A walk through hell on the 6th St. bridge

A while ago I was on a class assignment to find hell on earth. I didn’t have anything specific in mind as I walked along the 6th street Bridge. I hoped I would think of something, as I looked wish fresh eyes along the bridge.

A storm had recently passed over the city so I was happy to take advantage of the bright blue sky as a backdrop. I walked along on the right side of the bridge facing east. As I reached the middle I noticed two clumps underneath the first arch. It didn’t take long to realize these were dead baby birds that were blown away from their nest that was built inside the arch.

While I was kneeling on the floor, a foul stench reached my nostrils. I took a few steps forward and saw a strange pile of dirt. It actually looked like topsoil. Once again, it didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t a pile of dirt; rather it was a pile of fragmented human waste.

I had seen literal piles of shit along the 4th street Bridge, which naturally grossed me out and surprised me. Call me naïve but I thought if people are going to shit near a bridge it would be underneath it, not on it.

I could only hold my breath for so long before I took a step away from the pile and ended up underneath the second arch. In one of the inner spaces I noticed someone had stored some garments and a book. I’ve seen the homeless use these gaps as public storage before but the sight of the book fell heavy on my heart. I didn’t open the book. It didn’t occur to me until I got home. Even though this was stored in a public space, I felt I would’ve been intruding on this person’s property. Maybe this person defecated near his things to keep people away.

I returned home completely humbled. I’m not sure what made this inanimate encounter different. I’m not sure why the evidence of homelessness affected me more than usual.

This began as another mere walk on the same ‘ole bridge and I came away with yet another perspective of it. That certainly was a glimpse of hell on earth.

A westbound walk through public storage

I was having a difficult day and walking always seems to help me blow off steam. I was on my way home from visiting my mother when I decided to do something I’ve always been curious to try…walk across Whittier Crossing, or better known as the 6^th street bridge. This bridge connects East Los Angeles to the industrial district of Downtown Los Angeles.

I’ve crossed this bridge hundreds of times, especially when it was part of my commute in high school. It always terrified me. Its quite old and I always had this fear that an earthquake would strike while I’m crossed it. Over the years I’d always see cyclists, the homeless, and other photographers walking on it. Much too often the entire bridge would be closed off due to filming a commercial or movie scene …which was never convenient.

One Sunday afternoon I parked my car near Whittier and Boyle, grabbed my camera and began my dreaded walk.I wasn’t interested in any landscape shots. Partly because I’m afraid of heights and partly because its been done to death. I looked down and around. I looked at the things drivers typically miss. Things joggers and cyclists might miss too.

I noticed severe cracks in the structure and a terrifying gap off to the side of one of the sightseeing “balconies”. The gap was so large that my foot could easily be lodged in. Before this state starts building ridiculous multimillion-dollar trains connecting LA to San Fran, shouldn’t we focus on repairing what we already have??

I was getting closer to the horrendous arches in the middle of the bridge. They’re a terrible gray color and an eye sore. The ugly matte texture is similar to that of the Eiffel tower, however unlike that Eiffel tower, the 6^th street bridge is just as ugly at night.

A westbound bound walk through public storage Series C.2008 Los Angeles, CA

A westbound bound walk through public storage Series C.2008 Los Angeles, CA

I’ve always hated it, but the arches are what make the bridge so recognizable. Upon gazing at the actual arch up close and admiring a city skyline in the shadows, I noticed something that astounded me. A blanket neatly folded inside one of the divisions of the arch. I zigzag in and out of the two arches and found more items. The gray arches, which make it so recognizable, had literally become public storage.

I can’t tell you why exactly, but I was blown away. Many of us have become used to the sight of random shopping carts filled with items that clearly belong to a homeless person. Many of us have become used to the sight of a person sleeping on a bench, sidewalk, or an alley…but there was something about seeing these items stored away in hopes of it not getting stolen that really struck me.

A westbound bound walk through public storage Series C.2008 Los Angeles, CA

A westbound bound walk through public storage Series C.2008 Los Angeles, CA

I would say its safe to assume that most people who drive by the bridge don’t really think twice about what they miss as they cross. Most probably look straight ahead at the end of the bridge with one eye on the skyline. One might even ask why on earth anyone would walk across that bridge? Maybe because some have to…