Why am I driving this sexy little roadster?

My consolation prize for being the victim of a hit and run

My consolation prize for being the victim of a hit and run

Here’s why I’m driving this sexy little roadster…

My car is in the body shop getting repaired after a hit and run. The car rental company took pity on me and gave me this car to drive for the 2 weeks it’ll take to repair my car. Considering I have to pay my deductible to get my car fixed and get the rental, it didn’t come cheap. I’ll have to add that to my running total of expenses due to road hazards. Still, enjoying this car does admittedly help take the sting out of what happened. It’s also making me rethink the kind of car I’ll buy next!

So here’s what went down… A couple of weeks ago, I was driving on PCH (our scenic coastal route Pacific Coast Highway – for those not in the know). I was returning home after a fun day at the beach and lunch in Malibu. Of course, I was stuck in gridlock traffic, the bane of my existence. At least it was a beautiful summer day and I could stare out at the ocean while not moving on PCH.

Then, all of a sudden, a jolt to my car knocked me out of my zen state. I had no idea what the hell happened? I looked in my rear view mirror and didn’t see anything. Then, in the flash of a second, 4 motorcycles splitting lanes on my right side went zooming by. One of the sons of a bitch hit my car and they all kept going not even looking back! There’s no way they didn’t know what just happened. I believe it was the first motorcycle in the pack that hit me as it was the largest and widest motorcycle. He had the first spot in the pecking order of motorcycle packs. This Big Kahuna is no doubt compensating for a smaller part of his anatomy.

I still am in disbelief. They took off so fast, I couldn’t get the license plate of any of the motorcycles. It’s as though the first motorcycle hit me and the ones behind covered him so I wouldn’t be able to see his license plate, not that it will help apprehend someone — keep reading below and you’ll see why). Because I was in complete gridlock so there was no way I would ever be able to catch up to him either. Great scenario for him. Not so much for me.

Later when I got home I took a look at my car. There were deep scratch marks running pretty much across the back side and mid side including the rear tire of my car. Estimated repairs — $2,600.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been the victim of a hit and run. It has happened sadly plenty. Once, I was hit from the rear and the guy sped off. I took off chasing him and got his license plate. He saw me chasing him in his rear view mirror. I’ll never forget those beady eyes staring back at me, seemingly nervous that I would catch him. I figured it was probably best to let him go as I certainly wouldn’t want to become the victim of a more serious crime. A wise move. As it turned out, when the police traced the license plate, not only was the registration on the car expired, but it was also reported stolen. I don’t know if the guy was ever caught. I was out the cost of my deductible.

Another time, there was a guy ahead of me driving a pick up truck on the freeway. The back bed was filled with stuff; seemed he was moving. Then, all of a sudden glass from presumably a coffee table flew off the car and crashed on the freeway in front of a Lexus in the lane to my left. I’m sure he got it worse than I did, but the glass chards flew on my car, cracking my windshield and chipping paint. Once again, I chased the car so I could get the license plate. I reported it to my insurance company only for them to tell me that he denies being there and there’s nothing they can do about it. Out once again the cost of my deductible.

Frustrating to say the least.

Living in Los Angeles, most of us are forced to drive everywhere. There’s just no good alternative public transportation for most geographic areas around the city. We put our lives in peril day in and day out to get where we need to go. Poor City planning has created a situation that is becoming increasingly unmanageable. People dodge in and out of traffic because they’re tired of the gridlock. Motorcycles split lanes. Cyclists ignore the rules of the road entirely. When you stress people to the hilt, they take on behaviors that they might not ordinarily exhibit. Of course, when you stress people who are already inclined to be jerks, look out! Who knows what they’ll resort to when stress is added to their already on edge personalities.

I have a lot more to say about motorcycles and splitting lanes as well as cyclists completely ignoring the rules of the road. I’ll leave that for another post though.

Drive safely out there!

Marci

Karma Shwarma!

Nail in the coffinI’d really like to believe in Karma. There can be peace of mind in believing that people who deliberately do the wrong thing will have it coming to them. Of course, I realize that statement is counter to the principle of karma, but oh well. Thus is the life of someone who has had this principle tested all too often.

Here’s an example of that. I NEVER spit gum out into the street. Yet, I frequently seem to step in it. I’ll be getting out of my car, put my foot down and low and behold, the rubber has not only met the road, but now the bottom of my incredible find of (albeit last season’s) Jimmy Choo’s.

Nail This!

Nail This!

I do a lot of walking too for exercise. As I’m strolling along the city streets, I frequently see nails along the side of the road or in the intersection as I’m crossing. I pick up these nails and throw them into the bushes to spare a future driver from suffering the fate of a flat tire. This is a regular occurrence. In fact, there are few times when I’m walking that I don’t see nails in the road. Not that I’m keeping track, but I figure I really should be scoring some major karma points.

