A Journey Into the Mind of Watts

[Keith McMullen]

 >>>I had a further thought about the potential danger to young Pynchon 
in Watts.
People not familiar with L.A. might be interested to know that Watts was
considered even more dangerous in the 80s than it was in the 60s. They
would warn you when you rented a car at LAX not to travel directly East
even though your final destination might suggest it. Too many bullets
flying around in South Central. Take the San Diego and the Ventura (or
whatever it was) even if the Harbor freeway might have been a shorter
trip to Pasadena. (where ma lived). I took the dangerous route anyway
and always lucked out. Just a personal touch.<<<

This is a shitty post. Who exactly are these 'they' that warned you? 
And what are you implying by 'final destination?' The uncertainty about 
'the Ventura' only adds to the specious nature of these assertions. 
There is nothing here, not even tossing in your 'ma' as a folksy 
device, to demonstrate actual landings at LAX or bold ventures through 
the land of Watts.