Have any of you noticed more and more of these Flock/security cameras going up around the Imperial Valley lately? There’s a newer one next to the canal behind Walmart in Calexico.

Why are we just accepting this?

Meanwhile, businesses are struggling, parks and local community spaces get less funding, and city officials keep approving more surveillance projects. In Calexico, especially, they recently reallocated around $200,000 toward additional security cameras rather than putting that money into parks, recreation, or other measures that actually improve the quality of life.

At what point do people start questioning how much surveillance is too much?

I’m also curious why younger generations here seem so disconnected from local politics and city decisions. We complain about corruption and the state of the city, but very few people actually get involved, attend meetings, or push back.

Where can I meet people in the valley?
Edit: Since everyone is asking in the comments. Im 27 F, I love rock, the movie theaters, outdoors, hiking, trips to SD, Indio, Yuma, I frequent concerts, bars, and i am learning to play Bass guitar. I do bird watching and bird photography. Idk what else to say thanks for listening.

Sadly, I’ve had the very unfortunate displeasure of living in El Centro for over 10 years due to me being a minor. If you’re considering moving here, LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! I cannot stress enough how terrible this town is and how there are very few (if any) benefits to look forward to here. You may look at its affordability and think it’s a nice place to settle in, but I promise you it’s the complete opposite. Below, I’ll go into more detail about why I hate this place so much.

ZERO DIVERSITY

If you’re expecting diversity in this town, you definitely won’t get it. The majority of the town is Hispanic and while I understand that it’s because we’re so close to Mexico, it can make you feel like an outsider. Occasionally, you’ll see a few Black, White, and Asian people, but most of the time, you’ll see Hispanics.

LACK OF OPPORTUNITY

The lack of opportunity in this town is ridiculous. Finding a job is incredibly difficult unless you have ties to people who live here. Everyone looks out for their own friends and family, so getting a job even if you have the proper skills can be a challenge.

LACK OF THINGS TO DO/PLACES TO EAT

When I say there is absolutely nothing to do here, I mean it. It is SO boring. The only place I can think of to go for fun is the mall and it has awful stores inside of it. As for places to eat, there are very limited choices. This place doesn’t have a lot of the restaurants other cities in California may offer.

THE WEATHER

This is definitely one of the worst parts of this town. It is way too hot to live here, especially in the summer. I’ve seen it get up to 120° yet schools still expect students to do activities in the heat. It makes zero sense. We do NOT get four seasons here, only constant heat. The people here think that it gets cold during the winter, but most of them haven’t experienced real cold weather to know that it really doesn’t get that cold.

THE SCHOOLS/ EDUCATION

This one is more of a personal opinion because I know a few people who genuinely like the schools out here, but to me? They suck. I find a lot of the staff at these schools to be biased towards certain students and the schools don’t offer super exciting activities. The field trips are never too far away for students to fully experience a new environment and the schools here have small budgets to work with.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

If you can’t drive, you should most definitely look for somewhere else to live. The bus system is poorly constructed with the buses constantly running late, the prices of cabs are continually rising, and the Ubers/Lyfts can (at times) be unreliable. Having a car is super important if you’ll be living here.

WAY TOO SMALL

This town is VERY small. Everyone knows everyone and people are nosy. And if you get to know someone, you will run into them all the time.

Overall, this town is the definition of trash. You may think I’m over-exaggerating, but I’ve spent more than enough time here to know that anyone who considers living here is making a huge mistake. I’ll be moving away in a few months and will NOT miss any aspects of this town. If you have no choice but to live here, try your best to leave as soon as you can.

Hey, so around 2009 my dad & grandma were heading to Calexico from San Diego through the mountains & him and my grandma claims they saw a giant lizard like dinosaur run across the road late at night and still when speaking about it they get chills, just wondering if anyone has seen anything similar?

Lost a picture frame. Anyone else?

Yall good after them earthquakes

Looking to help someone obtain a job here.

I'm a photographer and have a model that wants to do a mad-max style shoot out in the desert, and I keep seeing photos like the one below from imperial dunes, but it's a big place and I don't want to end up driving around for hours trying to find a spot. it looks like Maybe Buttercup Campground might look like this, but I'm hoping someone knows where to find spots untouched by ATV's like the shot below are, that don't involve walking 2-3 miles in the sand. unfortunately most photos like the one below aren't geotagged to the exact spot, just "imperial sand dunes". Thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/oeqvw6bs5kyg1.png?width=1911&format=png&auto=webp&s=dd7f9c9bff0749f7f026917b1eda7025403b226a