Archive for Traffic

Gross Generalizations about Drivers of CERTAIN cars

February 16, 2015 Driving, Traffic, Uncategorized No comments

I’m bound to piss off someone with this this post, but so be it. I spend a lot of time in my car and on the road and if I didn’t see a pattern in behaviors, I would have little to blog about. So, that said, here are my gross generalizations about drivers of certain cars. I’m sorry if I offend you.

Porsche (excluding most Panameras) – Long ago, this was truly the cool car to drive. Think Risky Business. Then, it became the middle aged man’s mid-life crisis car.  But now it’s the older man’s car, that is the older man who thinks he’s still middle aged. This is so prevalent it seems it’s become a cliché. Perhaps it’s one’s last bastion of virility? Maybe you should trade it in for a Tesla (soon to be the next cliché.)

Rolls Royce – No matter which model you drive and how you justify owning one, this is simply an ostentatious car. Anyone who drives it is wearing his wealth and not only knows it, but thrives on showing off how rich he or she is, but mostly he.

Hummer – I’ve written a lot about my dislike of this vehicle because I believe it really should have no place in an urban metropolis. Men who drive this car (I have yet to see a woman behind the steering wheel of one) must feel the need to prove their power. Perhaps he’s compensating for a smaller part of his anatomy. Arnold (our former Governator) – that’s what happens when you take steroids.

Cadillac Escalade (and other gargantuan SUVs such as the Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Expedition) – While the Escalade seems to stand out from the pack of other monstrous SUVs, they all fit into this description. I have yet to encounter one of these where the driver wasn’t dangerously aggressive. Men and women drive these monsters and they drive it as though they’re in a little Fiat zipping in and out of lanes! I also have yet to see an Escalade in any color other than black. (Please refer to my post on the color of your car and what it means about you.)

Dodge Charger – Same as above. I have never encountered one of these cars going with the flow of traffic. The drivers always seems to be dangerously aggressive. It doesn’t matter the color of the car. They are all aggressive drivers!

Light colored Priuses and PT Cruisers – I’m sorry to pick on Priuses all of the time, but there are now so many on the road that when I’m approaching one (there’s never one that passes me), invariably my guard goes up because I know I’m going to have to navigate around it. Simply put, these drivers are responsible for slowing down the overall flow of traffic! I get that you want to maximize your MPG, but for the sake of being a team player on the road, get one or two less MPG and move your ass! Now the PT Cruiser has the same problem, but I don’t fault them in the same way. These cars just don’t GO fast. I’ve had one as a rental before and it was terrifying how little get up and go it had.

BMWs – Alright, so I hear again and again that BMW drivers are rude, always cutting people off, thinking they’re somehow better than others. I do agree, but as with all generalizations, there are always exceptions. 🙂

Humbly,

Marci

Traffic – A Contraindication for My Health and Well Being!

February 9, 2015 Driving, Santa Monica, Traffic, Yoga No comments

In medicine, contraindication refers to a condition that serves as the reason a treatment or procedure is inadvisable. In driving, traffic is a contraindication for many things, particularly when you’re on a quest to do something or go somewhere that goes awry because of the traffic. Ultimately, it defeats the purpose of going in the first place. The reaction can leave us apoplectic! I encountered this on Saturday and it reminded me of another similar situation. Oddly and ironically, both incidents occurred when I was on my way to do yoga.

Someone once gave me a one month membership to a yoga studio in Santa Monica. It was a really bad idea for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was that it was terribly inconvenient. The studio was just about 4 miles from my home, but because of traffic it would take 40 minutes, sometimes more to get there, plus time to park and walk to the studio. By the time I would arrive to a class, I would be in serious need of relaxation! It would take the entire class to de-stress me and by then it was time to get back in car and drive home. So not worth it!

This past weekend, I encountered a similar problem. This time, I signed up for a yoga/meditation class at a place about 3 miles from my home in another direction. The problem this time wasn’t traffic as much as finding parking. There was no parking to be found anywhere near the studio, not even a parking lot where I could pay. I drove around the neighborhood for 10-15 minutes to no avail. I could have walked nearly half way there in that amount of time! As I felt my blood pressure rising, I decided that it was not advisable to continue this exercise of futility. I’d like to say that’s the last time I’ll need to drive somewhere for the benefit of improving my health and well being, but I’m sure it’s not.

How many times has driving or traffic gotten in the way of your well being?

Marci

My “Red” Cross to Bear!

February 3, 2015 101 Freeway, 405 Freeway, Bridgegate scandal, Driving, Driving in Los Angeles, road congestion, Traffic, Uncategorized One comment

 

The 405 and 101 Freeways - I'd pray but what's the point?

The 405 and 101 Freeways – I’d pray but what’s the point?

This image, courtesy of Sigalert, is the bane of my existence, my red cross to bear! I spend an inordinate amount of time on this stretch of freeway. If only divine intervention could save us all from this sin of the modern world — road congestion!

I’ve written a lot about how I have to plan activities around traffic patterns in Los Angeles. Plans often get waylayed because of traffic snafus in this city. Heck, it can even become a tool to seek revenge if you’re in a position of power — aka Governor Chris Christy’s Bridgegate Scandal! I also remember one of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductees a couple of years ago (I forget who though) almost missed the event because he was stuck in traffic in Los Angeles. No one is immune and it often feels as though we’re all just pawns in this urban game of life.

