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# Free ride in Santa Monica?
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/free-ride-in-santa-monica-editor/
- Published: 2005-02-11T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T06:04:56.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Downtown, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*By Ron Yukelson Santa Monica*

Santa Monica is truly the home of the homeless (”Homelessness hits home in SM,” (SMDP, Feb. 8, page 1).

True story: I’m an administrator at a large, downtown Los Angeles hospital. Recently a homeless person was presented to our emergency room. He complained about a number of ailments, none of which we could find any evidence to support his claims. After a period of time he was ready to be discharged. He refused, unless we provided him with a taxi voucher to Santa Monica.

Of all the great things Santa Monica is known for, what a black eye that we are so well known as the top choice among the homeless. Personally, it is the single thing that degrades my quality of life in what I would otherwise consider paradise.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 11, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021105.pdf?ref=smdp.com)