Taking Metro bus through Pico Rivera (aka the "barrio") - what precautions should I take? How sketchy is it?

I know the intersection well but not the bus route. You should be fine. Pico Rivera, especially right on Rosemead is not that sketchy, especially if you're just riding through. On the site I work on, LA Life, Pico Rivera has a 6/10 safety rating. That means, population-weighted for violent crime, it is in the 60th-65th percentile of safety in LA County, about the same as El Monte, South El Monte, and probably not that different from the east side of Pasadena. http://lalife.com/Pico_Rivera The area to the northwest, getting towards Montebello, is the least great part, but Whittier and Telegraph is an area I shop (at the Target) every few months with no hesitations. Although the populace you encounter on buses in LA is unpredictable, I don't think you should have a significantly heightened concern for your safety taking the bus route through that area.

Lol, none. Through the 80s, 90s, and 00s the media, especially the local media, really liked to blow things out of proportion on So Cal's bad neighborhoods. Sure, you don't want to push it and go drug shopping in East LA late at night, but for the most part, even our poorest neighborhoods aren't a crime scene waiting to happen. I grew up in Paramount (where I used to joke that our city motto should have been, "Hey, at least we're not Compton!") and my wife is from North Long Beach, which make Pico look like North Downey, and even then, I still take my kids to see their grandparents all the time. Don't sweat it; as long as you don't start sh*t with the locals, they won't mess with you. Wear cheap headphone, keep you iPod in your pocket, and you're money.

I always do vocal training exercises (Do-Re-Mi etc.) out loud when I feel like there's a disturbance on the bus I'm riding.  Classical music is so outside most people's experiences -- it really focuses people away from whatever is going wrong. Mostly, bus riding is really fun.  The people who use public transportation in LA are generally not the wealthiest in terms of money, but there are often very sweet interactions and some nice conversations.  But there are sometimes people who are in very bad shape -- and when they get on the bus, the entire bus may change its mood.  Singing really helps! I've been able to distract a parent who was about to smack their kid with singing on a bus ride.  I've been able to raise the mood of a bus many, many times with some quiet do-re-mi.  Traveling on a bus through a tough part of LA is a lovely adventure, I'll say. On the other hand -- the main thing to worry about is crime after you've left the bus.  Be very careful that no one is following you, and that you feel safe.  If not -- head for the nearest public place, or take off running, if you like.  Crime near the terminals of public transportation is not uncommon, so do be careful when you leave!

Holy cow are you over-estimating crime and danger. You are on a government-run bus and not even getting out of it. Is this is troll?

From what I understand, you are most vulnerable when transferring from one bus line to another, especially at night, because sometimes you end up standing alone on a street corner waiting for the next bus.  So, if you're just traveling through, you shouldn't have anything to worry about, even if Pico Rivera was a dangerous area which, apparently, it isn't.