The 65 RTD Stop

On the night of November 2nd, I went to the Self-Help Graphics Dia de los Muertos event in the heart of East LA, on the the corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Gage.

I remember this corner very well because that is where I would always catch the 65 RTD bus (Rapit Transit) when I attended Belvedere Junior High School (about two blocks east of Gage on Record Avenue). I remember how crowded the corner on Gage and Cesar Chavez Avenue (Brooklyn Ave back then) would get, especially with so many of us trying to rush the bus minutes after our 3pm release from school. Incidentally, the 65 bus was the same bus that would take you from City Terrace (and Cal State LA) all the way to Whittier Boulevard and beyond. For a 13 year old kid from the hills of City Terrace, the 65 RTD not only took us to our junior high and high schools, it also connected us to the rest of East LA. For example, on Cesar Chavez and Gage, you would get off and potentially transfer on the 68 line, west towards Downtown LA and east towards East Los Angeles College and the Montebello Town Center. Those of us with student bus IDs felt empowered, because it was one of the first signs of independence, being able to move around freely around your surrounding neigborhoods and barrios.

This event brought many people from other parts of LA. The crowd was very diverse, and many vendors and artists were showing their crafts and wares.