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06/22/2008: "When Is a Park Not a Park?"

Yesterday, my friend Scott had arranged a small group ride to the Griffith Observatory to view the Solstice sunset...eight of us met at Heliotrope and Melrose, the self-named "bicycle District" in LA, and after ice cream from the Marvelous Scoops, off we rode, up the hill through Ferndell and to the world-renowned Observatory.

The climb was sweet; despite being in the middle of the city, we were surrounded by trees and valleys in the lower reaches, and steep canyons fragrant with chaparral as we climbed higher. We were also repeatedly passed by SUV limos bearing loads of suits and bimbos for some movie company party to take place at said Observatory

Lo and behold, when we got there, Disney had rented the whole place for an opening day party for that film, "Wall-E." Their radios began crackling as we quietly rode around the catering crew looking for a place to observe the Solstice. Eventually a park ranger came up and gave us an obviously scritped lecture saying in effect that we had to skedaddle.

This park, the largest city park in the US, was deeded to Los Angeles by Griffith J. Griffith, its last owner, in 1896, as "...a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file...."

I guess Mr. Griffith didn't foresee that the nascent (in his day) movie industry would develope into a new aristocracy that could arrogate public lands for its own personal use and profit (the marketing value of this party, which celebrates a movie about an animated spacecraft, is undeniable).

The ranger-cum-goon tried to tell us that the Observatory land, and hence the closure, extended all the way down the mountain a couple of miles to the top of Ferndell Canyon.

Well, I gave him a bit of a hard time, and then found us a nice spot on a hillside where we could have our little celebration, but man, everyone on the ride promptly declared they weren't going to go see that particular movie. (I wouldn't have anyway....)

I wonder if we could apply that distortion of the "takings" principle so beloved of the rich and arrogant and sue Disney for depriving the public (me and my friends, and whoever else they chased off) of their rightful use of this park, just because some movie industry shitheads bribed some bureaucrat with a permit fee....

Richard Risemberg, on 06.22.08 @ 14:09PST