I like going to my local Walgreens (Sherman way and mason) since it's conveniently right around the corner from where I live, but as of lately it's been very disappointing to see More and more products locked up behind plexiglass. And due to the lack of staff (or limited staff) one has to wait to get what they need, like body wash. Which is pretty wild. I know theft and robberies are at and all time high in LA county at the moment, but this Walgreens wasn't so bad before. I noticed a significant downfall in the neighborhood once Walgreens allowed an illegal taco stand /a churro stand/ and a stuffed animal, hat, mask stand to set up shop in front of their parking lot. Firstly, The taco stand is disposing their cooking oil all over the walgreens surrounding plants and bushes and dirt outside, which has killed a majority of the vegetation and turned a lot of it black and ugly. The soil/dirt has absorbed gallons of cooking oil and has developed an awful stench on top of making the sidewalk in front of the business dangerously slippery and black. Since this taco stand had been operating illegally now for about 4 years, it has created quite a fan base, which uses the Walgreens parking lot to park and get their food and eat their food in the parking lot. There has been several incidents where my car has been hit/scratched by someone who is not even a Walgreens customer, They're a taco stand customer. A lot of the times I can't even find parking since several of the taco stand customers are utilizing them to eat or park to stand in line and get a taco. I use to come to this Walgreens way more often anytime throughout the day, now I have to think about it since it has become very dangerous during the day and at night. Several of the taco stand customers get drunk in their cars and leave glass bottles standing in the lot, which have given a few locals some flat tires. I use to do my night walks and swing by Walgreens to get a drink, not anymore, since it's dangerous to walk through the entrance of the parking lot since the taco stand parks their big truck right before the entrance to the Walgreens parking lot, which blocks the view of the drivers pulling into the parking lot, I can't tell you the amount of times I've almost been hit in front of Walgreens because of this taco stand operating illegally and parking illegally.
Lastly, the most awful incidents that keep occurring at this Walgreens is the amount of drunks that are allowed to loiter in front of the business and throughout the parking lot. They ogle, stare, and whistle at women that are alone or with their children walking by, on top of pulling out their private parts and urinating all over the remaining brushes and greenery on the side of the parking lot. The combination of nasty cooking oil and urine does not make it pleasant to drive or walk into this Walgreens. The taco stand enables the drunks that loiter in the Walgreens by giving them food, which keeps them around and several other sketchy people.I've developed a schedule to work around all this madness, just to go to this Walgreens and get my necessities. Taco stand usually arrives around 2:50pm, if I leave my house by 2pm I'm safe. If I need anything after 2pm, I rather drive to CVS on Roscoe and De Soto. I feel safer going into that business, on top of not having to worry about my car being hit by a drunk, who's there for tacos. read more