{"id":444680,"date":"2025-12-13T15:18:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T15:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/444680\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T15:18:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T15:18:23","slug":"cone-gested-parking-crusader-clears-out-obstructions-creates-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/444680\/","title":{"rendered":"Cone-gested: Parking crusader clears out obstructions, creates space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a battle waiting for me in West Covina this holiday season.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

That means I\u2019ll probably run into orange parking cones in front of a few homes, a desperate attempt by locals to save themselves parking spots.<\/p>\n

The cones have always driven me nuts. They\u2019re unofficial, unauthorized and go against the \u201cfirst come, first served\u201d dictate of street parking. I\u2019ve dreamed of chucking them into adjacent yards.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s why the reporting of my colleague Karen Garcia<\/a> hit home.<\/p>\n

Parking is often a nightmare in L.A. and throughout California, prompting drivers to find creative ways to save spots.<\/p>\n

Garcia spoke with Joey Morales, the \u201cCone King\u201d of TikTok, known for single-handedly clearing obstructive parking placeholders throughout the city.<\/p>\n

Is he a hero or a villain?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Garcia\u2019s story <\/a>says.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the issue?<\/p>\n

Be it cones, trash cans, fake \u201cNo Parking\u201d signs or other items, Angelenos have made the act of parking on a public street a blood sport.<\/p>\n

But saving a spot through obstruction, without a valid permit, is against the city\u2019s municipal code<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Those who violate the law are subject to administrative fines beginning at $50<\/a>, but that\u2019s about it, according to the city.<\/p>\n

Happenings in Willowbrook<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people couldn\u2019t afford rent, so they had to move in with relatives and that crushed the little bit of parking that was available,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Enter Morales<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In rebellion, Morales acted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started moving them to park my car there because it was the only spot available\u201d when he\u2019d return home from work, he said.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 blocked with cones. He got out and moved them, pulled into the space and then posted the TikTok video.<\/p>\n

People applauded him for reclaiming the spot.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 not to save himself a spot but to try to put a stop to the practice.<\/p>\n

He would donate his stash of cones to construction crews, or if labeled as L.A. property, return them to the city.<\/p>\n

Notes from the writer\u2019s notebook<\/p>\n

Garcia said readers would be incorrect in thinking that Morales\u2019 crusade is just \u201ca gimmick for content\u201d on TikTok.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe really cares about his neighborhood and about making sure his neighbors have access to parking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said that shortly after Morales\u2019 initial video on TikTok, he received hundreds of comments and tips from viewers about illegal cones in their area, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s had people from all over L.A. County reach out and even from out of state,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThis is an issue that touches a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more on Garcia\u2019s reporting, check out the full article here<\/a>. Meanwhile, I have some cones to kick over in West Covina.<\/p>\n

You’re reading the Essential California newsletter The week\u2019s biggest stories \"California <\/p>\n

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, seen here in July, is helping lead a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration\u2019s imposition of a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa sought by a U.S. employer.<\/p>\n

(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

H1-B visas lawsuit<\/p>\n