Since Dr. Fever's original research in the late 1970's, the cults seem to have gone underground, or maybe ceased to be altogether. In any case, I found them to have been completely displaced by the Cult of Parking.
At least in the part of LA where I spent my week (El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Torrance), there seem to be at least four automobiles for every spot in which an automobile can possibly be stationary. The inevitable result is that at any particular moment, one of those cars is parked, and the other three are being driven about in search of a place to park. Since my gracious day-job employer rented me a car for the week, I dutifully added to the problem. But I don't suppose things really improved when I went home -- I'm sure someone was driving that Taurus again within a few hours of my surrendering it at the Avis lot. After all, the Avis lot also represents parking, no? So it goes.
It sounds as if I'm just trotting out the SoCal cliches, but in this case, the cliches seem to be substantially correct. Nearly every square meter of the urban South Bay is paved, and it all vibrates with the pulsebeat of marginal insanity. Not that I disliked it -- I like pretty much anything that has its own strong flavor, and LA certainly has that. But it doesn't exactly scream "sustainability."
No need to furrow the brow, though, I think. If it is "unsustainable," then it obviously won't be sustained ... problem solved. And if not, well, I've been wrong before, and can stand to be so again.
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