Life in the Left Lane
A tidbit you should know about life in Los Angeles. Making a left turn onto just about any road is a hateful experience. Just as they don’t believe in providing refrigerators in apartments, Los Angeles also doesn’t believe in the left turn arrow. One would think that with so many cars on the road, that getting around should be made easier, not more difficult, so as to provide less traffic jams, not more. This kind of logical thinking is apparently not welcome in the golden state. Instead I am forced to run a red light time and again. It is unwritten code that no matter how much traffic is oncoming you creep into the middle of the intersection, and at the yellow (or solid red light) light gun it and say a prayer that none of the oncoming traffic is planning to run their red light.
There are a few choice streets that do have the left arrow, but refuse to utilize it. They’ve gone to all the extra trouble to create the left turn lane, hang the stoplight with the left arrow signal, and yet they have still missed the mark. The left arrow stays green long enough for one car to get through free and clear, a second car to barely get through (depending on how fast they are out of the gate) and a third car to blatantly run the red light. Last night I was told by a local that up to 5 cars are safe without getting a ticket.
That’s just trying to turn left. Trying to find or get on the freeway – is anything buy user friendly. First of all the freeways are called by both their number and their given name. These are used interchangeably depending on who you are talking to or who is giving the traffic report. For example, the 101 is the Ventura Freeway, UNLESS you are heading west, then the 101 is the Hollywood Freeway. BUT at the same time the 170 is the Hollywood Freeway as is the 134 (sometimes). Are you with me? Me either. The 101 also changes directions. For example, you may want to get onto 101 West, but the sign says 101 North. The 101 East is also 101 South. So, if you are to visit have your secret decoder ring handy. You’ll need it! When you finally figure out which freeway it is that you want to get on, good luck finding the entrance. There will be a sign less than 20 ft from the on ramp telling you 10 (no direction east or west) with an arrow. If a car is blocking the sign at that particular moment, you’re screwed. Or if the trees have grown up over around it (which is often the case), the sign is also blocked. Then directly at the on ramp the signs says “Freeway Entrance” doesn’t tell you which freeway, just “Freeway Entrance.”
And some people wonder where road rage comes from?
E
There are a few choice streets that do have the left arrow, but refuse to utilize it. They’ve gone to all the extra trouble to create the left turn lane, hang the stoplight with the left arrow signal, and yet they have still missed the mark. The left arrow stays green long enough for one car to get through free and clear, a second car to barely get through (depending on how fast they are out of the gate) and a third car to blatantly run the red light. Last night I was told by a local that up to 5 cars are safe without getting a ticket.
That’s just trying to turn left. Trying to find or get on the freeway – is anything buy user friendly. First of all the freeways are called by both their number and their given name. These are used interchangeably depending on who you are talking to or who is giving the traffic report. For example, the 101 is the Ventura Freeway, UNLESS you are heading west, then the 101 is the Hollywood Freeway. BUT at the same time the 170 is the Hollywood Freeway as is the 134 (sometimes). Are you with me? Me either. The 101 also changes directions. For example, you may want to get onto 101 West, but the sign says 101 North. The 101 East is also 101 South. So, if you are to visit have your secret decoder ring handy. You’ll need it! When you finally figure out which freeway it is that you want to get on, good luck finding the entrance. There will be a sign less than 20 ft from the on ramp telling you 10 (no direction east or west) with an arrow. If a car is blocking the sign at that particular moment, you’re screwed. Or if the trees have grown up over around it (which is often the case), the sign is also blocked. Then directly at the on ramp the signs says “Freeway Entrance” doesn’t tell you which freeway, just “Freeway Entrance.”
And some people wonder where road rage comes from?
E
posted by The Caskey's at 8:32 PM
1 Comments:
Erica...you crack me up. Glad to see you and Seth arrived safely.
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