california

[yolia]

mattias,
Well, if you hadn't bad-mouthed me on this forum and been such an asshole to me way back, I would've invited you over––maybe even allowed you to crash on my couch given that I live in Glendale and am centrally located to all the great parts of LA and SF Valley. You're loss buddyroo.
Victor

[mattias]

i was only an asshole to you because you deserved it, and since it doesn't seem like you've changed why would i want to crash on your couch?

i'm staying with friends in echo park, i guess that makes us neighbors so watch out.

/matt

[etimh]

i was only an asshole to you because you deserved it, and since it doesn't seem like you've changed why would i want to crash on your couch?

How do you deduce that he hasn't "changed" from this post? He's just stating a fact that you were an asshole to him at one point and he felt that might have spoiled any chances of a future relationship. Whether he "deserved" it or not is probably a matter of perception and is irrelevant anyways. Something went down and that's that. Everybody here has been a jerk at one time or another and its too bad that friendships can get soured before they even start.

But I had the same reaction as yolia when I read your appeal to get together with people here in Los Angeles. We've had our differences but I don't have anything against you, really. I just wouldn't want to hang out with you. Just as you probably wouldn't want to hang out with me. We'd probably end up killing each other. Just different personalities, that's all. But I'm really glad that you've found some people in Echo Park that can tolerate you.

Tim

[mattias]

man, i think you've misunderstood. i'm not asking for company or a place to stay, that's all been taken care of, i just thought it would be fun to see some internet aliases face to face. if you don't want to that's fine.

it's funny though that people all over europe and on the u.s. east coast are always eager to hook up even if we've argued our asses off online, while californians apparently aren't. i can only speculate on the reason, but maybe the lack of public transportation has made you more sensitive or something. spend an hour a day in the subway and anything goes... :-)

/matt

[yolia]

i was only an asshole to you because you deserved it, and since it doesn't seem like you've changed why would i want to crash on your couch?

i'm staying with friends in echo park, i guess that makes us neighbors so watch out.

Ha! You're still an asshole. But now that I know where you're staying and what you look like, my peeps in Diamond Street would enjoy throwing you a welcoming party, homey.
Victor

[Ace]

wow...such animosity... um, it may be safer in Mexico....

[super8man]

Europeans always seem to underestimate the size of this country (the USA, and Canada for that matter). Hell, we have states larger than multiple European countries and people think we are all the same over here??? Heck, in California alone there are groups/areas that want to separate Northern California from Southern California. Then you have the Central Valley which is very different in tolerance and political profile than the coastal regions. And all bets are off for those in San Diego and Santa Barbara. Those two groups have political moxy that tend to differ from every other constituent group in the state, period.

So, yes, Californian's are different from the East Coast population. If anything, the East Coast people are more similar than different compared to out here.

I'd be interested to hear your perspective on your travels though...should you decide to debrief us on your trip.

Later.

[mattias]

sorry, a joke that didn't work so well. ;-) i've crossed your country
east to west and the west north to south before, and i've been to
california about ten times. i'm not in the business of
underestimating. mexico though, that's a tiny litte place, right?

/matt

[CHAS]

it's funny though that people all over europe and on the u.s. east coast are always eager to hook up even if we've argued our asses off online, while californians apparently aren't. i can only speculate on the reason, but maybe the lack of public transportation has made you more sensitive or something. spend an hour a day in the subway and anything goes...

/matt

That's a bit of a generalization, don't you think? I've hung out with Last Coyote in Hong Kong, some of the Portland shooters when I was up there a few years ago, and have dinner with Roger Evans when he comes to L.A. among others. But, like etimh states, I don't want to hang out with you. Being from California has nothing to do with it. Enjoy Echo Park.

[Nigel]

Who cares if Mattias comes across as an asshole at times??

If I met the guy the last things I would wanna talk about is Super8/film. Which is the only time I have read anything he wrote that may come across as being an ass.

Who knows. The guy may actually be pretty cool.

I've thought he was an ass but that doesn't mean I would turn down the chance to meet up and talk about skiing or any number of things. When I hang out with board members the last thing I like to talk about is film. It is more fun to talk about everything else.

Good Luck

[zantizoom8]

You may already be in california by now... so welcome and hope it was a fine crossing.
anyway...
What BolexPlusX says is very true. Even if you are involved in a minor fender bender in Mexico, all parties involved are automatically arrested and held by the policia until any claims are settled and insurance is proved. They can be in no particular hurry about it and can ruin your day perhaps for many days. While in custody, any expensive looking film gear will probably be no longer under your control and you will be lucky if you see any of it again. It is customary for the police there to supplement their incomes with valuables from visitors, and demanding a bribe is routine. The last time i was at the California border, there were small businesses selling temporary mexican insurance, but in most all cases, US rental companies do not allow their vehicles into mexico. You will be liable for replacing the vehicle if stolen or confiscated, which can easily happen, since the police operate most of the stolen vehicle operation. If you have a new SUV, count on it being taken. Most of the police drive stolen SUVs and even when found with the VIN numbers, the US cannot and will not do anything.

