By Michelle and Gary Hamblett Sheffield, England
My husband and I are currently on a month’s vacation from England. It is also our honeymoon after getting married on July 15 in Las Vegas.
Santa Monica is one of the most wonderful sea resorts we have ever visited. Beautiful beaches, clean sound, plenty of green spaces to sit and relax, the shopping areas are excellent, plus everyone we have met is so friendly and willing to help you.
I have only one thing that has twinked our stay a little: the number of homeless people and vagrants that seem to be in Santa Monica. Maybe this is a problem nationwide in America, but there seems to be a very large percentage based here.
On quite a few occasions my husband and I have been pestered by them asking for money. We have always politely refused them saying we are on vacation and do not have that much spare money ourselves. They mostly seem to understand. But, one of the vagrants who asked us for not only $1, but $10, approached us while we were relaxing on our hotel patio. So now he knows our hotel and our patio and keeps coming and annoying us. It has certainly took a shine off our stay here in Santa Monica.
We were certainly not heartless people and gave to charities at home. But these people have no intention to look for a job or to even keep themselves clean. So why aren’t the police or council doing more to sort this problem out? I was here three years ago and there was the same number of them then.
I hope these people don’t leave a lasting impression on other foreign tourists as they have us. It would be a big shame, because Santa Monica is mostly beautiful.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2003. Read the original PDF.