Oh, dude, my wife is a SoCal native and UCLA grad--she's grown up in and lived the societal landscape so to speak. This is my second stint in Cali. First was mid-90's in the OC at then Fluor HQ in Irvine. Lived in Monrovia for 14 years before Sacramento the past 5-6 years.
Every place has them, I guess, but there are some seriously disturbed people in LA County. I don't imagine that the lesser stories make the news back East, but it's sadly not uncommon for "normal" seeming folks to start fires intentionally. As I posted earlier, the last time Eaton Canyon burned, it was a homeless guy that started it because he was cold. Certainly, that's not an excuse, but very different than the mentally unstable guy-next-door who is a pyromaniac in his spare time.
Also, I've never lived anywhere like LA County. South Carolina has its share of issues, but people are generally, hard-working, God-fearing, & what they appear to be. LA County is chocked full of people trying to be something they're not and careful to be sure you think they've got their act together despite how they are failing. I've traveled extensively for my career; that area is the greatest concentration of disingenuous/phonies that I've ever experienced. Lie straight to your face and not even flinch.
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