Add Los Angeles to the list of places I despise... in Travel

Let’s start with the main fact, which is the city is filthy. It’s obvious the minute you deplane at LAX, and only gets worse. (LAX has got to be the dirtiest airport in the US.) As a general rule, breathing air you can see is rarely a good idea, and this place is still smog central.

When you are in New York, there is a trash can about every 50 yards, and they are emptied by the sanitation department like clockwork. In my four block walk from the hotel to the hospital, there was not a single trash receptacle. No wonder there is litter everywhere.

The natives are a strange bunch. Botoxed, nipped and tucked within an inch of their lives, they seem to think this is the fountain of youth. What is obviously not understand is how completely tragic they look. They do not look 25 years old. Someone in their 50’s desperately attempting to look and dress 25, results in quite the parody. Self-delusion is a powerful thing.

Terrible traffic density + lousy drivers = one hell of a mess. And restaurants offer outdoor seating 8 feet away from loud, exhaust-spewing traffic. Then they look at you funny when you tell them you want a table inside.

So, not a place I recommend…