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Comment by boxmonster | Hacker News Reader

The Salton Sea area has its environmental problems, but it's less of a disaster than the author writes. There are picnic areas along the water that are nice. On the other hand, Slab City is more of a disaster than he writes. The residents seem to be of the mind to treat journalists nicely. Maybe they expect something good to happen in return. When I visited there Salvation Mountain had been taken over by acid casualties who put up threatening signs reading "keep out." When I stopped to take a picture they came towards me car and I feared I might be shot, expecting to hear the whiz of a bullet by my ear. Slab City is a disgusting homeless camp, full of mental illness and anger.

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I was just down there for the first time a couple weeks ago, in a shiny new Outback full of millennial Bay Area yuppies. We poked around and got lost in the neighborhood, but experienced only welcoming kindness, directing us to the library and the hot springs, and apologies for other diversions being closed due to Covid.

People we spoke with acknowledged that many residents are vets suffering PTSD, criminals on the lam, meth heads, and others that prefer to be left alone. But that some members of the community have built infrastructure for tourism, and it’s tolerated.

People considering visiting Slab City: just bring a warm heart and open mind, it’s really not scary or dangerous to go as a tourist. (Edit: also bring your street smarts of course, just like when visiting Union Square in SF)

> in a shiny new Outback full of millennial Bay Area yuppies > bring a warm heart and open mind

I'm not a negative person, but I have to rebut your comment that it's not dangerous. I've been homeless and lived among homeless. It's not unusual to send someone out to befriend people of your type while the rest figure out the best way to rip off everything you own.

Great point, I have updated my post.

I grew up within an easy drive of the Salton Sea and had the same reaction: it's a pretty sad and gross sea, and it's a tragedy for the people who live there, but it's not a Mad Max wasteland (seriously, Indio is a 20 minute drive away). I don't know much about Slab City though.

If you watch the multitude of videos on YouTube about Slab City, some by reputable media outlets, you might get the impression that its an artists colony with complete freedom of expression. "The Last Free Place On Earth" says the sign at the entry. It's actually where the dregs of society congregate because they've been run out of town everywhere else.

I think it’s good to have such places though where misfits can go.

You say "but" as if there was some contradiction.

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