Interrupting A Film Shoot Can Now Land You In Handcuffs

Our fair city has a new ordinance that warrants an arrest if you disrupt filming taking place in public.  Under the newly passed special events ordinance, "no person shall in any manner interfere with the progress or orderly conduct of a permitted Special Event", meaning if you do, you'll get arrested.

Don't assume this is one of those things that's not really enforced because it was very real to some poor schmuck earlier this week. He was arrested on Venice boardwalk when he demanded compensation after being told by a film crew to stop playing music that was disrupting their shoot.  Granted, this guy was a shit disturber and probably should have just flipped them off and called it a day. There are plenty of other places down the boardwalk where he could have planted himself to strum his guitar or whatever, but is this really the sort of thing you call 911 over?  It's so comforting to know the L.A.P.D. is at the disposal of film crews whenever there's a disgruntled bystander because it's not like they have any real crime or emergencies to deal with or anything...

Only in L.A. would something like this ever fly.  Excuse us, but last time we checked showbiz was the one interfering with the lives of Angelenos, not the other way around.  We have all endured countless instances of getting places late, sitting in traffic, and not being able to go about our day because streets and businesses are closed due to filming.  And let's not forget the exquisitely painful traffic we all experienced the week of the Oscars.  Oh, and what about not being able to park in front of your home or office because a film crew has taken over the street? It seems like a sick joke that the entertainment industry would be given even more latitude in a city that already revolves around it.

Between Hef saving the Hollywood sign and this new development, the week has been a really powerful reminder of who runs this town and who's bending over for them.

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