Tips From the Tourists

Los Angeles is polluted, unsafe, too hot and too cold. The parks are beautiful, but the streets are dirty. Mass transit is confusing at best.

But things cost less here than in other countries. And Angelenos are friendly, cheerful, smiling and helpful--until we get in our cars, where we become rude and crazy.

These are some of the observations made by foreign visitors to Los Angeles this summer. As the hot-weather tourist season came to a close, it seemed like a good time to stop in at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX and seek a different perspective on the city.

A lot of tourists come to experience Los Angeles--nearly 5 million of them last year alone. Their reportage is not colored by the everyday complications of those who live here. Instead, their impressions offer a window on the city not always glimpsed so clearly.

Asked what might be done to make Los Angeles a better place, for example, the visitors we spoke with most often mentioned getting around the city. They overwhelmingly voiced support for a more efficient transportation system, especially mass transit.

Safer streets and a cleaner environment also were high priorities for our informal focus group on how to improve the Next L.A.

‘I’d Like It to Be Safer’

Toshiko Ogihara, 47, and her son Aki, 9. From Tokyo, they spent three weeks visiting the boy’s aunt and grandmother in West Los Angeles.

Compared to Tokyo, Ogihara said, the scale of Los Angeles is enormous. “Larger, more sprawling and spread out--Tokyo is closer, more compact,” she said.

They found elements of Los Angeles that they liked, and others that disturbed them.

“People are cheerful and friendly,” Ogihara said. But she doesn’t feel safe on the streets.

“I’d like it to be safer, so people can go out and walk later. It’s too scary to go out alone,” she said. Indicating her son, she added: “We need safer streets for the children. He can’t go out alone anywhere.”

Cleanliness is also lacking, she said. “Some places are cleaner, some not,” she said with polite equanimity.

Aki was more direct.

“Los Angeles has dirty streets; I don’t like that,” he said, with his aunt Mikiko Suyama translating. “Don’t throw gum away on the street!

“Too many people drink on the street here. Lots of people, lots of drinking. Cutting down on drinking would make it better,” he said.

Wearing a blue Dodger cap and having a lunch of hot dogs and soda, Aki could pass for an average American youngster waiting to head home.

“Everything is very cheap compared to Japan [and] there is no rain here; Tokyo has more rain,” Aki said.

He got the Dodger hat on a previous visit and it is very popular with his schoolmates in Tokyo, Aki’s aunt said.

“I like Nomo,” he chimes.

‘More Mass Transit, More Traffic Police’

Abraham and Tomadir Tarabzouni and their four children--Mezin, 15; Mouzahim, 13; Bahiyah, 9; and Rahama, 4. They visited from Saudi Arabia.

They liked “everything” about Los Angeles during nearly a year here, according to Abraham, 43. The family lived in Arcadia so the children could attend school while their father, an engineer, worked in nearby Pasadena.

“Los Angeles is a beautiful place. Everything is pretty--the parks, the restaurants. We enjoyed the people a lot; everyone is very friendly, “ he said.

Everything, that is, except the congestion and the frustrations of getting around.

“We would go down to Los Angeles or Beverly Hills [primarily] on the weekends because of the traffic,” Abraham said.

One piece of advice he offered is to complete the transit system, especially between Pasadena and Los Angeles. “More mass transit,” he said--and “more traffic police.”

The family headed home adorned with baseball caps, sports equipment and Hunchback of Notre Dame luggage. The children raved about the theme parks and the schools they attended.

“Living in Los Angeles was nice for a change,” Tomadir said. “The education here is easier for the children.

“We don’t see families together enough here,” she continued. “Especially teenagers, who need their family to give them guidance. Families are very close in Saudi Arabia. You do see it here, but it’s not the same.

“Here everything is open--TV, movies--they can do everything here.

“It is safer in Saudi Arabia, especially for children.”

‘I Don’t Think We Saw a Patch of Blue Sky the Whole Time We Were Here’

Mary Anne Veliscek, 36. An Australian living in Indonesia, she visited West Hollywood for four days with her husband, David Carolan, 37, and their 10-year-old daughter, Jessica.

“From a tourist’s point of view, being able to get around better would make a big difference,” Veliscek said.

“A better public transport system would be a really good start. Some sort of a Metro to help people get around. It’s very sprawling. We went to Santa Monica Beach and that’s a long way to go from West Hollywood. Even to go to Universal Studios is a long way to go from West Hollywood.

“It’s even hard to hail a cab here. In Australia you get used to pretty easily getting on a train or a bus and going where you want to go; here, that seems really hard.

The family enjoyed their stay nonetheless, she said. “Shopping was good--you have some great shops.”

“Very cosmopolitan,” said her husband.

Daughter Jessica agreed that L.A. was fun, but added, “It’s really hot so it’s hard to do anything.”

They did have one more nit to pick with the L.A. experience.

“I don’t think we saw a patch of blue sky the whole time we were here,” Veliscek said. “Los Angeles is very polluted.”

‘Everybody Looks Happy, the Weather Is Warm’

Hiroto Takdo, 23. Student from Japan who has been here studying English for 10 months.

His overall impressions are favorable: “I enjoy Los Angeles very much. Everybody looks happy, the weather is warm.”

And the driving doesn’t worry him, he says. “No problems, except for the traffic jams.”

But when he’s not doing the driving, he’d like some changes made:

“Make the buses come on time--and the same time. Make it less confusing. Sometimes I have to wait a long time for a bus to come. I want to know what time it comes.”

He’s had the time and mobility to get to the beach. “The beaches are very clean, beautiful. I went to Venice twice.”

And there have been other diversions. “I like concerts. It is very different from Japan. American audiences are more excited than people in Japan.”

Some favorite clubs:

“The Rainbow Club. It was great. The Whisky, Roxy, House of Blues. I like them very much.”

‘People Are Rude. They Honk Their Horns Too Much’

Vorathap Jiampanich, 43. Tourist from Thailand. He spent two weeks in Los Angeles this summer. His advice?

Improve the signs on streets and freeways.

“They made me nervous and are not very clear. Tell you to go straight, then when you get to the end it tells you left turn only. What can you do? It’s very terrible. By the time you see the sign, you cannot change the lane anymore. I had to go around and around many times. “

How would you make it better?

“I don’t know, but try to do something about that. Let the driver know earlier so they can know [what to do]. People have a bad attitude. One time I turned onto [Interstate] 5 and the exit was closed, drivers behind me yelled like crazy people. They keep acting like that. People are rude. They honk their horns too much.”

Did you go to the beach?

“Too cold.”