There’s a battle waiting for me in West Covina this holiday season.
I’ll be visiting a family friend this Christmas and his home is one of 20 located on a tiny dead-end street that accommodates about two dozen parking spots. Many of those residents will be hosting parties that day.
That means I’ll probably run into orange parking cones in front of a few homes, a desperate attempt by locals to save themselves parking spots.
The cones have always driven me nuts. They’re unofficial, unauthorized and go against the “first come, first served” dictate of street parking. I’ve dreamed of chucking them into adjacent yards.
Maybe that’s why the reporting of my colleague Karen Garcia hit home.
Parking is often a nightmare in L.A. and throughout California, prompting drivers to find creative ways to save spots.
Garcia spoke with Joey Morales, the “Cone King” of TikTok, known for single-handedly clearing obstructive parking placeholders throughout the city.
Is he a hero or a villain?
Here’s what Garcia’s story says.
What’s the issue?
Be it cones, trash cans, fake “No Parking” signs or other items, Angelenos have made the act of parking on a public street a blood sport.
But saving a spot through obstruction, without a valid permit, is against the city’s municipal code.
In the last fiscal year, StreetsLA, a division of the Los Angeles Public Works Department, responded to more than 4,000 requests to remove obstructions in public rights-of-way, which include street parking spaces, said StreetsLA spokesperson Dan Halden.
Those who violate the law are subject to administrative fines beginning at $50, but that’s about it, according to the city.
Happenings in Willowbrook
The problem is particularly egregious in Willowbrook, where some families in this unincorporated slice of L.A. County have used cones or garbage cans for decades, said John Davis, president of Avalon Gardens Community Assn.
Parking challenges were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis said, when family members moved in together after people lost their jobs or relatives became sick and needed caregivers, in many cases adding another car to the household.
“A lot of people couldn’t afford rent, so they had to move in with relatives and that crushed the little bit of parking that was available,” he said.
Enter Morales
The father of two saw cones and trash cans blocking spots throughout his neighborhood for years. But he became incensed toward the end of 2022, when his neighbor started to cordon off a spot with orange cones.
In rebellion, Morales acted.
“I started moving them to park my car there because it was the only spot available” when he’d return home from work, he said.
One afternoon, when the parking situation was especially dire, Morales filmed himself driving onto his packed street and stopping in front of the only available spot — blocked with cones. He got out and moved them, pulled into the space and then posted the TikTok video.
People applauded him for reclaiming the spot.
Fast-forward three years, and the 31-year-old can be found in a yellow reflective vest, grabbing cones throughout the city and tossing them into his SUV— not to save himself a spot but to try to put a stop to the practice.
He would donate his stash of cones to construction crews, or if labeled as L.A. property, return them to the city.
Notes from the writer’s notebook
Garcia said readers would be incorrect in thinking that Morales’ crusade is just “a gimmick for content” on TikTok.
“He really cares about his neighborhood and about making sure his neighbors have access to parking,” she said.
She said that shortly after Morales’ initial video on TikTok, he received hundreds of comments and tips from viewers about illegal cones in their area, he said.
“He’s had people from all over L.A. County reach out and even from out of state,” Garcia said. “This is an issue that touches a lot of people.”
For more on Garcia’s reporting, check out the full article here. Meanwhile, I have some cones to kick over in West Covina.
You’re reading the Essential California newsletter The week’s biggest stories 
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, seen here in July, is helping lead a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s imposition of a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa sought by a U.S. employer.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
H1-B visas lawsuit
- California has sued over the Trump administration’s recent policy to charge employers a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa they request.
- The suit claims the fee goes against the visa program’s purpose, which is to provide U.S. employers with skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, math and other advanced fields.
- President Trump has criticized the program, claiming it has been “deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor.”
Norovirus on the rise
- The climb in cases of the “vomiting bug,” which can cause stomach flu symptoms, is especially noticeable in the San Francisco Bay Area and L.A.
- The emergence of a new strain, GII.17, can result in 50% more norovirus illness than typical, according to the CDC.
- Experts urge people to properly wash their hands. Hand sanitizer does not work well against the sickness.
A missing young hiker on Mt. Whitney
- A month ago, 21-year-old Joseph Brambila vanished on Mt. Whitney. He was last seen by another solo hiker and reported missing by his family a few days later.
- State and local searches have been unsuccessful, with harsh conditions hindering efforts. Rescuers say recovery might not be feasible until spring.
Leaders of California religious group accused of murder
- Two leaders and one prominent member of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, an Inland Empire group described as “cult-like” by authorities, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
- The arrests follow multiple investigations into the disappearance of a member and a former member and the 2010 death of a 4-year-old boy.
Newly released Epstein photos
- House Democrats released 19 photographs of powerful men seemingly in association with the deceased convicted sex offender.
- Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have 95,000 photos related to Epstein and plan to release more.
- Prominent figures in the images include Woody Allen, Bill Gates, former President Clinton, former Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon and President Trump.
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Various beverages from L.A. bars and coffee shops.
(Shelby Moore / For The Times)
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