Archive for March 2015

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!

The President’s Back in Town

President Obama is going to be on Jimmy Kimmel today and then he’s attend a Democratic fundraiser. So far, all I know is there will be street closures in Hollywood, Burbank and near LAX. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear what roads to avoid due to the presidential motorcade!

Marci

Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning!

Bugler

Bugler

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to stay home the past 3 days, unable to drive or leave home for that matter. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went 3 days without driving somewhere, even if just to the market down the road. Even when I take a vacation, I’m often driving for some of the time or at minimum someone transports me so I never fully escape being in a car. Three days may not sound like a lot to you, but for me, it’s an eternity when you “live” in your car like I do. So, what happened? Did I go through withdrawal? Was I longing to get behind the steering wheel and head anywhere? Would I be more relaxed and passive in the car come Monday when it was time to resume my routine?

In truth, I’ve been dreading today — Monday. It’s the Monday after we go on daylight savings time. We spring forward, but let me tell you, I don’t really spring when the alarm clock sounds. You know that song, “Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” where the guy bemoans the military Bugler’s morning wake up song “Reveille?” There’s a verse in the song that goes:

One day I’m going to strangle the Bugler.
One day they are going to find him dead.
I’ll amputate his reveille
And step upon it heavily
And spend the rest of my life in bed

Irving Berlin and I share that in common. That’s how I feel when my alarm sounds. If I kept an anvil next to my night stand, I’d have to create a line item in my budget for alarm clocks. It’s really that bad. I’m not a morning person despite living a morning person’s schedule, never have been, never will be. So, for me, while I love that it’s not dark when I go home from work after we go on daylight savings time, I abhor waking up an hour earlier! It takes me weeks to adjust. Truly. If not for coffee, I’d be doomed. And it really doesn’t matter if I go to bed early. It’s just the morning. I don’t like sunrises unless I’ve been up all night for the right reasons :=). I’m more of a sunset person. Anyway, I think I’ve made the point.

So, back to Monday. I got in the car to head to work and it seemed at first as though traffic was fairly light. I was pleased. I suspected people were like me, having a hard time adjusting to that loss of an hour. But it seems that was short lived; we all fell into our usual patterns. 1.) A car in front of me was creeping along sloooowly, approaching a busy intersection with a 5 minute light. I hate 5 minute lights. If the light turns red, you have to wait a full 5 minutes until the next green signal. I managed to get past him so I wouldn’t get stuck. I was pleased. He was left behind of course. 2.) Then, a car turning right onto the street I’m driving down cut right in front of me, causing me to brake. Not so pleased. Then, strike three – you’re out! A white car (an Altima not a Prius) just sat at another signal despite the light turning green. He was fiddling with his phone. Normally I would give a gentle tap of the horn to wake him up, but I sounded the horn fully, not excessively. The Bugler would have approved. I saw him jump and look up. He looked back at me annoyed in the rear view mirror and then accelerated. Finally, I made it to the freeway. I did get stuck for a bit behind a cluster of cars on the freeway. It wasn’t a cluster fu** by my driving term definition. There was no patrol car to be found. It took a bit of maneuvering to get out of the cluster so I could go the full speed limit. I was once again pleased. In the end it wasn’t a particularly bad commute, but it wasn’t good either.

So, in answer to the above questions – I’m afraid the answer is a resounding NO on all counts. On my three day hiatus, I didn’t go through driving withdrawal. I wasn’t longing to go somewhere or anywhere. And, clearly I was not more relaxed and passive as a result of the time off the road. It was a nice thought though. On reflection, it was just another day in the life of a commuter driving in Los Angeles.

Hope your Daylight Savings Monday goes well.

Marci

Thanks for Checking Out My Blog!

fireworksWoo hoo! We did it! In the month of February (a short month I might add), I passed the 500 unique visitors number. 521 Visitors and 1,560 visits!

Thank you for checking out my blog and emailing me your comments. I love hearing from you and hope you continue to contact me.

Now, help me double that number in March. There are some fun posts coming — quizzes, surveys, the Red Light Shuffle Rap, video (soon) and as always my observations about driving in Los Angeles.

Drive safely and please don’t text and drive!

Marci