“Death Trap”: Viral Video of Graffiti-Covered Los Angeles Walking Path Sparks Debate Online

The city of Los Angeles, and presumably the people running it, are being called out online for the condition the city allows its walking and biking paths to be in.

In a viral clip, a man pans his camera around a walking and biking path located at Robertson Boulevard and Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles that appears dirty, with graffiti covering much of the surrounding walls.

The man begins, "On a walking or bike path in Los Angeles, this is what the city has to offer when you want to come out and go for a nice walk in your neighborhood." In the clip, which has since been reshared by X user @WallStreetApes, he shows the somewhat closed-off pathway tucked between a building and what appears to be a highway wall. The path is covered in graffiti, with stains sprinkled across the pavement.

He then says, "Shame on the city of Los Angeles. Can anybody tell what they believe these stains are on the pavement?"

Commenters Connect Path's Condition to California Taxes

The clip isn't only being used to showcase one of the walking and biking paths in Los Angeles that, based on the comments, many people don't think is safe to use. It's also being used to highlight that California has the highest state taxes in the country, according to H&R Block, yet this is the type of area some Los Angeles residents say they're expected to use when they want to walk or bike.

For context, California stands at number one with the highest state taxes, followed by Hawaii and New York, according to H&R Block. While people in the comments were disgusted by the pathway, they also didn't seem surprised.

One person wrote, "You are either braver or dumber than me to even consider this corridor as safe. Ever watch Stand By Me? Remember the train bridge? Yeah. You're just asking to run into the wrong person and have to defend your life in that alley."

Another flat-out called it a "death trap," adding, "California always caring for its criminals, paths like this conserve a criminals energy by limiting the victims escape paths." A third wrote, "That is insane... Colorado has its problems, but they do take care of the land and our communities. I see shit like this and can not imagine it."

Others, however, were quick to call out California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the reason these bike and walking paths look like this, saying it isn't the only one. X user @WallStreetApes also shared a photo of another path located in Bell, where bike events are often hosted. In that photo, graffiti can be seen covering the walls while trash is scattered across the ground.

The video drew a mix of reactions, with some commenters questioning how California's tax revenue is spent while others said similar conditions are common in parts of Los Angeles.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the video or the assertions shared in the comments.