Dear Editor,
Today, a woman standing near me in the TJ Maxx at 4th & Arizona casually urinated all over the floor. A few days ago, my 13-year-old daughter and her friend were accosted on the sidewalk outside our home by a woman kicking garbage cans and screaming “bitches” at them. (Our neighbor called the police, but the woman was allowed to keep doing her thing.) Leaving the restaurant Kanpai (22nd and Wilshire) on the very same evening, our exit was blocked by an aggressive man moving erratically while yelling at me and my 13 and 9-year-old girls at top volume.
This is not the Santa Monica I moved to 25 years ago — the city I had planned to live in forever. I mourn for the days when I felt safe walking, day or night. Heck, I used to push my babies in their strollers around the neighborhood in the wee hours when they couldn’t sleep. Now, a two block walk to Whole Foods has led to me being chased and screaming for help.
Although we still love our Santa Monica schools (Franklin and Lincoln), my husband and I spend our free time looking at real estate listings in Brentwood and the Palisades. It just seems unfair to keep putting our kids in danger. My 9-year-old has nightmares and I don’t blame her. People joke about the zombie apocalypse, but now, instead of the undead, we have the un-medicated, unpredictable un-housed and it’s no joke.
I vote in every election. I always say yes to the bills that purport to help the homeless. I am okay with paying more in taxes if it means we can be safe. But nothing ever changes for the better. I need to know, is there a plan? Or is it time to sell our home? This is a real question and I’d appreciate some answers.
Amy Wruble, Santa Monica
