Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Drivers Bust Out Poker Table During 5 Freeway Shutdown

pokertable.jpg
Just your typical Texas Hold 'Em game being played on an L.A. freeway during rush hour (Photo via Sarah Jung on Instagram)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.


While hundreds of drivers were stuck on the 5 freeway Friday after a man wouldn’t get down from an overpass sign, someone got the bright idea to bring out a poker table and set it up on the freeway.Intrepid Instagram user Sarah Jung of Los Feliz witnessed the event when she was one of the unlucky people who got stuck while police shut down the 5 in both directions yesterday at about 3:50 p.m.

“These people set up a poker table and suggested that people play Texas Hold ’Em with them,” Jung told the Los Angeles Times.

Jung snapped a photo of the group and posted it to Instagram, which someone then posted to the Facebook page of KABC-TV Channel 7, mistaking it for a pop-up taco stand (somewhere in L.A., someone is getting their taco stuff ready to make this happen). Social media picked up on it and made the imaginary taco stand guy a momentary fake celebrity.

“Everyone seems to think it was a taco stand,” Jung expained to the Times. “I would love to clear up the fact that it was a Texas Hold ’Em table and not a taco stand.”

The unidentified man on the overpass ledge was finally detained at about 7:15 p.m. and taken to an area hospital for evaluation.

We all have to keep ourselves entertained in such situations. Jung’s boyfriend, Sung-Ho Pak, even posted a video of himself spoofing R.E.M.’s “Everbody Hurts.” (Oh good, we thought that reference was too old to make.)

Sponsored message

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today