Home Depot

As a gardener, I find myself at Home Depot quite a bit. There are around 10 in the Los Angeles area, and quite a few more in the Greater Los Angeles area. I have been to 7 locations. The one I most frequent is the Hollywood location:

From the roof parking lot - can you read the white sign in the hills?

This location is completely insane always! I have heard that it is the busiest store they have and I believe it. Just getting into the parking lot is a nightmare, and then trying to walk down the aisles and purchase items can be daunting. The amount of people and cars and carts and large items, you feel as though you take your life into your hands. And forget about finding someone to help you.

I have learned to check over every item that I purchase, especially if it is in a bag or a box. For me this is usually irrigation items: timers and emitters and connectors. Once I bought a timer and when I went to install it, several parts were missing (small but vital parts). Oftentimes the bags have small holes in them and half of the contents are gone. You can only make that mistake once. It is worth the extra minutes I spend at the store checking over every item that I am to purchase. I wonder how much shop lifting costs the store every year.

The craziest part of the Hollywood store are the day laborers who stand on the outskirts of the parking lot looking for work. I have been told because of the crash of the construction industry, the amount of laborers has increased and the desperation has also. For those who do not know about this, these are men who are available to work that day for cash. Many homeowners will go and get a few guys for all kinds of jobs (painting, landscaping, moving, etc) Several times I have witnessed a naive homeowner who drives up to a group of guys for this purpose. All of a sudden the vehicle is MOBBED and, if the driver was truly a novice and did not lock the car doors, then guys are shoving themselves into the car! Upon seeing this, other guys from across the parking lot will start running over to the vehicle and soon there are 50 guys all looking to get hired and the car is lost to sight. Generally a security guard will come over and disperse everyone but it is quite a sight to see! I always lock my car when I drive into the lot. I have even had guys try and grab stuff out of my arms when I am loading my car so they can do it for me and then ask for money. No way! Though, to be fair, I have had a few of them insist on loading my car for free just because I am a woman. Chivalry is not dead.

Contractors use these laborers too, not just homeowners. It is illegal. Most of the day laborers are from south of the border (and not just from Mexico. That always bothers me, I have met many who are from Peru or el Salvador, etc.) Just think, if this was Arizona, every single one of these men would be rounded up by the police and arrested. I wonder if Immigration ever comes to the Home Depot parking lot. And I wonder what Home Depot thinks about this. Do they have a policy?

Here is an image to leave you with:

I dont know what they are but for $6.99 you could buy one!