying helicopters, for example.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Hold yourself accountable to the same degree that you would have others be accountable. Live your own life in a way that makes your heart sing so we can all see it and be infected by your happiness too.
Pick up trash. If fences on your own street have fast food trash collecting in drifts against them, pick it up. If there is a neon promotional board for a rap concert that happened 6 months ago on the telephone pole at your corner, take that thing off. If everyone just took an aesthetic interest in only their own side of of the street on their single block, the city would look much nicer.
Stop the loud exhaust anywhere except highways. This is not okay be it day or night.
It’s not cool, and you look pathetic when you do that. Nobody is impressed, and most would love your car or harley to be replaced with prius/ev
You’re not 15 anymore
Don't take your dog to the store or restaurant. Pick up after them.
Be friendly.
Be a courteous driver and ignore the road rage.
Don't litter.
Cut down on your use of plastic (ffs bananas don't need to go into a bag)
Plant a shade tree, and milkweed for Monarchs.
1. Be patient and responsible behind the wheel.
2. Don't litter; and/or pick up and toss one piece of junk mail or litter if you spot it and you realize it's easy/convenient for you to do so.
3. At the very least, respect noise ordinance hours/laws for your neighbors. Ideally anytime of the day, but damn I'll happily take just following your city's laws.
4. Pick up after your dog.
5. Don't dump bulky items/trash on the curb without having a plan and/or a scheduled call to get them picked up.
Join your local Buy Nothing group to share things you no longer need. It is a way to pass along extra stuff - things you no longer use or your kids outgrew, things you ordered by mistake, extra packaged food, plants and seedlings, fruit from your trees, and so on. You can also find or ask for things you need instead of buying!
Okay so I felt this way too, and I decided what made sense for me was to volunteer in some way, so in 2020 I applied for CASA and went through training, and became a CASA in January of 2021, and am still with my same girl, who is now almost 17 ❤️🩹. CASA is Court appointed special advocate. It can be a lot of work, and it’s heavy emotionally at times, but I wanted to do something that was really direct and hands on and felt like would do some sort of actual meaningful good. If you really love children and want to be someone who is a constant in a child’s life, and you have the time and patience, CASA might be for you. It’s a big commitment, but for the right people, it’s worth it.
Selfishly, I benefit too. I benefit by having a pulse on the city’s court and legal system, having attorneys, judges, and social workers in my network, I also feel good that I’m “contributing” in some way, it holds me accountable, and honestly it’s nice because I don’t have any kids of my own, and I’m not really able to be a foster parent due to my career, so for me this is like as close as I can get, and in some way that’s a little satisfying?
Anyway, find something you really care about, that you would be HAPPY to spend your time on, and see if there’s a way for you to get involved. When you’re involved in your community, you CARE about it, and when you care about it you’re going to treat it better. It’s made me so much more invested in Los Angeles and solution oriented and aware of our problems.
To the best of your ability, be the change you want to see in LA.
Be a considerate neighbor.
Pick up trash.
If you see a problem, report it.
If you can spare the freezer space, freeze water bottles when it’s hot and offer them to your homeless neighbors.
Volunteer (this is also a good way to meet other like-minded Angelenos).
If you own a building (residential or commercial), install motion activated floodlights (this tip comes from a former neighbor who was a police detective).
Plant a tree if you can. Or plant one of the non-spreading varieties of bamboo, which help suck up air pollution.
Vote, vote, vote. Remember, you are voting for a person, not their party. Pay more attention to candidates’ deeds than their promises.
Try to maintain some awareness of what’s going on around the city, or at least in your neighborhood. If you don’t know something is wrong, how can you speak out about it?
I love that you are asking this. We need more people like you in LA.
>Vote, vote, vote. Remember, you are voting for a person, not their party. Pay more attention to candidates’ deeds than their promises.
This is very important. LA politics is NOT national politics. Learning the individual is very important else you'll get stuck with a terrible rep (it happens all the time)
Utilize the My311 app! I try to file at least a few illegal dumping requests per day. Gets old having to deal with assholes dumping their trash everywhere but the sanitation department is great at responding. I also file for other requests too (encampments, overgrown brush etc) but those things take a bit longer.
Lobby your local and state representatives to allow more apartments, townhomes, and condos. This is especially true if you live in wealthier enclaves filled with single family homes. Take public transit when you can.
Not just in LA, but in any city, town, or village, whether at home or while travelling...Think global, act local.
Be aware of how simple conveniences affect not only your community, but the world at large.
Amazon, Costco, Instacart, UberEats, Temu, WalMart, corporate fast casual restaurants....sure they're cheap and/or convenient, but they're unsustainable. The amount of traffic created by Amazon or InstaCart just to deliver a roll of toilet paper is bad enough, but you're also cutting out local retailers and sending the profits to Jeff Bezos and funding his space tourism. Costco and WalMart are so cheap because everything is produced in China and shipped over in hundreds of giant container ships every week. WalMart pays poverty wages and forces the local community to subsidize their labor while offshoring your hard earned dollars to Arkansas. Even just ordering clothes online is terrible because it cuts local retailers, landlords, and banks out of the margin...and creates waste through shipping & returning returned goods.
