Red Car Property: Saturday Joyriding *updated 3-29-15

Photo: March 28, 2015,  10:44 AM.  A man with at least 2 children in the backseat of a new Toyota truck (with dealer paper in the license plate frame) sped onto the Red Car Property at India, fishtailing as he turned south, kicking up clouds of dirt rising 20-30 feet high.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I lost sight of him as he headed toward Rose Scharlin Nursery School & Red Car Canyon.  In the photo above, the truck is headed south after passing the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase. A few minutes later he sped north past India toward Adelbert & the historic landmark viaduct footings, again, kicking up big clouds of dirt the entire way up the property.  

A few minutes later, while chatting with a neighbor, I watched a second, black truck speed onto the property, even faster & more recklessly.  The black truck was also heading south toward Rose Scharlin & Red Car Canyon, kicking up even larger clouds of dirt.  Police were called. A few minutes later, the black truck left the Red Car Property at India, driving very slowly up from the south. 

Photo: March 28, 2015, 11 AM.    The white truck came down from the northern end of the property, also driving very slowly. 

This morning, like any Saturday (or Sunday), I ran into a number of people out walking, running & playing with their kids & walking their dogs on the Red Car Property.  Driving & pedestrian trail use do not go well together.  This morning, I was afraid at one point I was going to get hit by this white truck as it sped toward Red Car Canyon.

*UPDATE 3-29-15: This morning, I received an email alert from Elysian Valley Neighborhood Watch citing a similar incident on the LA River path late last night.  A Honda drove recklessly onto the 12' wide pedestrian/bike path Elysian Valley.  According to the email residents made calls to 911 as the Honda drive at high speeds north & south on the pedestrian/bike path.  It was pointed out there are certain "unchecked access points" to the River path that residents have highlighted public safety issues for years.

There are LAFD approved fire gates on every fire road in the Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park & Elysian Park.  Emergency crews & park rangers have master keys to those gates. There is no excuse for The LA River to be neglected in this way.  

Similarly, for the past 20 years, we requested of each subsequent Red Car Property owner to reinstall the fire gates that were on the Red Car Property at Corralitas, India & just above Gilroy.  They are a very heavy gauge steel that cannot be driven through by joyriders.