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11 Ways I Would Change the Rules of the Road if I Could…

“Yes I would, if I could, I surely would!”  Simon & Garfunkel

This past weekend, I found myself wishing I had stayed home because it took me FOREVER to get anywhere I needed to go. Saturday night, I was heading out to dinner in West LA near Santa Monica Blvd. and the 405. I had to travel about 6-7 miles and it should have taken about 20 minutes, maybe 30. The problem is it took 30 minutes to get from the beach to Lincoln Blvd., a distance of about 2 miles. There was no accident causing the traffic jam. It wasn’t rush hour. It’s a problem of overpopulation and overdevelopment in a small concentrated area. No one is immune to this anymore driving in Los Angeles. It’s not just on the Westside or Downtown. It’s in the Valley and all over. And sadly, there are no truly effective shortcuts remaining to bypass the gridlock.

Despite these problems all over Los Angeles, the development continues with little regard for the consequences — noise, traffic, lack of parking, etc. Environmental impact studies are often based on outdated data, but I won’t get started on the political side of this, at least not today!

It got me thinking though if I had the power to change the rules of the road in some way, what would I change. Here are some of my ideas. Yes, this is a fantasy, but hey, it’s good to have some fantasies!

  1. No road construction is allowed during rush hour or on Fridays EVER.
  2. The three strikes law now applies to people who don’t use their turn signal.
  3. All natives have access to Carpool lanes. :=)
  4. Bicycles (and bike lanes) are not allowed on streets where it reduces the number of lanes of traffic. (Seriously, it amazes and annoys me how many already extremely busy roads now have just one lane each way to drive so that they can accommodate bicycles. So now, if you want to adhere to the 3′ law when passing bikes, you have to drive into opposing traffic to pass them. Not so safe. Not so smart.
  5. Employers are required to offer employees telecommuting at least 1 day a week, preferably 2. Heck, I’ll even throw in a tax credit.
  6. Motorcycles would not be allowed to rev their engines in residential areas. In fact, the three strikes law should apply here too.
  7. Restaurants and businesses are not allowed to poach street parking spaces for valet service.
  8. Real estate developers when applying for permits (and the politicians who approve the projects) will be required to direct traffic on busy intersections during rush hour. That’ll put a stop to the overdevelopment!
  9. No more speed bumps are allowed on residential streets to appease neighborhood councils.
  10. Shuttle bus services in neighborhoods will be provided to help cut down on the number of cars on the road. It’s a great way to promote staying local and supporting local businesses too.
  11. There would be a moratorium of any further development in any densely populated areas until a complete and effective public transportation system is in place.

Do you have any rules of the road you’d like to add to this list?

I wish you a good work week. Drive safely out there.

Marci

2015 Running Tab of Expenses Due to Poor Road Conditions

 

Driving in Los Angeles, we are forced to pay more than our fair share of car related expenses. We pay more than most states for car insurance and vehicle registration. We drive cars disproportionate to our income levels (granted, a problem of our own making) and of course we pay more in maintenance because we tend to drive more. We need our cars to get around more than most other major metropolitan areas because of limited public transportation options. But, what seems most unfair is that despite our gas taxes and numerous voting measures that have passed to improve our roads, we still have among the worst roads in the nation. These poor roads translate directly to dollars out of our pocket. I thought it would be interesting to keep a running tab for 2015 on just how much money comes out of my pocket due to poor road conditions. My first expense for 2015 has surfaced and I thought I’d share it with you.

But first, last year, because of endless construction in both my neighborhood, at work and on the freeway of course, I had to replace 2 tires because of nails in the road. I hit many potholes, which lead to the need for an alignment more than once.

Back to 2015 … I have to pay the deductible on a new windshield. You’ve probably seen the beautiful “Sunset In Venice” Starry Night photo that I posted on my blog page Photos Captured on the Road. If not, check it out along with other photos I’ve taken. The stars that appear in this photo are actually pit marks on my windshield appearing as stars in the sky. I give credit to the 405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project for this artful masterpiece. Without the endless construction debris blowing onto my car, we would have missed out on this new brand of urban art. It also made for an interesting driving experience when driving at sunrise or sunset with the sun straight ahead, rivaling a Harold and Kumar tripping moment.

Just a couple of weeks ago, when heading North on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, a sizable rock hit my windshield, making it necessary for me to finally replace the windshield. While I was hugely relieved it wasn’t a bullet, the mark it left would say otherwise. So, I called my insurance company and they’ll replace it, less my deductible. So far for 2015, I’m up to $250 in expenses due to poor roads in Los Angeles.