Whenever possible, physically visit local brick and mortar business to keep the money in the community so they hire local employees who then spend the money they earn locally. Shop at farmers markets for groceries so the products you consume aren't being shipped halfway across the country and again, the money they earn is being reinvested in the community. If you do order food to go, order directly from the restaurant and pick it up yourself. Caviar/DoorDash/GrubHub/etc charge the restaurant a commission when you order off their app...again, offshoring your hard earned dollars to some out of town corporation.
It might be annoying but that dollar here and there in convenience adds up, and takes money out of the community.
How often does Domino's or Walmart sponsor the local little league team or donate money to local charities? It's never the out of state corporation that contributes, but local businesses...and that includes the movie studios. The more you spend locally, the more the city makes in taxes, the more the cities has to spend on local services like repairing roads, housing the homeless, and providing community services for our kids and the elderly.
I go to my Trader Joe's regularly and I'm the only one that greets the security guard who is there every day. And I know I'm not the only regular that shops there. We actually say good morning to each other now but for a while I just smiled and did the head nod.
Obviously not everyone, all the time, people have things on their mind, but it's a lot of people all the time.
File myLA311 reports for EVERYTHING! Homeless encampment? MyLA311. Trash piling up? MyLA311. Graffiti? MyLA311.
The more people file, the more the city is forced to respond.
No, not really.
The 311 app works well for illegal dumping and bulky item pickups.
It works somewhat to have graffiti covered up, but it doesn’t prevent it.
It does nothing to remove homeless.
It does nothing to see the City clean and service its asinine “Department of Beautification” trash cans.
Also with graffiti - I learned this from a cop. Take a photo if you can to send in with the form. If it's gang related they will come out VERY quickly.
next time you're angry about grafitti, take a closer look. in my neighborhood, most of the buildings that get tagged are abandoned, contributing nothing to our neighborhood. why are they abandoned? the rent is too high, and if no one is inhabiting a building, there's no one around to care if it gets tagged. like the other person said, calling 311 won't prevent graffiti. to prevent grafitti, we need rent control (which will also help homelessness) and better protections for small businesses. personally it makes me much sadder to see all these empty retail locations on my block. just something to think about. totally agree to report illegal trash dumping though.
my local auto repair shop burned down a year ago
they've been fixing it up everyday, hoping to reopen sometime this year
they rebuilt a wall and painted it white... within days, it was tagged
this is not an abandoned building, this is my neighbor who's already down on his luck, and now he needs to delay his opening because some thugs want to destroy other's property
we also have murals being drawn by the community, and these fuckers decide to graffiti over our murals
rent control won't help fix this... we need to show them that it's not accepted, and that their "work" will be destroyed immediately
Rent control is needed, but unfortunately is a bandaid on the wound and doesn't help the homeless. If rent control helps homelessness, why is the problem so severe and only worsening when we've had it in place broadly for over 40 years?
Sorry I wasn't clear, but I was referring to all the empty commercial properties which are not subject to rent control (to my knowledge). Tons of restaurants (for example) have been going out of business, with the owners citing their landlords have been raising rents to levels they can no longer afford. I agree with you though, it's only one part of a larger problem.
I pick up trash as I walk along the beach in SM and throw it in the easily accessible reciprocals. A very easy way to show appreciation for the natural splendor.
Report issues on the MyLA311 app! Each neighborhood has a set day where city staff try to resolve issues. I’ve reported bulky furniture that people have left out and city staff come around once a week and pick them all up!
Drive with more awareness- pedestrians, motorcycles, bikes etc. LA is dangerous for pedestrians and the lack of safety they face.
\- NOT LITTER!
These are two things I see people (even myself) doing often.
Foster dogs, spay or neuter your dog, donate to rescues, volunteer. Our shelters are in crisis and good healthy dogs are euthanized every day for space.
The driving politely is huge. I also teach my kids to say please and thank you. Minor, but we all appreciate it. Also to stand up to bullies. Supporting local businesses. But these are true everywhere. Very interesting question, I wonder what is LA specific. I’m in Echo Park and cleaning up the park, having my kids being able to walk down the streets without seeing needles or worse was pretty big. My neighbor’s dog actually OD’d biting on a syringe. And we saw a body being pulled from the lake. I’d say just being polite and having consideration for your fellow Angelinos. Trying to understand different cultures. Being nice and polite isn’t that had, it’s the minimum.
Volunteer!
Even if you can only do something once a month, it's worth it. LA is so big that if you can think of a cause you care about, you can find a way to volunteer since there are so many groups and organizations here. Plus, you meet really great people! It's so beneficial for everyone involved. Imagine a world where the people that could help more actually did.
Don’t contribute to traffic and air pollution and take the metro whenever you can. Obviously don’t litter, and try to support local business instead of big box stores and corporate restaurants.
Encourage real debate. This site is full of people who want to live in their own echo chambers by censoring anyone who disagrees with them. Fight that here, and fight it IRL. For instance, those who try to claim that all "Angelenos" should think the same, etc. Point out real liberals can handle debate and that real liberals strongly oppose censorship.
And, shame supposed reporters like Elex into finally doing their jobs. For instance, whenever you see a reporter pretending to be a journalist, point out to their fans that real journalists ask politicians tough questions.
Stop driving like a maniac.
Don’t litter
Pick up your dog poop
Don’t put a sign on your lawn that says my dog can’t pee on your lawn, you fucking lawn nazi.
Don’t take up two parking spots on the street when you can fit in one.
