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Good Luck Getting A Spot! Drivers Sleep In Cars, Circle For Hours To Survive Parking In Koreatown

KOREATOWN (CBSLA) — Koreatown drivers are taking extreme measures to survive the parking nightmares plaguing the neighborhood.

The problem went viral last month after a woman posted a video showing two drivers battling it out for a space near 5th and Catalina — the incident apparently lasting for hours.

Resident Alberto Velosa says parking in the neighborhood is so bad people have given up.

"The parking situation is pretty bad. I had a friend that came to visit — couldn't find parking. She ended up leaving," he explained. "It's really horrible. I can't invite friends over … they can't park."

And it's not just having guests; the people who live in the area suffer too.

"In the past five years, it's exploded," said a woman, noting with a construction boom and new folks moving in, the problem has gone from bad to worse.

"I've heard [of] people sleeping in their car. [A] woman told me she had to park in the red and sleep in her car," she added.

Another woman complained of circling her neighborhood blocks for two hours to find a spot.

Most of Koreatown is in the district represented by City Council president Herb Wesson.

A spokesperson told CBS2 they are reviewing different options for easing the parking headache.

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