It’ll be a little sad to say goodbye to the blinding beauty the pitmarks created on my windshield, but alas, the year is young and the construction continues.

By the way …

Thanks to those of you who expressed concern because I didn’t post last week. I’m back and all is well … I won’t let it happen again! Thanks for your continued interest. Have a wonderful week!

Marci

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Drivers

What are your resolutions?

What are your resolutions?

It’s that time of the year again. We get a clean slate, or so we think, when we can start anew with the best of intentions. All bad habits are so last year. This year will be different, right?

Well, as the first new workweek of the year begins, I’d like to share what I see as the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions drivers should adopt. I won’t state the obvious like use your seatbelt or don’t drink and drive. The law covers those pretty well. So, without further ado, here goes.

Use your turn signal – Repeat after me. It is not a sign of weakness to use your turn signal. This isn’t poker and you’re not giving up your hand by trusting another driver to let you in. Same applies if you let drivers into your lane when they signal. Just look at it as good karma. Today you let someone in; tomorrow you get a good parking space. You also can’t expect everyone in LA to have psychic powers and anticipate your next move.

Don’t accelerate when someone uses their turn signal and tries to come into your lane. More people will signal when this behavior stops.

Don’t drive on an empty tank of gas. Come on, you know that happens. You get in your car and the warning light comes on. BUT, you still have 1 bar showing you have gas. You instantly become a religious person. You pray to the driving Gods to let you get away with it this once and you promise you’ll never do it again. Ha! There’s your first lie of the new year.

Be more patient in the car. *see footnote below. Let me share with you a story that might help here. I was pulling up to a red light on a street and I was in the right turn lane. There was a gargantuan SUV in the lane to the left of me waiting for the light to turn green. I inched forward so I could see past him as he didn’t obey the law to stay behind the crosswalk. He kept inching forward making it impossible for me to see. It took me a moment before I realized he was fu*#ing with me. I looked at him and mouthed something that seemed to displease him. Let’s just say, he was clearly not a balanced person and I feared that he was about to get out of the car and come over to me and show me just how unbalanced he really was. So, here’s my point. It serves no purpose to engage an asshole in any way, particularly in a vehicle. Sometimes people get caught up in the heat of the moment and sometimes they really didn’t intend to do what they did to piss you off. In other instances they’re just complete assholes like this guy and the best thing you can do is get away from the person as quickly as possible. That’s what I did in this instance.

Don’t text and drive. It’s just not worth it. Despite what our egos tell us, our brains are not wired for multitasking. That’s why people these days just sit at an intersection, even after the light turns green. *see footnote below

Leave for work 5 minutes earlier than usual. You’ll be surprised how much less stressed and more patient you’ll be when you’re not running late and have time to spare. (I’m pretty sure this is the resolution I’m least likely to stick to, but I’m going to try. Every minute in the morning is precious especially when you’re not a morning person.)

Keep air in your tires. It’s kind of like having good posture. Everything feels and seems to work better when you’re sitting up straight. Same is true when the tire pressure is right.

Smile at a random driver at least once a day. I’m pretty sure it’ll catch the person by surprise. I’m also pretty sure that the person you smiled at will tell someone about it later. In fact, let me know how they react after you smile. If they change lanes to get away, take a look at your smile in the mirror. You just want to offer an easy, friendly smile not appear as a stalker or lech.

Practice isometrics in the car. Squeeze those buns! Odds are you made a resolution to lose weight or get more fit this year. Why not use that time sitting in traffic wisely. I don’t consider this multitasking. I also don’t recommend smiling at someone while you’re doing the isometrics.

Learn something new. Los Angeles has a decent selection of radio stations with some interesting programming. Catch up on current events, listen to books on CD or podcasts. Who knows, you never know where that next source of inspiration may come.

And the number one resolution for 2015 … Tell someone about this blog! I have a fun year planned for the blog, so please be sure to check back regularly to see what’s going on. Sign up for mybLAuto’s email list and then you won’t miss anything! I will never sell your email address.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous New Year!

Marci

*You have every right to honk if someone in front of you is not paying attention because they’re texting.

© 2015 mybLAuto

Channeling Joe Bfstplk

Watch out for the Dark Cloud Above

Watch out for the Dark Cloud Above

Anyone ever hear of Joe Bfstplk? He’s a cartoon character from Lil Abner who had a perpetual dark cloud over his head. That was my morning in a literal sense, not in a misfortune sense.

