You know them far too well. They are the family snapping photos with Spider Man on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the car driving so slowly in front of you through Beverly Hills as the driver points at the famed Witch’s House, and finally, the individual desperately trying to cling onto the reins—and his or her dignity—on the mechanical bull at Saddle Ranch.
We’re talking about LA tourists, the most ubiquitous and persuasive of them all, whom have surely been the recipient of your stink eye at least once or twice. As annoying as these special visitors can be with their selfie sticks and cheerful dispositions, they offer an opportunity for Angelenos to have a little fun, if you're willing to tell a little white lie. Here are 10 lies to tell LA tourists.
1. Sylvester Stallone runs up the Santa Monica stairs every Thursday morning, reenacting the scene from Rocky and blasting the movie's music.
2. If you kiss Jimmy Kimmel’s Walk of Fame star 1,000 times, he’ll let you be a guest on his show.
3. The city of Santa Monica will pay for your wedding if you propose at the very top of the Ferris wheel.
4. You can cut the line at Pink’s Hot Dogs if you dress in pink from head to toe.
5. Angelyne will give you a free ride in her car if you sing her the song, “Barbie Girl.”
6. The Chinese Theatre is Chinese territory, and you need a passport to step foot on the property.
7. Sprinkles Cupcakes has a cupcake on their secret menu that you can only order by doing jumping jacks while spelling out “sprinkles”—nine times.
8. George Clooney hosts public basketball games every Sunday at his home in Fryman Canyon.
9. LACMA stands for Los Angeles Center for Movie Actors from when the building was used as an exclusive social club for the industry’s greatest.
10. Humphrey Bogart is buried beneath the letter “H” of the Hollywood Sign.