Since The Fast and the Furious hit theaters in 2001, fans of the franchise have flocked to Angelino Heights to gaze upon the famous spots like Bob’s Market and the Victorian house of Dominic Toretto played by Vin Diesel. Although it is not a crime to visit these spots, Fast and Furious fans have taken things a step too far as many car enthusiasts are seen driving their vehicles there are doing donuts at high speeds in front of the market and house from the film, and racing throughout the area.
The residents of these neighborhoods are not happy about this and have started a protest against the franchise from filming In Los Angeles' Angeleno Heights on the ground that they consider it might encourage illegal street racing there in the near future. These residents have been dealing with constant noise and unsafe conditions for years now, and the anger over street racing is becoming a huge problem to deal with.
Protesters are out in Angelino Heights, demonstrating against the filming of #FastandFurious10” here in #LosAngeles. They’re trying to get the word out that “street racing kills”. @knxnews pic.twitter.com/zAFigz57LB
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) August 26, 2022
Traffic jams and pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed in recent years due to reckless driving and speeding. The residents of Angelino Heights have been dealing with the negative impact that the films have had on the neighborhood for years. The noise coming from the cars has become disruptive as they are present day and night. Parents are afraid to let their kids walk alone on the sidewalk for fear of a car spinning out of control.
An email from a resident to Los Angeles City Council read, “If this film shoot is allowed to go forward in Angelino Heights, or any part of it from F10 Productions (Universal)... we will stage a huge protest and will invite many reporters and news cameras to film us protesting this film shoot all day and night".
The protest is being supported by Street Racing Kills and Streets Are for Everyone, whose founders Lili Trujillo Puckett and Damian Kevitt have both been affected by dangerous driving, and are advocating for safer roads. They say that they do not have a problem with car enthusiasts racing in a safe, contained environment, but is not acceptable when it is done on public roads.