I woke up this morning, looked out the window and was happy to see a reprieve from the rain. I took my dog out for a morning walk. I wore my raincoat just in case. As we walked along, the clouds were clearing; the sun was shining. There was perhaps a scant amount of drizzle coming down. No big deal. The air was crisp and clean. I thought, “It’s going to be a beautiful day.”

So, I ventured out in my car a little later to do some morning errands, raincoat in tote.  The raincoat was my insurance. I brought it along, but had no expectation that I would need to use it this time. The only water falling on my car came from the SUV in front of me kicking it up from the street. I looked around for rainbows because I was sure it was raining somewhere in LA, just not near me. Saw a faint one in the distance.

I stopped for my first errand and decided one more time to put on my coat. I walked into the building, When it was time to leave, there was still no rain. Got back in my car and off I went. Great! My next errand was the bank. Seeing absolutely no need for it, this time I left my coat in the backseat of the car. I took care of business and was ready to leave, but then stopped right before walking out the glass door. I looked up and there was a sudden torrential downpour!  Yes, I was in the bank with no coat and no umbrella and I was not parked anywhere near the door. I know I’m not the wicked witch, so I’m not going to melt, but I didn’t want to get drenched. There I stood by the door with about 6 others marveling in the phenomenon of rain, assessing the potential length of time this downpour would last. I decided to hunker down for a few minutes to see if the rain would subside. I sipped on the bank’s coffee and had a good laugh with the other people. The rain continued. I decided it was time to leave and get on my with day, brave the rain. I walked out and made a b-line for my car. By the time I got to the car, I was completely soaked.

Naturally, the moment I got in the car, the rain stopped.

My advice to you today is bring the coat along even though you might not need it. Watch out for crazy drivers, fallen trees and branches. It’s a mess out there! TGIF!

Marci Bfstplk

 

Driving Oxymorons

 

I had my car serviced today. It occurred to me that all too often “honest mechanic” is an oxymoron.  Do you know, there are a lot of driving related oxymorons? So, as I … think out loud … here’s my list of oxymorons for your contemplation and reading pleasure.

Backseat driver

Light traffic

Close distance

Easy Rider

Driving pleasure

Deliberate speed

Freeway

Inexpensive car

Rolling stop

Incomplete stop

Sharp curve

Traffic flow

Legally drunk

Getting nowhere fast

Road to nowhere

Sports sedan

Driving on autopilot – you ever drive somewhere and you’re just going on autopilot. Before you know it, you’re there but you really have no idea how you got there. Scary!

Unlicensed driver

Uninsured motorist

Driving in the concrete jungle

Near miss

Rush hour

Slow speed

Speed bump

Speed limit

Front end

Bad karma (when it comes to parking)

I would be terribly pleased if you would add to this list. If you don’t, your comments will be conspicuously absent and I will almost certainly be forced to continue.

Marci

How to Save Endangered Los Angelenos

I realize I’m a day late in posting. Chock it up to a tryptophan haze. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. I did and it was in part because traffic was surprisingly light over the holiday weekend. I could get places in a fraction of the time it usually takes me. Surface streets on the Westside were uncharacteristically light. What a pleasure. It seems a lot of people went out of town. But alas, they’re all back now.

This leads me to a campaign that I’ll be launching. I’d like to know what you think. You see, traffic was light because all of the Los Angeles transplants went home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Los Angeles has grown to impossible proportions over the last couple of decades due to these transplants. They have invaded our city and surrounding areas and we are feeling it on the roads.

I often say that native Los Angelenos are endangered. It seems many of the natives have fled our overcrowded city. I know it’s true in my family. Between my siblings and first cousins alone, I’m the only one who remained in Los Angeles. Our fair city has become a melting pot of transplants. Don’t misunderstand me. This is not an ethnic, racial or cultural statement for that matter. I love living in a diverse city with many of the world’s nations represented here. It makes for an endlessly rich and interesting life in the big city. That said, I could, however, do without the seemingly endless supply of people who have turned L.A. into an adjective — they’re so “L.A.” They want to get discovered, become famous and live the Hollywood-LA life. BUT … I digress. My point is, I believe in the same way that Alaskans have fought for indigenous rights, so should native Los Angelenos.

Since the traffic nightmare we live with every day of our lives is really not of our making, I therefore submit to you that we should start a campaign to grant native born Los Angelenos full access to the carpool (HOV) lanes regardless of whether they have any passengers in their cars! Granted, there are issues to resolve before taking on the campaign. For example, should we perhaps grant native status to those who have lived here at least 30 years or more? Should all native Californians be afforded this right or is this something we should reserve for just Los Angeles as we put up with the lion’s share of traffic? I’m not saying that other parts of California are without bad traffic. I am saying that I believe the worst congestion is in Los Angeles. In fact, I read just last week that the 110 Freeway has the worst gridlock in the country.