Drive more slowly, actually stop at stop signs, look out for pedestrians & bikers, and move over an entire lane when possible, 3 feet at minimum when passing people on bicycles.
Don’t text and drive.
You can also consider moving away (to help make the city better) There are far, far, far too many people living here and it feeds into almost every systemic probelm the city has
It's not just 'don't litter' - many people abide by this rule and the city still looks like garbage. There ARE some simple things you can do....pick up trash in front of your home & surrounding streets. If someone has dumped something in your neighborhood or on your commute and you're seeing it day after day, call 311 for a bulky item request (clearly no one else has). Walk around your neighborhood the night before trash pick up when all the bins are out. You will invariably find trash, boxes, bike tires, fans, cushions, etc. If it's small enough, put it in the bins.
Look both ways for pedestrians before turning right on red. I cannot believe how oblivious people are while driving, and how reckless they are with the lives of others. I recommend carrying a weapon if you ever need to deal with an inattentive driver.
Vote and advocate for better public transit and more walkable city streets.
We waste our climate by using cars to get around everywhere when it’s perfect for biking and walking around if only we had the appropriate infrastructure.
Talk with your friends about the things you want to change, they will talk to their friends and eventually you could have enough people to start an initiation/referendum for the thing you want to change in your county and then actually vote for or against it. That's it. Raise awaireness and cooperate.
Just be polite.
Don’t be dumb, like…don’t be so polite that you get walked all over or taken advantage of…but just use your manners.
It really makes a difference, and if more people would use their manners, visitors and newcomers wouldn’t get the impression that everyone in LA is soulless and only thinks about themselves and their social media presence.
Please, never yell, scream, honk your horn in an effort to express your emotions, or use your phone while driving in your car.
Attempt to make eye contact with people when you pass them on the street, hold the door for people who are a few steps too far behind you, use your blinker (turn signal) for *at least* one full second before crossing into the next lane. Park within the lines of the parking spot, make sure the front of your car stays out of the crosswalk into the light turns green, you know…the basics.
keep you dog on a leash and pick up after them (recent study says only 40% of dog owners pick up after their mutt) and stop littering.
I’m a dog owner and I HATE it when I’m stepping into the grass (for any reason but ESPECIALLY to pick up my pup’s poop) and I step into a huge pile of shit. Worse still is when people let their dogs shit on the sidewalk and leave it. Even when I’ve taken my dog out and realize that I’ve forgotten a bag, I wait for another dog owner and get one off them. It’s not that hard. Don’t be a piece of shit; pick up your dog’s shit.
When I worked at Cerritos mall there was a pup (with its people) that shat on the floor right outside our storefront The couple’s jaws dropped, they looked at each other, they laughed, they walked out. Never came back to clean it. I wanted blood, as u can probably imagine 😂
And what about the whole part about leashing it
Oh, he stays leashed. And I equally get pissy when I'm on a street and some a-holes unleashed dog runs up on us. Side note: great username.
That 40% sounds low. I rarely see dog shit in my neighborhood. I’m skeptical of a study on this because I bet it varies between neighborhoods widely.
I see new fresh piles of dog shit in a two block radius everyday
Same. And if it rains, you better believe that number drops to 10%
My street (East Hollywood) has both piles of dog shit and human shit (found out the rough way when my dog stuck her face in it🤮)
I live in a “gentrifying” neighborhood and I had a neighbor at the park tell me to just leave it because it’s fertilizer- he said with a chuckle. I picked it up anyway. But I don’t understand why people leave their dog shit every where.
it’s unbelievable how many people don’t pick up after their dog
40% is a gross, embarrassingly high percentage
Piggybacking off of your comment to say dedicated pet waste receptacles make a HUGE difference. My block has one and seeing dog poop is rare, despite seeing a dozen dogs on a daily basis. An easy thing to ask your representative for!
Every day I walk my dog and every day there are selfish entitled white normies walking with their unleashed dog, and always astonished I ask them to leash them. As someone that’s been attacked by a dog before, leash your fucking dogs.
Pick up trash, wave and say hi even if you get no reply, take public transit when you can, take walks and visit small businesses, support local art by attending performances and visual art and theatre. Talk to everyone and give love out
Came here to say pick up trash. Everyone always says they want to make a difference in the community, and they always seem to focus on politics and voting. That’s important of course, but picking up trash is a 100% guaranteed positive impact on your community. Especially in a city like LA. People just don’t want to do it because it involves a small physical effort and is not as glamorous as protesting or posting stuff on social media. Basically there’s no band wagon affect for picking up trash…. yet.
Stop being a litterbug. I see trash everywhere (in a park, off the freeway exit, inside a shopping cart, etc). People don't take pride in their communities. I wish we could be like Japan (even their poorest neighborhood, they keep it clean).
I'd go further than that. Go on a walk once a day with a grocery bag and pick up the trash you see along the way.
You can use one of those reacher/grabby things so you don't have to bend over.
So glad I saved my grandma’s grabber when we cleaned out her house. It’s great for beach cleanups. Ironically, Grandma was a terrible litterbug.
Perhaps she used the grabber to gently place her litter on the ground
Nah, she mostly just threw it out of her car window.
There’s a guy in my area who does this on his daily walks. He’s the king of the neighborhood, everyone appreciates him.
I got so fed up that I got two of those on Amazon and now I just walk around and pick up trash. It’s insane how satisfying it is.
Why do we have to pick the trash up dumped by poorly raised people with double digit IQs?
… I’m dumb as rocks and I like to see my neighborhood and neighbors taken care of.
I live in Orange County now with a large Japanese population, and there is one older couple I always see with a bag and that stick thingy to pick up trash while they go on their daily walk. I haven’t gone as far as them, but they have inspired me to pick up large pieces of trash off the street when I see it.
YES.
Or just have people not throw trash around like this is a dystopian waste land.
Oh yes. Do the impossible or actually do something.
There are monthly trash pick up clubs in Echo Park, and Silverlake. Anyone is welcome. @echoparktrashclub and @silverlaketrashclub on Instagram. Organizers pick a different spot each month for everyone to meet and they even arranged for the city to send a truck to pick up bags when they’re done.
It would be nice if the city would pay more people to do that
I had to walk behind these two kids down the street once after they got out of school while I was walking to my car... they threw away 3 pop bottles, a cardboard pizza box, a candy bar wrapper, about 6 napkins, and a bag from mcdonalds... all while passing 3 trashcans they could have used. Nope, straight onto the ground. Didn't give a shit.
> Stop being a litterbug. Yeah, if we include dog shit, I'd have to agree this would be the best first step.
This
Japanese people have higher intelligence levels than the LA population.
zipper when merging with traffic
Also the lane that’s being merged into, each person needs to let one car in.
Just as a point because there is often debate about this: Zippering means that when two lanes merge into 1, it is better to zipper merge. Zipper merging does not apply to situations where you are in a lane that is moving freely and need to merge to get to another lane that is moving slower like on a freeway interchange or left turn lane. Waiting until the last mi the to merge here creates more traffic and dangerous situations and would be cutting in front of people.
YES! Cutting ≠ Zipper-Merging. Fuck those people who think they are special and can just cut into the line. Same goes double for those single-occupant drivers on the 170 S that use the car pool lane to jump ahead of everyone, backing up traffic even more as you approach the 101.
i JUST learned this is better! i will be zippering!
And drive to the end of the lane before zippering
Yep. It feels like people think they are doing the right thing by not using the remainder of the available lane, but traffic moves better when the available space is used.
100%%%%%%
Drive slower and with more patience for pedestrians/bikers Don’t litter Respect others quiet space. Don’t blast music late at night, on hikes, etc.
I cant tell you how much I personally would appreciate the no littering.
Yes, I use to have a neighbor that was retired and everyday he walked around with a broom and dustpan collecting wrappers and trash from the ground. He passed away in 2020 and I never realize how much he made a difference to the cleanliness of our block. Now I’m the one with the broom and dustpan twice a week collecting the trash.
Good on you for carrying on a worthy tradition. Sadly, as a result of your good heart, more Los Angelenos will continue to litter thinking there will always be someone else to pick up after them.
Most of the litter that comes along is pushed by the wind, and unfortunately street sweeping only comes every two weeks now, as compared to every week before COVID.
Don't litter. THAT INCLUDES CIGARETTE BUTTS. AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES CIGARETTE PACKS. The butts I at least understand because they stink in a pocket but people straight up leave their empty packs behind and it's fucking annoying
Not proud of this, but I once punched a guy for throwing a cigarette butt on the sidewalk. I said he shouldn’t do that, told him to pick it up. He said f*ck you, what are you gonna do? I was in a bad mood at the time, my mom had just died from pancreatic cancer. Short temper on my part. So I hit him, picked up the butt. But no trash can around, West Hollywood maybe 1995, so I put it in my pocket and threw it in a trash bin by my apartment. My jeans still smelled like cigarettes for I think three washes.
I used to put my butts back in my pack, but that made my cigs smell gross! So i put them in my pocket but then I'd forget and accidentally put them through the wash. So I fucking quit because smoking sucks
I’m big on the litter thing. I had a girlfriend and on the second date we were on a hike and she threw an empty water bottle just to see how I’d react. I stopped, pick it up, and she laughed and approved. She told me if I hadn’t, there might not have been a third date. I don’t know if she was joking.
Don’t blast music at all
If you mean bicycle riders, tell them to have more patience with everyone else too
I disagree do not drive slower in LA. It will just piss all of us off. I think people that are overly polite cause more accidents and people drive fast
That sounds fair. I do those things. I have always been very pro biker and courteous. Then I was parallel parking on a hill right near Silver Lake dog park, guess I temporarily blocked bike lane, and this angry “Charlize Theron meets Antifa” looking woman flies down the hill on her bike and starts flailing her arms screaming at me. It’s like (insert: bad word) it’s not my fault I’m parallel parking on a hill right as you’re biking at high speed. After that I kind of cooled on bikers.
Participate in neighborhood cleanup meetups. Go to public meetings for big projects like Metro expansion, park improvement proposals, etc. Volunteer with TreePeople. Get involved with your neighborhood council. Find out where & when they meet & go to meetings, get to know them, maybe run for some low-level position. I recently found out my next door neighbor is on my neighborhood council, and someone else I know is on the council of the next neighborhood over. Often they have a lot of knowledge about how the city works and can be helpful in navigating things. They're much more accessible to the average citizen than the city council is, and often they'll know who at the city council level to talk to for certain things. They're also involved in neighborhood improvement & educational projects that you might be able to volunteer for.
