Photos: The Chosen Ones Pick up their Michael Jackson Memorial Tickets

(Tom Andrews/LAist)

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Of the 1.6 million who tried to get a pair of tickets and wristbands for tomorrow's downtown Michael Jackson memorial service, only several thousand were chosen for admittance into either the Staples Center or to the Nokia Theatre to watch a live feed. If you did get a ticket, part of the deal was to head to Dodger Stadium today for pick up. That meant thousands of people descending upon Echo Park and Elysian Valley, many of them during rush hour.

One resident nearby was not thrilled.

"The traffic this caused on surrounding streets, specifically at the intersection of Portia St. and Scott Ave. this morning as I was leaving for work was very dangerous," said resident Jennifer Martinez in an e-mail to LAist. "There was a constant crush of cars, driven by people obviously unfamiliar with the area, swerving around that corner, or making illegal U-turns in the middle of the street, looking for a way out to Sunset Blvd. There was not a single traffic or security person in sight."

Commuters who use the area daily unexpectedly found themselves with a new route this morning.