Let me know what you think.

Marci, your native activist

Holiday Traffic — A Guide to Surviving – Holiday Driving Tips

We’re entering the holiday season and with that comes one of the many joys seldom discussed – holiday traffic. It’s a mixed Santa’s bag. For commuters going with the general direction of most commuting traffic, i.e. 405 South through the Sepulveda Pass, the good news is traffic actually improves with your commute. That is about all the good news there is however with holiday traffic. For those of us who have a “reverse” commute (if you can even call it that anymore) traffic actually gets worse at the end of the day during commuting hours. Why is that you ask? It’s because many people are off work and schools go on break. In preparation for the holidays, everyone is out bargain shopping, driving all over town, making traffic much worse. I submit to you, the better the economic climate, the worse the traffic. Hurray for our economic recovery. Bah humbug! What compounds the problem is the erratic driving that goes on during this time. People are distracted, stressed, and always it seems in a rush. I’m sure I’ll be reporting on that in the coming weeks and appropriately shaming people along the way.

So, with all that said, I offer you a traffic survival guide for the holidays, holiday driving tips. Heed my advice and you’ll hopefully avoid an accident and get through the holidays with less stress.

Be careful driving in a parking lot – this may be the worst place to be during the holidays. People seem to have the misconception that parking lots are racetracks — the dog tracks to be precise. It’s a dog eat dog world in a parking lot during the holidays. People believe the faster they go, the better the odds are that they’ll get premium parking. I prefer to park towards the back of the parking lot. It’s easier to get in and out and walking is good for you. When you pull out of a space, go slow and look carefully. People don’t typically stop to let you out on a good day, so don’t expect it on a holiday. Same applies to shopping carts! Just think of the lady who pushed me in Costco with her shopping cart … and it wasn’t even officially the holiday season yet! Do you part to take just one parking space. If you do see people who took 2 or more, take a picture and send it to me. I will properly shame them!

Rearrange your driving schedule – Okay, so I know this isn’t always possible, but try to rearrange your schedule to avoid peak times. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the worst traffic days of the year. Leave work early if you can (although it seems everyone is doing that), take the day off work whenever possible, or stick around wherever you are for the evening to wait for the masses to get wherever they’re going. I’m a big fan of Happy Hour after work, but don’t overdo it. The last thing you need is to get a DUI. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!

Prepare for the worst – If you are stuck in traffic, be prepared. Bring plenty of music, a good book on tape, practice breathing and isometrics. Hey the latter will help you burn those Thanksgiving calories!

Be vigilant – Note — I said vigilant not a vigilante! You have to be both an offensive and defensive driver during these times. Everyone else is distracted so you can’t be. So, when the asshole cuts you off, let it roll off of you. At least you saw him coming. I saw a license plate frame the other day on a yellow sportscar. It read something like, “Okay so I cut you off. Relax, it’s just a lane change.” I couldn’t get the camera out quickly enough because he was driving too fast. (Be sure to take a look at my post on what the color of your car says about you.) Don’t flip the bird. Don’t start a fight. Don’t pull out a gun. Try not to even mouth what you’re thinking — people are accustomed to reading lips at least when it comes to curse words. I know this from experience. Exercise kindness this holiday season and who knows, maybe the Karma Santa will be extra good to you.

Let someone else do the driving – Nah, I take that back. Bad idea. Unless you’re a lousy driver, only you can control the outcome of driving in chaos. Well, actually you can only control it to a point.

Consult with Sigalert – This is my bible. I always consult with it before heading out anywhere. It helps me know whether or not to avoid certain routes or if there’s no way to avoid a situation, at least I’ll be prepared.

Be safe out there!

Zen Master Marci

The Rain Paradox – things that make you go hmm

Wash Me

Wash Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed when it rains a clean car gets dirty and a dirty car gets clean? See if you can guess which way it went for my car Thursday night.

TGIF!

Marci

Can you Imagine Driving in a City Where Stepford Wives are Driving?

