WHILE the world excitedly awaits the next whacky Fast and Furious instalment to drop next April, the same can’t be said for the residents of Los Angeles’ Angelino Heights neighbourhood.
Ever since Fast and the Furious premiered in 2001, fans have made a beeline to Angelino Heights to gawk at Bob’s Market, the store ‘owned’ by the film’s Toretto family, along with the fictional family’s quaint Victorian house.
But unlike the nearby house where The WB series Charmed was shot, Bob’s Market and the ‘Toretto house’ have become a destination for more than just snapping selfies.
Nearly every night, car enthusiasts spin out doing donuts at high speeds in front of the store, in addition to racing and doing street takeovers throughout the area.
Meanwhile, traffic fatalities and pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed during the pandemic, often caused by reckless driving and speeding.
Residents who have been forced to deal with the constant noise and unsafe conditions are fed up. Scenes for Fast X will be filmed at Angelino Heights this Friday, and residents are planning to make their voices heard.
In an email sent to the Los Angeles City Council, it was claimed if the film shoot goes forward in Angelino Heights, a huge protest will be staged.
The email read: “We will hold this protest to honour the 178 people who have been killed by street racers in Los Angeles, and to shame Universal for their callous disregard for this deadly epidemic of street racing their films started and continue to promote.”
The protest, which is being organised by an Angelino Heights resident, is supported by Street Racing Kills and Streets Are for Everyone, two advocacy organisations that focus on road safety education.