Gamblers go bused: L.A. cracking down as casino tours draw complaints.

THEY'RE big, noisy, smelly and most irritating just before dawn.

They're not the holiday guests who overstayed but the swarm of tour buses that arrive almost daily in a Koreatown neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.

The buses take gamblers on day trips to regional casinos, and they've been quite popular over the years, particularly with retirees. The buses sometimes give the gamblers free rides and even some gambling money.

But the bus companies have drawn criticism from merchants and residents, who complained to city officials not only about the rumbling motors and fumes but about how the buses allegedly hog parking spaces, increase litter, and generally clog residential and retail streets.

After several years of fielding complaints from residents and businesses near the buses' usual loading areas on New Hampshire Avenue and on Berendo Street near Eighth Street in Koreatown, the City Council in November moved the buses to Eighth Street between Catalina and Kenmore streets. The new area is a couple blocks away but with fewer retailers and houses. Buses parked in the old zones now can get ticketed.

However, old habits are always hard to break. At least some of the buses seem to prefer the old area, where the passengers are familiar with certain buses in certain spots at certain times.

Officials said more than 50 citations had been issued in the first two and a half weeks of enforcement last month, with fines ranging from $35 to $140 for a variety of infractions, including buses parked in no stopping or no parking zones, red zone violations and double-parking.

Amir Sedadi, assistant general manager for regulatory services at Los Angeles' Department of Transportation, said that the new makeshift loading area has been mildly successful.

But he acknowledged that a handful of buses had been ticketed twice or more in the last month.

"The action taken by the city is the result of numerous complaints from residents," Sedadi said.

The city met with more than a half dozen bus lines regarding new restrictions before changes were made; no representatives from the bus lines would speak on the record for this article. Several said they did not want the negative publicity, and others were reluctant to expose their business practices to competitors. Some of the bus lines that operate in the area include Sherry Line Inc., USA Holiday, H & C Paradise, Mebo Travel and Pegasus Express Inc.

It's clear, however, that transporting gamblers can be a surprisingly big business.

For example, more than 4,000 gamblers each week travel by chartered bus to Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula alone.

"On any given weekday, we see up to 600 guests arrive on buses, more on the weekends," said Ciara Coyle, public relations manager for Pechanga.

During a $158 million expansion in 2004, the casino added a separate, dedicated entrance just for bus groups, Coyle said.

And Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio averages 26,000 guests a month who arrive at the casino on nearly 600 bus trips--making bus passengers "the lion's share" of the casino's traffic during the work week, according to Bonnie Buck, the casino's group sales director.

All bus passengers who hold a Fantasy Springs "fantasy player's club card" receive a coin incentive between $10 and $30 per trip.

Bus riders from Koreatown can go to such other places as San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino and Morongo Casino Resort and Spa.

Many of the bus lines have contracts with casinos, and receive a per-head subsidy from the house for bringing in customers. That enables some bus lines to offer riders a free lift or a bit of cash for them to play with when they arrive. Those that aren't in business with the casinos rely on the $10 to $30 or so a head they charge riders.

On weekdays, most local transporters usually make one trip a day to the casinos in the Inland Empire and Northeast San Diego County, then come back in the early evening. The busier Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays can mean two trips.

Bad for business

But the proliferation of the buses resulted m complaints.

James Park, general manager of the Han Nam Market on Olympic Boulevard in Koreatown, said the problems created by the buses existed for years before the most recent compromise was reached in November.

"Before, it would go on early in the morning, then all day," he said. Buses would pull up and wait for a long time, keeping customers from parking there, Park said.

He noted that bus lines often brought two vehicles, and when one bus pulled out, the second vehicle would park to hold the spot until the other returned.

"They used to block the entrance to the store and driveways, so people can't see or get in and out," Park continued. "It hurts business--and was especially bad for the senior citizens who live in apartments on and around New Hampshire. A lot of my customers are the apartment residents and they complained too, that they can't sleep because the buses would wait outside at 4 a.m."

Park said he is pleased with the newly created parking and loading area, since it keeps his area clear.

Bus operators from other charter lines that serve the L.A. area said that the restrictions protecting residential areas come as no surprise.

"You simply cannot stand and pick up (passengers) in front of residences. Anybody who runs a bus should know that," said Pat Lazlo, owner of Patty Wagon Charters, a line that takes hundreds of travelers on five buses a day to the San Manuel, Barona and Fantasy Springs casinos.

"For those who have been, I'm sure the move will hurt their business at first, but they shouldn't be there at all."

Councilman Herb Wesson, whose Tenth District includes the Koreatown streets currently under the bus restriction, said the issue is one that's been debated for several years, and has shifted from street to street over time.

"This is a problem that developed prior to my taking office," Wesson said. "We are working with the department of transportation to find a solution that addresses the concerns of all affected parties."

Giving up

Even though the bus situation has existed for years, it wasn't until 2005 when the council initiated action, requesting a report from the city's Police and Transportation departments. In October, the council received the report, which was clear: the buses were hurting the quality of life for residents and business owners in the areas where the buses were idling for hours.

To effectively prohibit the buses from using the streets as a depot, city officials altered the weight limit on New Hampshire and Berendo to exclude vehicles over 6,000 pounds.

As solutions go, it was inexpensive for the city. The only cost was a few hundred dollars for signs detailing the new restrictions, which went into effect in early December.

But bus operators apparently prefer the old pick-up spots because the customers, many of whom are older, are familiar with the spots and don't have to walk far to board the buses.

For some small operators, the city's restrictions have been too much.

"I don't ever want any problems or anyone to bother me, so I stay away from areas like that where it's so competitive." said Federico Reyes, an independent tour bus operator. "I try to carve out my own space."

Joanne Madirila, who works for the Carson-based charter line Good Time Travel, said her company has given up on Koreatown.

"A lot of the places we used to pick up didn't want us there," said Madirila. "It was a hassle." The company, which takes riders to Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio and Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, now uses park-and-ride areas near pubic transportation and other lots as pick-up locations.

Meanwhile, Sedadi of the city said that enforcement would continue, with illegally parked buses getting ticketed.

"It's going to be hit and miss," Sedadi said. "'Some drivers may get lucky once or twice, but we don't have set times--we have random patrols throughout day so you never know when we're going to be around to enforce."

ANNE RILEY-KATZ

Staff Reporter