Slab City, CA

[reeves99]

Dan and I drove down to Slab City today to take a look. We were quite unprepared for what we saw. To quote Bette Davis, What a dump! And I mean that literally. Derelict trailers and piles of garbage strewn across the desert. We expected some sort of order. A certain nobility of the less affluent living inexpensively. What we saw was a sort of anarchy, and certainly little respect for the environment.
Have any of you been there or stayed there? What do YOU think?
Phil

[BCDave]

And this surprised you why????

[Darwin Maring]

Read some articles on the net about there being a really bad side to the slab and a not as bad side, etc. Showed pictures of trash ect. I guess you get what you pay for.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by reeves99

We were quite unprepared for what we saw. ...We expected some sort of order. A certain nobility of the less affluent living inexpensively. What we saw was a sort of anarchy, and certainly little respect for the environment.

I think anyone who has romantic expectations of Slab City needs to view the Salton Sea Documentary DVD before going there.
I've visited on a day trip, with an Imperial County resident as a guide. Ghetto as a tourist destination...

[Joy A]

I have never been there but I have always wondered how it can exist with all the environmentalist here in California. It's been there a long long time.

[Harvey]

I think this is probably a symptom of the pervasive attitude amongst lots of society today (& in previous years/eras also). Many(most??) folks tend not to put much value on things that cost them little or nothing, either in time, effort, or goods (money?). Even in the 'slabs' you'll find small oases of neat, well kept rigs/sites, many of whom obviously have limited means, alongside the slobs. I expect that if you could do a thorough check, you'd find most of the folks (of both types) live/perform similarly no matter where they are, unless required by some authority to do otherwise...

[Darwin Maring]

Without some authority to have some sort of control sooner or later some thug will come along to take away something that someone may have and if you don't just give it to them they beat you up and if they can't beat you up they come back with other thugs, take it away beat you up or kill you.

[Scouter Dave]

Thanks for the update on the Slab. I have just crossed it off my to-do list..
Someone once said that every great idea contains the seeds of its own destruction or something to that effect. D.

Originally Posted by reeves99

Dan and I drove down to Slab City today to take a look. We were quite unprepared for what we saw. To quote Bette Davis, What a dump! And I mean that literally. Derelict trailers and piles of garbage strewn across the desert. We expected some sort of order. A certain nobility of the less affluent living inexpensively. What we saw was a sort of anarchy, and certainly little respect for the environment.
Have any of you been there or stayed there? What do YOU think?
Phil

[HikeSticks]

There are no central services; water, sewer nor garbage collection. It is populated by independent people who do what they want, when they want. Most have limited resources to to remove their garbage; where would they take it? Landfills cost money to operate and outsiders using facilities would have to pay.

[Donna D.]

There is no crime in being poor. The "crime" occurs when folks choose to be filthy dirty and slobs. I would guess there's a fair amount of mental/drug/alcohol abuse at the Slabs. Remember, rats and humans are the only "animals" on the face of the earth that purposely defecate in their nests.

[reeves99]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

There is no crime in being poor. The "crime" occurs when folks choose to be filthy dirty and slobs. I would guess there's a fair amount of mental/drug/alcohol abuse at the Slabs. Remember, rats and humans are the only "animals" on the face of the earth that purposely defecate in their nests.

We felt very uncomfortable driving through the Slabs. I couldn't get it out of my mind that the unfortunates there were probably armed to the teeth. All we needed was some nut to take offence at us looky-loos and bam! I still shudder at the thought of my visit there!
Phil

[Carol H]

Phil I don't blame you! When I was in the Salton Sea area there were more than a few areas that made me feel real uncomfortable to the point I didnt even feel safe stopping to take photos.... I appreciate that many of us have more comforts in life than others & have traveled in countries where the general population has nothing in comparison to the norm in N/A but I didnt feel as uncomfortable in those counties. One is left seriously question how the situation in the Salton Sea area was allowed to happen and continue......

[Robin G]

My Mom always tried to instill in me, it's not a crime to live in a card board house, it's a crime when they don't take pride in ownership of that card board house.



Personally I have never heard of the "Slab" but if it's anything like some of the rv/campgrounds I have seen that cater to year round living as well as some of the free squater sites out on Lake Meade I can only imagine!

[Carol H]

Robin, ..... think worse wayyyyyy worse!