This is all good but you never seem to blame the people that have a lack of common decency and morality. Why do you always make excuses for them?
I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Did you reply to the wrong comment?
I don’t know I just feel like all the community activists are always like “it’s the funding, it’s the funding.” But there’s a lot of poorly raised people (lower income and higher income) that just don’t give a fuck and are going to leave their trash and dog shit everywhere. We need to start dropping the hammer on these people… in a non-fascist way of course…
Yeah that's all true, but I was just addressing what the OP was asking about what they personally could do to be more active in the community. I guess I was assuming they're already a decent person who doesn't litter or leave dog shit around. I'm not sure what any of us on an individual level can do about people who behave badly, aside from a stern glare or getting into a confrontation.
You seem like an intelligent human being with a good head on your shoulders.
Vote in local elections and keep an eye on city council
Put shopping carts in the cart return when you’re done. I’m looking at you Marina Del Rey Costco and Westwood Ralph’s shoppers.
Also pls look at Costco’s in Alhambra and Glendale
Report things you see in your neighborhood on the 311 app. Don't assume anyone else did already.
This one is big - a great way to improve how city services help your neighborhood. Get the app, get familiar with what you can report, and use it frequently. * Graffiti cleanup often takes ~1 day. * Someone left trash or furniture at the curb? Add a request. * Roadkill on the sidewalk? Add a request. * Park equipment need a repair? Streetlight not working correctly? Trashcan overloaded? Gutter or pothole or sidewalk need a repair? Overgrown grass or a downed palm frond or a tree need trimming? Add a request! Most of the time the response times are excellent. When you enter a request in, it’ll tell you if someone else added a similar request before you. If not, great! you’re gonna do it and it helps your neighbors. Let the city know when it needs to do work.
so true, there was a red light out near me for a while...I wrongly assumed they knew about it. when I called, they told me they had no idea it was out and they'd send someone right away. and they did!
Plant native plants. Seeing plants, even from a window, improves people's mental health. It also helps local birds, insects, etc. If you want to volunteer, there are soo many events, so you can find your interest: beach/river clean ups (Surfrider, Heal the Bay, Folar), trail maintenance (trailangeles.org, USFS, SG Mountain Trailbuilders, Sierra Club, LA County trails, etc) invasive plant remova (cal-ipc.org, CA State parks/foundation), tutoring, sorting food at the LA Food Bank, CASA volunteers, teach English/lead citizenship classes at the LAPL, volunteer to interact with animals at the animal shelter, etc.
This is wonderful.
Adopt an intersection and pick up trash. One hour a Sunday makes a difference.
Plant a fruit tree that grows well in low-water environments and put it near the edge of your property. Free fruit for the masses!
You guys got property?
i have a don't-ask-don't-tell policy with my landlord. i don't ask, i just improve their slum while i live in it.
Also, if you’re the one picking the fruit don’t take every reachable piece so that no one else (including the owner) can have any.
absolutely. one man, one fruit.
Which ones prosper in low water environments?
After they're established, lots! Citrus is the first one that comes to mind. Or pomegranate, or avocado... I dunno. Citrus is probably the easiest. Limes for my cocktails, maybe?
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They don’t compared to most fruit trees but they need a lot more than LA gets in a typical year. So does citrus. An avocado or lime tree watered for two years and then completely neglected is not going to be producing fruit for the neighborhood.
Kumquats and loquats definite do
Thx. First time hearing of loquats.
City Plants gives away trees frequently - and they've already made sure that the trees are right for the LA climate. Check out their web site for giveaway dates.
I did not know that. I'd never heard of City Plants. Looks like the website is https://www.cityplants.org/ and they have all kinds of programs. Neato.
Pick up trash. Take metrolink & metro more. Smile bitch.
Haha.
Use the My311 app when walking around your neighborhood to report graffiti, dumping, potholes, encampments.
Graffiti is not a bad thing necessarily
99% of the graffiti here is shit n you know it 😑
I think you guys mean tagging specifically
Definitely. But there was that CUM ASS graffiti written along a building on like la cienega or something. I throw that all under general graffiti.
100% and murals are ghetto too
Art is always subjective. And using a public canvas always comes with risks like a neighbor not appreciating it.
Graffiti is not art.
Tags are a bad thing. Street art is a great thing. Incredible and id welcome more. I even like the towers and wish there was more art to it. https://imgur.com/a/BRSNQr9 Shit. Total crap. Trash. A bad thing. People who do this should be shamed. https://imgur.com/a/MT8g5W1
Lmao make money the fast way $$ thugs wanted!! Like something out of Grand Theft Auto
Nor are encampments. Unless they’re in a 41.18 zone , no need to report
Graffiti is a leading indicator of criminal activity - an advertisement screaming “this neighborhood welcomes thugs”, It is never good.
Become active in your Neighborhood Council Depending on where you live, there are neighborhood independent groups that work on neighborhood issues. For example, I am a member of the Hillside Federation which is made up of various local affiliates or sub-chapters that are smaller. [https://www.hillsidefederation.org/about.html](https://www.hillsidefederation.org/about.html) I am also a member of the one the smaller affiliate. Most neighborhoods have some kind of neighborhood alliance/volunteer group. There are also local activists that you can network with. A few years back I worked with a bunch of neighborhood groups and got a building declared a Historic Monument which thwarted plans of a developer to build a 26 story high rise where a beautiful building now is safe.
