You know your you're in El Monte...

My first post for Cali Collective. :) So fittingly, this will be about California. I got lost driving back from Torrance this weekend. Don't ask me how or why. I just thought I knew where I was going and was too stubborn to submit defeat despite having my iPhone on me. Well, I didn't really get lost, I had a general idea where I was going. I knew I wasn't taking the most convenient route home from Torrance though. I ended up on the 405 North around Culver City and there was just too much traffic so I said to myself, "Fuck it." I exited and decided to get lost in Culver City. I don't know if it was a good decision, but I just wanted to drive around and observe. My spontaneous journey lead me to Downtown Culver City. The area has this very pleasant art deco architecture.
Not too bad right? Blue skies, palm trees in the distance and some old theater in Culver City. It wasn't a bad day at all. I drove around hollerin' at girls and sight seeing for a little bit, and I magically ended up finding the 10 Freeway. Let me pull up a quick Google maps thing for y'all so you can see what happened with my Asian driving skills.
The red and green is NOT official traffic information from Google. It most certainly felt like that though. So as you can see from that illustration... I'm retarded. I digress, my Chevy S-10 and I ended up back on the 10 in ridiculous traffic and running out of gas so I exited around El Monte since I was familiar with the area. I was raised in El Monte and I love it, but GOD DAMMIT. Compare the following photos to the ones you just saw.
So this picture is a little busy. But let me explain to you what you are seeing. You are seeing the intersection of Potrero Ave. and Garvey Avenue in El Monte. You see all those streamers and shiny stuff on the corners? Yes. Car Dealerships. Not 1. Not 2. Not 3. But 4! A car dealership on each corner! (Photo only shows three, but trust.) I thought life would get better until this truck merges in front of me.
Let me further explain what you are seeing. It's a truck trailing a miniture billboard ad for some new "luxury" townhouses in El Monte. Luxury townhouses in El Monte... if that isn't an oxymoron I don't know what is. You know that annoying feeling you get when you get a pop-up ad or spam in your e-mail. Imagine that feeling, but being unable to click on the X to close the box. Then intensify that feeling because it's just right in front for a few god damn miles.... That's when you know your in El Monte.... vato!