Tour Bus Shows Off LA's Gangland

Good news, aspiring gangbangers: Now you, too, can roll through the hood, inside a tour bus. LA Gang Tours is open for business, NPR reports. For a mere $65, tourists are guaranteed a “first-hand encounter” with “top crime scene locations in South Central,” led by a guide with “hands-on knowledge of the inner city lifestyle.”

Critics fume that the company is shoddy and the tour dangerous, but founder Alfred Lomas, an ex-gang member, says he’s negotiated cease-fire “safe passage” zones for the bus. Tour members still have to sign waivers before setting out, however. Lomas also insists the company will help the crime areas by employing South Central residents and reinvesting profits there. (More LA Gang Tours stories.)