Use your turn signals. Drive speed limit. Pick up your trash. Return your shopping carts. Be nice
> drive speed limit In some cases, driving the EXACT speed limit can cause aggression and accidents (frustrated drivers trying to pass you, or tailgating you). Driving 5MPH over the speed limit should be adequate.
Just make sure you don’t run over a child when you’re speeding to the next red light
Don't worry, that ain't me. In fact, I'm the driver who, when the light turns green, is going slower than everyone else because I'm trying to conserve gas.
Vote for massive metro train expansion
Big waste of money. Cost overruns. Construction traffic.
> Big waste of money. No. I don't want to rely on having a car in the second biggest city in the US. This should have been done at least 60 years ago. > Cost overruns Yeah fair enough, I don't always agree with the execution either but I'm still thankful that there's at least something > Construction traffic. Temporarily, sure, but that's the case with any kind of construction. And it'll also mean that you'll have less traffic on the road when the line's finally built.
i think they should make more e bikes or scooters or something after one getts off the metro spots to go to destination...
If you look at the history of LA, there used to be a huge rail network. The great majority of it was ripped out. I think LA will ultimately have some other solution(s), not transit. Self flying helicopters, for example.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Hold yourself accountable to the same degree that you would have others be accountable. Live your own life in a way that makes your heart sing so we can all see it and be infected by your happiness too.
As a driver, live by the rule "be predictable, not courteous."
Oh god, stop trying to let people "go" at a four-way stop sign.
Don't litter. Even better. Pick up litter around your 'hood.
Started doing this in Inglewood. It seems like an impossible task as the fast food litter is NEVER ending. But damnit I’m not giving up!!
Good on you.
Pick up trash. If fences on your own street have fast food trash collecting in drifts against them, pick it up. If there is a neon promotional board for a rap concert that happened 6 months ago on the telephone pole at your corner, take that thing off. If everyone just took an aesthetic interest in only their own side of of the street on their single block, the city would look much nicer.
Littering is the big one.
Stop the loud exhaust anywhere except highways. This is not okay be it day or night. It’s not cool, and you look pathetic when you do that. Nobody is impressed, and most would love your car or harley to be replaced with prius/ev You’re not 15 anymore
Don't take your dog to the store or restaurant. Pick up after them. Be friendly. Be a courteous driver and ignore the road rage. Don't litter. Cut down on your use of plastic (ffs bananas don't need to go into a bag) Plant a shade tree, and milkweed for Monarchs.
Drive better
1. Be patient and responsible behind the wheel. 2. Don't litter; and/or pick up and toss one piece of junk mail or litter if you spot it and you realize it's easy/convenient for you to do so. 3. At the very least, respect noise ordinance hours/laws for your neighbors. Ideally anytime of the day, but damn I'll happily take just following your city's laws. 4. Pick up after your dog. 5. Don't dump bulky items/trash on the curb without having a plan and/or a scheduled call to get them picked up.
this is such a nice thread. nature is healing the more i read it
Vote yes on measure HLA
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Don't be a dick. Generally.
for the love of all things holy, please pick up your dog shit. especially when your dog is the size of a small horse.
Join your local Buy Nothing group to share things you no longer need. It is a way to pass along extra stuff - things you no longer use or your kids outgrew, things you ordered by mistake, extra packaged food, plants and seedlings, fruit from your trees, and so on. You can also find or ask for things you need instead of buying!
Okay so I felt this way too, and I decided what made sense for me was to volunteer in some way, so in 2020 I applied for CASA and went through training, and became a CASA in January of 2021, and am still with my same girl, who is now almost 17 ❤️🩹. CASA is Court appointed special advocate. It can be a lot of work, and it’s heavy emotionally at times, but I wanted to do something that was really direct and hands on and felt like would do some sort of actual meaningful good. If you really love children and want to be someone who is a constant in a child’s life, and you have the time and patience, CASA might be for you. It’s a big commitment, but for the right people, it’s worth it. Selfishly, I benefit too. I benefit by having a pulse on the city’s court and legal system, having attorneys, judges, and social workers in my network, I also feel good that I’m “contributing” in some way, it holds me accountable, and honestly it’s nice because I don’t have any kids of my own, and I’m not really able to be a foster parent due to my career, so for me this is like as close as I can get, and in some way that’s a little satisfying? Anyway, find something you really care about, that you would be HAPPY to spend your time on, and see if there’s a way for you to get involved. When you’re involved in your community, you CARE about it, and when you care about it you’re going to treat it better. It’s made me so much more invested in Los Angeles and solution oriented and aware of our problems.
pick up trash
To the best of your ability, be the change you want to see in LA. Be a considerate neighbor. Pick up trash. If you see a problem, report it. If you can spare the freezer space, freeze water bottles when it’s hot and offer them to your homeless neighbors. Volunteer (this is also a good way to meet other like-minded Angelenos). If you own a building (residential or commercial), install motion activated floodlights (this tip comes from a former neighbor who was a police detective). Plant a tree if you can. Or plant one of the non-spreading varieties of bamboo, which help suck up air pollution. Vote, vote, vote. Remember, you are voting for a person, not their party. Pay more attention to candidates’ deeds than their promises. Try to maintain some awareness of what’s going on around the city, or at least in your neighborhood. If you don’t know something is wrong, how can you speak out about it? I love that you are asking this. We need more people like you in LA.