Sorry for the delay in my post, but I just returned from spending a weekend in Tucson, Arizona. I witnessed something I don’t think I’ve ever seen on the roads in Los Angeles — an open lane, I mean wide open. The lane was under construction more than 1/4 mile up the road. There was a sign that read “Merge Left — Lane Closed Ahead.” We know those signs. They’re on every other road we traverse in Los Angeles. The funny thing is people were actually heeding the message, not at the front of the lane where it was closed, but about 1/4 mile back. Do you get what I’m saying? The lane was wide open with NO cars. What was an even more bizarre sight to see, the cars in the left lane were lined up that 1/4 mile distance one right behind the next. No one was vying to get as close to the front of the right lane as possible before merging. No one was attempting to cut anyone off because they couldn’t wait their turn. I’ve truly never seen anything like it driving in Los Angeles! I wanted to take a picture, but it wasn’t safe and of course being the driving trailblazer that I am, I drove up to the front of the right lane before merging. I was the only driver who dared. I have to confess, it was enormously satisfying to bypass all the traffic in the left lane in mere seconds. What can I say; I’m a Los Angeleno through and through.

This experience left me feeling like I was in a parallel universe where people not only obey the rules of the road, but they also take on a Stepford Wife demeanor. They slow down when someone wants to change lanes. They let people in ALL THE TIME. They use their signals. I will say, I saw one car not signal on the road, but he had a NY license plate. It wasn’t such a big deal though because everyone drives so slowly already!

Are all Tucsonans exceptionally considerate? Or perhaps all Los Angelenos are just rude? It’s stress. Clearly, we drive in a city that is bursting at the seams. It’s a natural response to want to get out of the situation and move ahead as quickly as possible. We’re so programmed to drive offensively, it’s just become second nature to be impatient when we have to wait.

When I returned home to Los Angeles and got in my car, I decided to see how long I could drive like a Tucsonan. It was a test. I would not outpace the speed of traffic on any road I traveled. I would let people in my lane. I already do signal, so that’s not an issue. But, I would be patient and considerate. And so I was … for at least an hour.

Marci

Stay Away From the White Light!

White Light

Stay Away From the White Light

 

I’m driving along on the 405 South as I do nearly every day of my life. I can see traffic slowing down ahead. I’m in the fast lane going along at a good clip. The car in front of me is setting the pace. Thankfully, I’m keeping a safe distance between us. Suddenly he changes lanes, not slowing down first. If anything, he’s accelerating at a faster pace. He also doesn’t signal and zips along oblivious to anyone else on the road. Meanwhile, the lane I remain in is at a dead stop right in front of him. Has this ever happened to you? There was a great car chase scene exhibiting this in Against All Odds. Not a great movie, great chase scene though. One of the best. I’m sure you can find it on YouTube. Leave this to the movies. Don’t let life imitate art.

It seems someone is trying to invoke the red light shuffle in a dangerous way! There’s no red light. Maybe a white light cause you’re headed for a collision of significant proportions if you didn’t keep a safe distance between your car and the one in front of you. There’s no gentle shift. This just is not good, but it seems to be a common occurrence in Los Angeles.

I was okay. Thankfully, I had enough space. I was able to stop without issue, but the car behind me was not as well positioned. I saw this Mercedes in my rear view mirror slamming on his brakes behind me, swerving to the left and right hoping to make a lane change but couldn’t while I watched him in my rear view mirror. I prayed he would be able to stop and I’m not a praying person. Thankfully, the driving Gods were on my side. He was able to stop without hitting me. I started patting my chest as if I was trying to regulate the beat and return it to a normal pace. Deep breaths. I looked at him in the rear view mirror and I’m sure he was doing a Hail Mary himself. He also put his hand to his chest. I’m grateful he had a later model Mercedes thereby having antilock brakes. I’ve been hit before by a car that did not and it wasn’t pretty.

Here’s the thing. There needs to be a protocol, rules of driving etiquette if you will. You have a responsibility to yourself and every other driver. When you drive irresponsibly, you might be lucky yourself, but you’re putting everyone else in danger. I’ve experienced this. I went through 2 miserable years of pain, surgery and rehab for an accident that was caused by a guy texting (another very dangerous issue). He lost control of his car because he took his eyes off the road for a split second. Actually, according to a witness (oddly an ambulance driver), it was caused by a reckless driver in a van who cut off a driver and started a chain of events that lead to a 3 car crash. The van drove on unscathed and possibly oblivious to whole thing.  Interestingly, both incidents happened in exactly the same place — the 405 heading south near Santa Monica Blvd. a frequent spot for collisions. Traffic tends to slow down here.

I hate to have a somber moment in here, but this was a reminder, a daily reminder for those of us who hit the road each day for our commute. Please be safe. Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you. You might think you have plenty of time to stop, but maybe the car behind you does not. It’s called Paying It Forward.

Have a great weekend.

Marci