Last week some local people got very aggressive on social media, putting up a photograph of two local boys who they accused of vandalizing a Rustic Canyon tree.
This reckless posting broke so many rules of decency and fairness, if I was one of the boys’ parents, I would be very deeply upset. But there is also a bigger problem here.
In the 21 years I have lived here, I have seen a lot of outrageous things. But these bad experiences are being eclipsed on social media.
For instance, in an attempt to help the community increase LAPD traffic enforcement when dealing with the Ruthless Ryderz, I decided to join Nextdoor.
This site is an easy tool for quick, responsive reactions. But my experience there turned out to be a much rougher ride than expected.
For three months, I interacted with residents under the threads Ruthless Ryderz, Ruthless Ryderz – Part 2 and Ruthless Ryderz – Part 3.
Not only was I insulted and bullied by Palisadians but, elsewhere, so were teenagers, anyone with a different opinion and even a new restaurant in town.
One would think that disclosing your name would prevent this, but people tweaked their name or occupation to fly below the radar.
Karin became Karen. An infamous news anchor became a handyman to get away with their nastiness. But all of these characters are just a Google away, along with public property tax records, from discovery.
Oh, my!
So, listen up Pacific Palisades: Stop this awful behavior.
You are not only embarrassing yourself, but also making our town look intolerant. I can hear the real estate market fizzling as we speak.
Good, I knew that would get your attention!
Paula Leonhauser | Alphabet Streets
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