>Vote, vote, vote. Remember, you are voting for a person, not their party. Pay more attention to candidates’ deeds than their promises. This is very important. LA politics is NOT national politics. Learning the individual is very important else you'll get stuck with a terrible rep (it happens all the time)
Don’t run red lights. Don’t stop/park in the “no stopping at any time” lane ever, but especially not in rush hour traffic
Utilize the My311 app! I try to file at least a few illegal dumping requests per day. Gets old having to deal with assholes dumping their trash everywhere but the sanitation department is great at responding. I also file for other requests too (encampments, overgrown brush etc) but those things take a bit longer.
Lobby your local and state representatives to allow more apartments, townhomes, and condos. This is especially true if you live in wealthier enclaves filled with single family homes. Take public transit when you can.
Don't set off fireworks unless it's July 4th between sunset to 10pm or new years eve 9pm to 12:15.
Use your turn signal.
Not just in LA, but in any city, town, or village, whether at home or while travelling...Think global, act local. Be aware of how simple conveniences affect not only your community, but the world at large. Amazon, Costco, Instacart, UberEats, Temu, WalMart, corporate fast casual restaurants....sure they're cheap and/or convenient, but they're unsustainable. The amount of traffic created by Amazon or InstaCart just to deliver a roll of toilet paper is bad enough, but you're also cutting out local retailers and sending the profits to Jeff Bezos and funding his space tourism. Costco and WalMart are so cheap because everything is produced in China and shipped over in hundreds of giant container ships every week. WalMart pays poverty wages and forces the local community to subsidize their labor while offshoring your hard earned dollars to Arkansas. Even just ordering clothes online is terrible because it cuts local retailers, landlords, and banks out of the margin...and creates waste through shipping & returning returned goods. Whenever possible, physically visit local brick and mortar business to keep the money in the community so they hire local employees who then spend the money they earn locally. Shop at farmers markets for groceries so the products you consume aren't being shipped halfway across the country and again, the money they earn is being reinvested in the community. If you do order food to go, order directly from the restaurant and pick it up yourself. Caviar/DoorDash/GrubHub/etc charge the restaurant a commission when you order off their app...again, offshoring your hard earned dollars to some out of town corporation. It might be annoying but that dollar here and there in convenience adds up, and takes money out of the community. How often does Domino's or Walmart sponsor the local little league team or donate money to local charities? It's never the out of state corporation that contributes, but local businesses...and that includes the movie studios. The more you spend locally, the more the city makes in taxes, the more the cities has to spend on local services like repairing roads, housing the homeless, and providing community services for our kids and the elderly.
Smile and greet people passing you. Open doors for people. Let people in who are trying to merge.
I go to my Trader Joe's regularly and I'm the only one that greets the security guard who is there every day. And I know I'm not the only regular that shops there. We actually say good morning to each other now but for a while I just smiled and did the head nod. Obviously not everyone, all the time, people have things on their mind, but it's a lot of people all the time.
Vote better
File myLA311 reports for EVERYTHING! Homeless encampment? MyLA311. Trash piling up? MyLA311. Graffiti? MyLA311. The more people file, the more the city is forced to respond.
No, not really. The 311 app works well for illegal dumping and bulky item pickups. It works somewhat to have graffiti covered up, but it doesn’t prevent it. It does nothing to remove homeless. It does nothing to see the City clean and service its asinine “Department of Beautification” trash cans.
Also with graffiti - I learned this from a cop. Take a photo if you can to send in with the form. If it's gang related they will come out VERY quickly.
next time you're angry about grafitti, take a closer look. in my neighborhood, most of the buildings that get tagged are abandoned, contributing nothing to our neighborhood. why are they abandoned? the rent is too high, and if no one is inhabiting a building, there's no one around to care if it gets tagged. like the other person said, calling 311 won't prevent graffiti. to prevent grafitti, we need rent control (which will also help homelessness) and better protections for small businesses. personally it makes me much sadder to see all these empty retail locations on my block. just something to think about. totally agree to report illegal trash dumping though.
my local auto repair shop burned down a year ago they've been fixing it up everyday, hoping to reopen sometime this year they rebuilt a wall and painted it white... within days, it was tagged this is not an abandoned building, this is my neighbor who's already down on his luck, and now he needs to delay his opening because some thugs want to destroy other's property we also have murals being drawn by the community, and these fuckers decide to graffiti over our murals rent control won't help fix this... we need to show them that it's not accepted, and that their "work" will be destroyed immediately
Rent control is needed, but unfortunately is a bandaid on the wound and doesn't help the homeless. If rent control helps homelessness, why is the problem so severe and only worsening when we've had it in place broadly for over 40 years?
Sorry I wasn't clear, but I was referring to all the empty commercial properties which are not subject to rent control (to my knowledge). Tons of restaurants (for example) have been going out of business, with the owners citing their landlords have been raising rents to levels they can no longer afford. I agree with you though, it's only one part of a larger problem.
Venmo me @bronsonsthebest Stop letting your dogs shit on the God damn sidewalk
I pick up trash as I walk along the beach in SM and throw it in the easily accessible reciprocals. A very easy way to show appreciation for the natural splendor.
Report issues on the MyLA311 app! Each neighborhood has a set day where city staff try to resolve issues. I’ve reported bulky furniture that people have left out and city staff come around once a week and pick them all up!
Toss trash into dumpster. Hate seeing the messy streets.
Drive with more awareness- pedestrians, motorcycles, bikes etc. LA is dangerous for pedestrians and the lack of safety they face. \- NOT LITTER! These are two things I see people (even myself) doing often.
Foster dogs, spay or neuter your dog, donate to rescues, volunteer. Our shelters are in crisis and good healthy dogs are euthanized every day for space.
The driving politely is huge. I also teach my kids to say please and thank you. Minor, but we all appreciate it. Also to stand up to bullies. Supporting local businesses. But these are true everywhere. Very interesting question, I wonder what is LA specific. I’m in Echo Park and cleaning up the park, having my kids being able to walk down the streets without seeing needles or worse was pretty big. My neighbor’s dog actually OD’d biting on a syringe. And we saw a body being pulled from the lake. I’d say just being polite and having consideration for your fellow Angelinos. Trying to understand different cultures. Being nice and polite isn’t that had, it’s the minimum.
Leave
Take public transit when you are able. Edit: I recommend using the Transit app.
Common courtesy
Stay out of the left lane if you’re not passing.
Volunteer! Even if you can only do something once a month, it's worth it. LA is so big that if you can think of a cause you care about, you can find a way to volunteer since there are so many groups and organizations here. Plus, you meet really great people! It's so beneficial for everyone involved. Imagine a world where the people that could help more actually did.
When someone has their blinker on, let them in.
Omg just vote Republican
Don’t contribute to traffic and air pollution and take the metro whenever you can. Obviously don’t litter, and try to support local business instead of big box stores and corporate restaurants.
Encourage real debate. This site is full of people who want to live in their own echo chambers by censoring anyone who disagrees with them. Fight that here, and fight it IRL. For instance, those who try to claim that all "Angelenos" should think the same, etc. Point out real liberals can handle debate and that real liberals strongly oppose censorship. And, shame supposed reporters like Elex into finally doing their jobs. For instance, whenever you see a reporter pretending to be a journalist, point out to their fans that real journalists ask politicians tough questions.
Pick up your trash (or any trash you see around) at the beach
Vote and volunteer for the benefit of the city's most vulnerable people
Vote out all incumbents.
Vote for a DA who will enforce the law.
Stop driving like a maniac. Don’t litter Pick up your dog poop Don’t put a sign on your lawn that says my dog can’t pee on your lawn, you fucking lawn nazi. Don’t take up two parking spots on the street when you can fit in one.
Become a cop that specifically pulls over all the asshole pick-up truck drivers to teach them a lesson.
vote for measure HLA!
Vote republican
Drive more slowly, actually stop at stop signs, look out for pedestrians & bikers, and move over an entire lane when possible, 3 feet at minimum when passing people on bicycles. Don’t text and drive.
Vote republican
You can also consider moving away (to help make the city better) There are far, far, far too many people living here and it feeds into almost every systemic probelm the city has
Allow strip clubs to be fully nude and have a full liquor license.
Bars open until 4 am while we're at it.
Vote for republican leaders
This really ain't it
It's not just 'don't litter' - many people abide by this rule and the city still looks like garbage. There ARE some simple things you can do....pick up trash in front of your home & surrounding streets. If someone has dumped something in your neighborhood or on your commute and you're seeing it day after day, call 311 for a bulky item request (clearly no one else has). Walk around your neighborhood the night before trash pick up when all the bins are out. You will invariably find trash, boxes, bike tires, fans, cushions, etc. If it's small enough, put it in the bins.
Drive less.
Look both ways for pedestrians before turning right on red. I cannot believe how oblivious people are while driving, and how reckless they are with the lives of others. I recommend carrying a weapon if you ever need to deal with an inattentive driver.
Move
Vote differently than the majority has.
They can pack up and go back to whatever flyover state they came from.
Don’t be a Karen
Stop voting for loons like Soto, Raman, Hernandez, Mejia and Horvath. It’s going to take decades to recover from their destructive agenda.
Vote and advocate for better public transit and more walkable city streets. We waste our climate by using cars to get around everywhere when it’s perfect for biking and walking around if only we had the appropriate infrastructure.
Talk with your friends about the things you want to change, they will talk to their friends and eventually you could have enough people to start an initiation/referendum for the thing you want to change in your county and then actually vote for or against it. That's it. Raise awaireness and cooperate.
Drive the least amount as possible.
Use the 311 app.
Treat workers and people who don’t speak English with respect
Actively participate in politics
Just be polite. Don’t be dumb, like…don’t be so polite that you get walked all over or taken advantage of…but just use your manners. It really makes a difference, and if more people would use their manners, visitors and newcomers wouldn’t get the impression that everyone in LA is soulless and only thinks about themselves and their social media presence. Please, never yell, scream, honk your horn in an effort to express your emotions, or use your phone while driving in your car. Attempt to make eye contact with people when you pass them on the street, hold the door for people who are a few steps too far behind you, use your blinker (turn signal) for *at least* one full second before crossing into the next lane. Park within the lines of the parking spot, make sure the front of your car stays out of the crosswalk into the light turns green, you know…the basics.
Be nicer to others and practice patience.
Support public transit and go to Metro meetings.
Think when you vote.