Well, on a recent Monday morning, I got into my car to head to work only to discover that one of my tires was very low for the 2nd time in a week. I took the car to my mechanic and sure enough there was a screw stuck in it. Mercifully, my mechanic was able to patch the tire and I didn’t need to buy a new one. As he was pointing out where the nail was, I saw something shiny from the other tire catching the light. I had yet another nail in another tire! Thankfully, that one could be patched too.

Maybe that’s ultimately how karma works. It only cost me $30 to repair the tires and of course I missed 2 hours of work. All in all, not bad!

Obama is back and Hillary’s on his heels!

And back to our normal horrible traffic state.

And back to our normal horrible traffic state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attention Westside drivers, Obama will be back in town today (June 18)! He’s attending 2 fundraisers. Many thanks to Chuck Lorre and Tyler Perry for clogging our streets. Obama leaves tomorrow and then Hillary arrives.

I’ll let you know more when the information becomes available.

Be safe out there!

Marci

P.S. Yes, I know. I seemed to disappear into my last post — Oblivion for a while. BUT … I’m back!

Oblivion!

Have you ever been somewhere in your car waiting for another vehicle to move so that you can move? Well, good luck. You have just entered the OBLIVION zone!

It feels like I’ve woken up in a post apocalyptic time when no one seems to be paying attention to anything more than an arm’s length in front of them — and that may be a generous distance. Maybe it’s a zombie thing, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Stepford Wives. Maybe the cause is environmental, too many vaccines growing up or hormones and pesticides in food? All I know is it’s epidemic and annoying as hell!

This past weekend, I was driving in Santa Monica, looking for street parking on Main Street. There was a chick in a Mini Cooper with her reverse gear lights on, meaning presumably she’s backing out of a parking space and her departure is imminent. Well, I sat in my car for a minute or 3, waiting for her to leave, but she didn’t move. After a few minutes, I inched forward so that I was by her side, trying to get her attention to find out if in fact she was leaving. She was looking down at her cell phone, texting. Okay, so I applaud her for not driving while she’s texting, but she wouldn’t look up. I could not break her concentration. I don’t believe she was ignoring me. She was simply oblivious to the fact that someone wanted her parking space. Even if she was hearing impaired, surely I was in her line of peripheral vision.

I gave a gentle tap to the horn to get her attention. She didn’t flinch. I did it again. No response. She just kept texting. I gave a full honk of the horn, still nothing. I unrolled the passenger window and called to her. NOTHING! Flailing arms couldn’t get her attention. No acknowledgment that I was even there. I’m pretty sure even the police in their parked car a few cars up from her could see me.

Okay, so perhaps by now, you would have given up and left. I couldn’t. I had to see how long it would take her to realize that someone was waiting for the parking space. I mean, it’s not as though she was parked. The engine was running; she had already shifted into reverse. Who knew she could text with such complete concentration all while keeping her foot on the brakes!

It took a few more minutes and finally she looked up, not because of anything I did but because I guess this compelling text marathon had at long last come to an end. Out of the parking space she zipped with little acknowledgement of me waiting for her.

How can people be so clueless? I see this everywhere now. How many times have you waited for someone to pull out of a parking space when you know they see you waiting there? I’ve seen people brush their hair, play with the radio, put makeup on, fidget around before they leave. In these instances they know someone is waiting because that car pulls up while they’re just getting in their car. It’s as though it’s deliberate!

I’m sure you’ve experienced this as well, so be sure to comment on this post.

And so now begins a new workweek with more travails. Stayed tuned. Here’s a topic of discussion and perhaps a future post. Talk amongst yourselves… Clueless People Putting their lives and others in peril!

Have a great day.

Marci

 

More Driving Quotes

By popular demand, here are some of my favorite driving quotes…

Just because you’re sober, don’t think you’re a good driver, Cookie.
– John Irving, Last Night in Twisted River

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.
Mac McCleary

It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one nut to scatter it all over the road.
– Author Unknown

The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it.
– Dudley Moore

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
– Dave Barry

Making a left turn in L.A. is one of the harder things you’re going to learn in life.
– Lawrence Kasdan

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three lefts do.
– Comedian Jason Love

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?
unknown

Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic.
– Dan Rather

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
– Albert Einstein

Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?
– Robin Williams

And on that note, Happy Monday! Be safe out there.

Marci

Driving Quotes

I will share more quotes, but for now, here’s a great driving related quote for you…

“Sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whiskey and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind except falling in love and not getting arrested.”

Hunter S. Thompson

Don’t drink and drive and of course don’t speed. 🙂

Marci

 

Ill Advised Vanity Plates

S'Marci's - Inspired by the Gershwin Song

S’Marci’s – Inspired by the Gershwin Song

As you see, I have certainly fallen into that trap of personalized license plates. I wanted vanity plates back in the day when I was driving a red Toyota Celica. It was my first NEW car and the first car I ever paid for completely on my own.

