Text and photos by Sheldon Jurist

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, Sheldon and Sheila left San Diego at 5:30 am, to drive two and a half hours, each way, to drive four Miss Black Global Pageants Girls in the Compton, CA Christmas parade. 

The parade was well run, except that the coordinator did not designate a drop-off location, to drop off the girls on the rear deck of the Mustang. At the end of the parade we were directed to turn left on a four lane road that was blocked off, at either end, to keep regular traffic away from the parade route. Since there were no cars parked at the curb, I pulled over to let the girls off the rear deck of my Mustang. A police officer came up to the car and said that you are not allowed to stop here and you have to keep driving. I told him that it is illegal, for me, to continue driving with the girls on the rear deck and I have to drop them off. He again told me to keep moving, so I did. I was finally able to drive in to a residential street to unload the girls. The next Saturday I received a $60.00 parking ticket. I sent them a letter telling them that I didn’t park, I only stopped to let the girls off so I could I could legally continue driving. I was told that I could fight the ticket in court. Yeah, I could drive a five hour round trip, fight traffic and probably spend $60.00 in gas to fight a $60.00 parking ticket. We will never again go up to Compton to support their Christmas parade.