Photo Op: Arclight Bike Rack GentrIvarfication

Gentrivarfication?

This photo was sent from my cellphone whilst walking through the parking lot at Arclight Cinemas after seeing “The Lives of Others” a couple of nights ago. (since it’s a German film, I kept confusing it with “The Quiet German” and “The Good German,” names of recent German films. I think. Maybe I made one of those names up. Maybe those movies aren’t even German!)

The piece of paper was pasted to a pillar near the former location of bike racks at the cinema’s parking lot, close to the entrance to the development’s promenade. But what does it mean?

I posit that the bike racks had to moved because the owner of the property is making way for a curbside latte and caviar stand (you know, gentrification). Therefore the racks were moved to the seedy “IVAR EXIT.” Thus, the note was a sarcastic missive from a disgruntled theater employee who now has to walk an extra few feet after parking his Schwinn.

On the other hand, my girl Jessica says perhaps the new “IVAR EXIT” bike rack location was formerly too seedy for bike racks. You know how transients, prostitutes and drug pushers hang out there. Thus, the racks had to previously be located safely inside the Arclight development’s parking lot, where people could lock up their bikes in relative safety. But now, the “IVAR EXIT” location is safe for bike racks.

So Los Angeles, which is it? REACT TO ME.