Monday, July 23, 2012

One Thursday in Los Angeles: A Type-in near LAX

We've been hurriedly planning this get-together, hastily come about due to serious work requiring travel by one and desire for wanton escape from a new dreary work for the other.

But it happened and here is the story.

Peter was working probably until past 5 so we decided to meet at his hotel lobby around 7:30ish.

Since i had about 3 hours to kill before then, i checked yelp and made some calls to nearby antique shops if they had any typewriters in - sure enough i found one in nearby Hermosa Beach, which has a reputation to be full of "cool LA people" unlike the trendy ass plastic people in Hollywood, especially West Hollywood.

I located Stars Antique Market and i decided to have a go because it looks like a big red barn and its on the street where the pier is.
























Well, the lady lied. She said they had a bunch of typewriters, all over the place, she said. I get there and there is one space with typewriters.

I toured the whole place and half near scared myself to death a couple times because this place was indeed eerie! Observe:


























And here are the typewriters i saw:









Nothing good enough to buy. Most without cases and all of them completely overpriced. I left exasperated and disappointed. That did not last long since I was meeting up with my first typospherian!
Peter luckily was able to escape work and our type-in occurred inside the Crown Pointe Plaza LAX's dining area - in the cafe area of the coffee shop and just outside of its Sushi Bar (this is LA) and Jazz Bar (This is LA).

We got along like old friends. Conversation was easy. It is easy when the center of the conversation is typewriters. I brought my Consul and my Corona Speedline. Of course, once we warmed to each other, we got to know each other better than just our machines. He's an interesting fellow. Defintely passionate about typewriters. And quite knowledgeable as well.
For me, it being my first type-in, it was awkward at first. Usually, writing is a private affair for me. Late at night. Everyone's asleep. Only the moonlight sort of thing.
Only now, we were in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Lots of people getting coffee. Winding down. Staring.
The first real person who dared to engage us was this younger african-american lady with a giant tattoo down her left arm that read "DADDY'S GIRL". She also had all her boobs out to see. If i had to compare her to someone, I'd say Meagan Good during the most recent season of Californication (my favorite show, btw). Our lady wasn't as hot,obviously, but she certainly could have been a rapper's girlfriend or mistress.

She kinda opened the floodgates. After that, we had steady visitors, almost always with very positive things to say. After awhile, you kinda forget about all the people and just want to type.

To close this abbreviated blog (it deserved a lot more attention but i'm tired), it was great fun to meet Peter and participate in my first type-in. Next time, hopefully we get more typospherians involved!











11 comments:

  1. Holy escapement -- is anyone really paying prices like that?

    There is definitely something exciting about daring to type in public.

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    1. i bet tourists and the rich folk that live around there might pay those prices. But even those prices are obscene!
      i wonder who the seller is... if he's a typewriter enthusiasts or if he just hunts them down at estate sales and has this space as well as an etsy shop.

      as for typing in public... its weird. at first youre paying attn to everyone else paying attn to you and then it goes away. You really kinda zone out and forget about all the people. You lose yourself in the clacking.

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    2. Richard, actually, those are Etsy prices.

      Great type-in experience, Michael!

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  2. I've never done it myself, but I trust Richard knows whereof he speaks. Having a type-in with a large group of people is one thing. But being by yourself, or even two people, would be intimidating -- at least for me it would.

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    1. Right there with you. i get it - strength in numbers and with numbers comes some anonymity since the attention is shared wider.
      People nowadays are so desensitized though. Even though we had maybe a dozen people talk to us in some way, we had maybe a hundred or more just take a quick glance and go on their merry apathetic way.
      Its really hard to move people these days
      i think we're all guilty. Its just easier to stay within the crowd and be the unmoved audience

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  3. Overpriced is the understatement! WHAT THE.........

    And yet, no case! Sheesh.

    Looks like you guys had a bit of a ball. I've just experimented with a bit of public typing in the last few days. I think I'll try it more!

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    1. Scott - and all had sticky keys and some had noisy cranky or grinding carriages.
      and they were supposed to be "refurbished"!!!

      what a load of crap

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  4. I'm in my own head so much of the time I guess I just watch out for negative reaction at first and then go for it. That was a funny typecast. You had a quite different reaction to the young lady than I did. I definitely hope we can repeat the experience.

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    1. haha Peter - yeah i saw her nonverbal cues. The way she was trying to seduce us, those pouty salacious lips and heaving breasts. She was Circe and Calypso in one. Somehow we stayed strong and overcame her powers!
      LOL

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  5. I would love to be involved in a type-in, and hope to be sometime soon. Meeting a fellow Typospherian is just icing on the cake.
    People really must think these typebars are filled with gold, with prices like that. Definitely on par with Etsy and some that I have seen around. Hopefully no one buys them, in all honesty.

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    1. Ken, i bet youd be great company at a type-in - im sure youll have the opportunity as the movement spreads!

      as for typewriter prices: even to newbies, this is ridiculous!

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