If you arrive without a car and have a rental reservation, that does NOT mean they will have a car available for you. even if it is a major us rental firm. That happened with me in Puerta Vallarta. I used taxis in town and buses for longer hauls. That was 10 years ago, but its probably no better if not worse now.
There were small vendors renting jeeps at $10/day but they said insurance was not required so it didnt make much sense to take one of those.

Without a US passport i can only imagine getting back through the border will not go smoothly and you will most likely be selected for additional questioning and inspections. What they seem most concerned with is whether you went anywhere besides mexico and the purpose of your visit.
if they dont believe you, you could be held at the us border by (ICE) immigration and customs enforcement.

The idea is not to scare the dude mattias, but convey the perceived reality. To say that 'mexico is fine' is more than misleading. The last i checked, mexican vacations are no longer being promoted or recommended by most travel professionals. The best advice would be to not do any driving in mexico, unless you are well accustomed to it and have a certain need to.

If i were still making trips to cali, it would be great to have a drink dockside in san diego or somewhere among the hollywood studios, toss around some old cameras and shoot film. Have a mighty fine fun safe adventure! :mrgreen:

The best place in LA for a brew has to be Barney's Beanery on santa monica(if its still there) probably every bottled beer available on this planet!

(wonder how your commercial shoot in Spain went? how were the locals and did you have any need for releases?)

[Ace]

Ha, ha wow...where do I begin? I will start by saying most of what you are saying is true; but most of what you're saying can also be applied to almost any country you visit (more prevalent in third world countries of which I have traveled, which also include the middle east; Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, etc ). Federalies taking bribes is certainly nothing new and not a secret. And each different country has it's own unique pitfalls that you need to be aware of...but why would you deprive yourself of an experience because it might possible be inconvenient, or a possible problem?; If I took that attitude I would never leave my house for fear of getting into an accident or something; or that there is a crime wave in my area? Part of the enjoyment of traveling is exploring (within safe parameters and understanding your surroundings) but all the same is just part of life. Yeah, I understand that some peoples tolerances are higher for being adventurous, but I guess that's the bottom line....do what you feel comfortable doing. (period)

Why not just walk across the border from San Diego instead of renting a car? The Mexican experience (quick version) can be had from just walking around Tijuana visiting the hole in the wall dive bars. (if you like that kind of thing, which I do on occasion).

And speaking of hole in the wall dive bars, yes, Barny's Beanery's is still there in the heart of Hollywood.

[zantizoom8]

Ha, ha wow...where do I begin? I will start by saying most of what you are saying is true; ......

Why not just walk across the border from San Diego instead of renting a car? The Mexican experience (quick version) can be had from just walking around Tijuana visiting the hole in the wall dive bars. (if you like that kind of thing, which I do on occasion).

And speaking of hole in the wall dive bars, yes, Barny's Beanery's is still there in the heart of Hollywood.

walking over to TJ is also good idea, my point being that driving can involve unecessary risks and when planning something unknown, all worst case scenerios can be considered along with any other advisories. being forewarned is being prepared. his inquiry centered around renting a car in mexico. a european with a new rental car (whether it has mexican or us plates) is a likely target. unless you have a specific reason you need to drive there, weigh the risk factors.

oh glad to hear Barneys has survived since i was there. but, i would hardly lump it in with mexican hole in the wall dive bars! :lol: its much more of a classic tourist destination, or family restaurant that serves beer.

[Juno]

i was only an asshole to you because you deserved it, and since it doesn't seem like you've changed why would i want to crash on your couch?

i'm staying with friends in echo park, i guess that makes us neighbors so watch out.

/matt

And you are so egocentric that you think that you have a right to be an ass to everyone else and you never deserve to have people be an ass to you? You have some serious God complex! I remember a few posts of yours where you actually showed some signs of humanity and compassion by saying that you learned from this forum that sometimes it is better to be nice to people than always trying to be right. Most parents teach that to their children in the process of raising them but, as they say, better late than never! :roll: However, those brief periods, when you actually showed signs of having some humanity, quickly evaporated when, in an instant, you turned right back around and started acting like an ass again! And then you just want to waltz into anyone's town and have them receive you like a king!

[zantizoom8]

:roll: "oh the humanity!..."
fortune cookie sez:
try to take the roughest edge characters with a grain of salt.
sometimes the harshest people online with strangers can be the nicest in person. eloquence is not always a virtue. some smart-ass out of his element could be somewhat amusing. yadda yadda... :lol: