Thursday, April 12, 2007

Freeway blood



I see tire skid marks crossing several lanes, broken safety glass, cut-away clothing, and a large blood stain on the CA-10 East just about one mile west of the 110 North. It was there yesterday, and it persists today- barely faded.




I noticed this blood and remnants of violence yesterday on my way from Mid-Wilshire back to Pasadena.




Earlier that same day, en route from Pasadena to mid- Wilshire, I saw a large maroon motorcycle being loaded onto a tow truck in the same area, while other lanes were blocked with wrecked autos. I suspect that someone from the freeway West ended up on the East side, and the skid marks were from an evasion attempt.




There is something unsettling about this persistent blood stain. The city (city's infrastructure) claims a life, but the system cannot be stopped, even for a moment, to remove the gruesome evidence. Someone's life is either ended or abruptly altered, yet the flow of traffic moves on and on. In an instant, the lives of the loved ones of whoever's blood this is are altered: friends, co-workers, spouse, children, parents, siblings. Many life paths have been changed. But the freeway system is bigger than all that, so it must not be stopped.




Individually we are capable of tremendous compassion and empathy, but collectively... collectively, in the context of the freeway system, we've adapted not to feel.




This is a strange city, Los Angeles. Full of life and tragedy;




trash and beauty:




It's sunny and windy today. So windy that if you are driving through downtown on the 110, trash, leaves, and papers blow across the freeway surface and far up into the sky. In addition to the normal smog, the air today is literally dirty. But so sunny and colorful, too, with the blue sky and green hills. Brown mountains in the distance. It's important to keep your eyes open for the beauty, even if you are on the freeway.

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