I loved that car, but I soon got tired of complete strangers calling me by my name or for those in the know, serenading me with the George Gershwin song S’Wonderful.

As ill advised as my personalized license plates were, I’ve seen far worse. I’ve only recently started snapping photos. I’m sure I’ll capture plenty more in time and I’ll be sure to post them. In the meantime, perhaps you can tell me what people are thinking with these…

Greek hero or social disease?

Greek hero or social disease?

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy is advertising for dates. Something tells me it's not working.

This guy is advertising for dates. Something tells me it’s not working.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you enlighten me with what he's trying to say?

Can you enlighten me with what he’s trying to say?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, maybe this works for her?

Okay, maybe this works for her?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good reminder

A good reminder

 

 

STEELing Thunder

I often complain about road construction and the impact it has on my ability to get where I need to go on a timely basis. Well, the latest road construction project in my neighborhood has just gotten personal! It’s taking place right outside my window and it’s turning my former sanctuary into a stress zone. It’s also preventing me from getting a decent night’s sleep.

Steel Plates - an all too common sight in Los Angeles

Steel Plates – an all too common sight in Los Angeles

How many of you have driven down a road only to meet up with those annoying steel plates on the ground? You know they’re destroying your tires, nevermind agitating your innards as you drive over them. There’s no avoiding them though.

The DWP is working on an “infrastructure improvement project” in my neighborhood, a very common occurrence in recent years thanks to the endless development. Let’s just say, from the start of this particular project it has been anything but a joy. On their first day, they started a fire underground which knocked the power out in the area for about 10 hours. The construction project has worked its way down the road to now just outside my window.

The Claw in Action

The Claw in Action

Every time a car drives over the steel plates, I hear a thundering sound as though a train is going by.

Feels like I’m living in New York City. I dub this the F Line. What could F possibly stand for? Let me count the ways…

Your agitated blogger, Marci

Camry is the New Prius and Other Random Things Encountered Recently on the Road

For weeks now it seems as though every time I get stuck behind a car, it’s a Camry, a light color Camry I might add. Camry seems to have taken the top spot for annoyingly slow drivers, pushing the Prius down to 2nd place. Double the frustration if it’s an old model Camry. I now catch myself muttering (not so under my breath) the word “C…A…M…R…Y” every time this happens. Picture Seinfeld saying “NEWMAN.”

The Road – A Great Equalizer

Lamborghini

Lamborghini

Driving on the roads in Los Angeles (as I’ve said before) is a great equalizer. It’s one of the few places in life where money or socioeconomic status does not dictate how far you get ahead. It might dictate how comfortable you are sitting in traffic, but that’s as good as it gets. This Lamborghini beauty was weaving in and out of traffic on the 405 trying to get ahead. In the end, he ended up considerably behind me on the freeway. What’s perhaps most notable is that this was one of those few instances where I was content to stay in one lane. My patience seemed to pay off. In the interest of full disclosure, I was patient (at least in part) because I was ahead of the Lamborghini.

Sanford & Son on Wheels Thank you Ian H. for submitting this photo!

Sanford & Son on Wheels
Thank you Ian H. for submitting photo!

 

 

Play this music
while viewing this picture!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Health Dept. Vehicle?

A Health Dept. Vehicle?

 

If you can’t read the sign in the window, it says:

Persons having currently active diarrhea or who have had active diarrhea within the previous 14 days shall not be allowed to enter the pool water.

I wouldn’t particularly like seeing this sign at a public swimming area, though I understand why it gets posted. BUT… posted in a car? What’s going on in that back cab?

 

Shaming the Lady in the Mercedes

Mercedes LadyThis lady was something else. We were in stop and go traffic on the 405 (where else would I be?) and every time she’d slow to a near stop, she would flash her brights and honk as if the car in front of her could just magically move and make the traffic go away. (That would be my superpower of choice.) I was a passenger in a car when this was happening. I turned back to see who was honking, made eye contact with this woman and she was completely expressionless. I was not. I wish I could refer her to the picture of the Lamborghini. Honey, if he can’t get ahead on the road, surely you can’t either!

Graffiti Van

Graffiti Van

 

 

Don’t you wonder what’s going on inside the mind of the owner or at least inside this van?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Be careful — this holiday rivals New Year’s Eve for drinking and driving.

Marci

Update – Road Closures Friday AM

As I mentioned in a previous post, if you’d like less Presidential Motorcade disruptions, support Campaign Finance Reform!

Obama has officially left the city

Obama has officially left the city

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoid like the plague! The presidential motorcade is back.

Thanks Tipster Frank!

Thanks Tipster Frank!