Sunday, March 7, 2010

Los Angeles Traffic

People complain, but I have always found the traffic in LA to be very orderly, more disciplined and cooperative than anyplace else that I have been. Yesterday, a Saturday, I came north on the Five and the Four-Oh-Five between San Diego and Santa Monica, and the freeway was like a parade, like a drill team, like a Blue Angels flying exhibition. The roadway was packed, all lanes full, every car about four car-lengths behind the one in front, everyone doing the same seventy miles-per-hour. Almost no brake lights, and no lane changing for perceived advantage. It was beautiful.

Only one complaint, in the form of a question: Is it fabulously difficult to keep a giant SUV in one lane, or do people who cannot keep a vehicle in only one lane tend to buy SUV's?

6 comments:

Vince said...

I don't know about L.A, but where I live, those Prius drivers are really agressive!

fred c said...

The hybrid drivers that I saw were just a little on the slow side.

Vince said...

And quite a few of the hybrids have been outfitted with four- barrel V-8's. Those babies really move! We have a different perspective of hybrids back east.

Anonymous said...

That very same precision of car movement explains why it takes only one dead car to royally fuck everything up. You were lucky. It was Saturday. On weekdays, the 405 is a giant parking lot, barely inching along. The "rush hour" lasts from 2 pm to 8 pm. It is the worst soul-sucking life waster on earth.

fred c said...

Now that you mention it, I never had any fun driving to an appearance in the Newport Beach courthouse.

Anonymous said...

Bangkok traffic makes ladybug soccer look orderly.