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.
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.
Some Jerk(s) Tagged Angels Flight With Graffiti
What is that? A capybara? (Photo by Tim Loc/LAist)
Angels Flight, L.A.'s favorite funicular, has been tagged with graffiti.
The news first came to light when Downtown LA Walking Tours Tweeted on Wednesday a picture of graffiti on one of the cars. LAist went out there on Friday morning and saw that the graffiti is still there. It covers the side of the car that's closest to the stairway. There's also some tagging on the windows around the car:
More tagging. (Photo by Tim Loc/LAist)
The Office of Community Beautification, a sub-department in L.A.'s Department of Public Works, said that it wasn't until Friday morning that someone had called in to report the vandalism.
Paul Racs, director of the Office of Community Beautification, said that Angels Flight doesn't fall under the department's jurisdiction, as its run by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, but there's a good chance that his department will end up cleaning the graffiti. The department sent out a contractor on Friday morning to assess the damage and to come up with a cost assessment.
Racs said that his department can't do anything without the foundation's consent. "It could be tricky, because any graffiti abatement may tamper with the paint on the car. We may have to use water blasters or chemicals. We may have to paint over it. But, before we do any of that, whoever's in charge will have to approve it first," said Racs.
Hal Bastian, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, told Curbed LA that the vandalism is "a tragedy." LAist called the Angels Flight Railway Foundation but no one was immediately available for comment.
Sponsored message
Angels Flight has been out of commission since a 2013 derailment. While the safety issues have been cleared up, the cars remain idle because of bureaucratic red tape, say L.A. historians Richard Schave and Kim Cooper. In the meanwhile, the foundation has been raising money to cover costs that include a hefty annual insurance premium.
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.
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
