Welcome to the Twilight Zone: 39th and Figueroa
By JONATHAN LLOYD
Updated 6:06 PM PDT, Wed, Jun 17, 2009
One of the good things about a parade is that it brings potential customers to businesses along the route -- unless your business happens to be on part of the route that's blocked.
That was the case Wednesday morning along Figueroa near the Coliseum. The Lakers victory parade embarked from Staples Center to the Coliseum, where fans attended a team rally, but couldn't enjoy Christina Macias' delicious burritos and tacos.
"We were prepping for days," said Macias, owner of Chano's on Figueroa. "We had everybody ready. We're just waiting for the customers that aren't going to be allowed to come because the city is saying they need to stop. I'm really upset. We're a small business, it's hard. Today was supposed to be a good day."
Authorities sealed off the area from 36th to 39th on Figueroa to prevent crowds from following the parade to the Coliseum. It remained open to local residents.
Without the closure, a lot of people would be left with no place to go because the Coliseum was at capacity.
Good for crowd control, bad for business.
Macias was up at 4 a.m. to prepare for what she thought might be the busiest day of the year.
"It's really disheartening," she added.
Macias said she spent thousands of dollars getting ready for parade day.
The city advised businesses along the Figueroa corridor to close because of parking restrictions and street closures. Many that stayed open hired security.
First Published: Jun 17, 2009 11:03 AM PDT
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