I’ve certainly had my share of plans that went down the tubes because of getting caught in traffic. It’s conceivable that some day not being able to get where we need to go might become a matter of life and death. I suppose at that point you would call 911 and get a police escort or ambulance to get through the gridlock. Today, I had a situation that fortunately was far from life and death, but it was pretty darned unpleasant anyway.

The day started off great. I was pretty psyched this Monday morning, heading into work a few minutes early (New Year’s Resolution). I got plenty of sleep last night so I’d be ready to take on a busy work week. I glided along in lighter than normal traffic for a Monday morning on my so called “reverse” commute. I attributed my light traffic to masses of people hung over from drinking too much and eating too much crap on Super Bowl Sunday. Thankfully, I wasn’t one of them.

I arrived at work a few minutes early and was settling into what promised to be a productive day. Then, about an hour into the day, my stomach would put the kibosh on my productivity. No, I didn’t indulge in any unhealthy Super Bowl foods or alcohol as I was already feeling a little off yesterday. It seems I had some sort of bug. But, what was I to do? There it was 8:30 a.m. and I was trapped — miserable, sick and trapped. It seems the Super Bowl indulgers who travel South down the 405 were running late and would leave the 405 clogged for hours to come. I felt like the entire team of Seattle Seahawks put together on the 1 yard line with no ability to get to the end zone. Torturous.

It would have taken me 2 hours to get back home and let’s just say there was no way I would have made it without severe consequences! I was forced to stick it out at work. I got through my day somehow and finally made it home later that afternoon. Thanks to my “reverse” commute, it only took me 50 minutes to get home during the off peak time.

This incident will force to me in the future to re-think when I should just stay home. If I’m not feeling well when I wake up, it might not be worth taking a chance to see if I get better. I wouldn’t want to get stuck again because of traffic in Los Angeles.

I think my next post will be 10 Costs of Traffic Congestion!!

Stay tuned!

Marci

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

January 26, 2015 Carpool Lanes, Driving, Driving in Los Angeles, environmental impact studies, Laws, Public Transportation, road construction, Rules of the Road, Traffic, Turn Signal, Uncategorized 6 comments

“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

Being Present, Mindful Awareness in the Car

December 15, 2014 405 Freeway, Driving, Holiday Traffic, Mindful Awareness, Traffic No comments
Which way now?

Which way now?

Feeling Philosophical in the Car

Driving along this morning to work I was thinking about how there’s so much in life that we just dial in. It’s true on the road too. We drive on autopilot, not really consciously knowing where we are at any given moment. It frightens me a little sometimes when I arrive at my destination and I can’t recall even a moment of the drive. I wonder, “How the heck did I make it there!” I’m so programmed to drive in the same direction every day, I don’t even think about it. I often miss everything around me along the way. Even though we get where we need to be (albeit not always where we WANT to be), in the process of “getting there,” we miss the journey, life happening all around us — the beauty and of course sometimes things that aren’t quite so beautiful.

Time spent in my car is truly a metaphor for life. As I said in my first post for mybLAuto (see my Welcome post if you haven’t read it yet), the road is a main character in my life and sometimes a reflection of who I am and where I’m going. Most of the time, we think driving is about the destination, but really it should be about the journey. That’s where the mystique of Route 66 comes into play and why we take Highway 1 instead of Interstate 5 when heading North. After all, wouldn’t you rather smell the salt air along the coast than the stench of cows along I-5?

Perhaps if we considered the journey, we wouldn’t get nearly as frustrated on the ride or frazzled by the time we reached our destination. Then, maybe just maybe we could better appreciate where we are. Two hours of my life every day in the car is a lot of time to spend not being fully conscious and simply reacting to everything around me. I can better use this time to be an active participant or even a casual observer.

We hear a lot these days about mindful awareness. It’s about being present, appreciating the now, the moments that lead us to where we’re going. So, I decided to test myself this morning, challenge myself to be a little more present in the car as I’m driving. Sure, I was still listening to the news, running down my To Do list in my head, but here were a few of my observations when I stayed “present.”

I could see the Getty Museum on the hill, the Hollywood sign, the downtown skyline and the snow capped mountains in the distance as I was driving on the freeway. The mountains were spectacular. I could feel the coolness of the air outside radiating on the windows, showing me winter is here (Southern California’s version of winter anyway). I knew that the air was crisp and clean outside. The smog was still washed away from the last rain, making the sky a brilliant blue. I could see forever it seemed.

I observed that traffic was somewhat light, uncharacteristically light, if you were heading south on the 405. It’s the holiday traffic upshot for most commuters. Now, I did get stuck in traffic. Seemed there was an accident, one lane blocked. I did what I do … called KNX 1070 Traffic and reported what I observed. The station is after all in my Contacts listed as “Traffic.” I had a great conversation with the traffic reporter. We talked about holiday traffic, this time of the year, how lucky some people are to have this time off work and of course what I saw off to the side of the road. It was a pleasant conversation followed by an on air report recounting our discussion and even mentioning my name as the tipster.

My car hit the peak of the Sepulveda Pass and was greeted with spectacular views of the Valley. Then, the gas tank light came on warning me that my tank is getting low. I headed down the hill into the Valley and arrived at work. Another warning light told me it’s time to service my car again. As my moments of being present slipped away and these warning lights brought me back to my default state thinking about everything but the moment, I parked my car. I stepped out of the car, took a deep breath, filled up my tank with the fresh air so to speak for just one more moment. It was time to take on the day, perhaps with a little more awareness.

Care to give this a try? Let me know if you do and what you observe.

Marci, Your Mindful Awareness Guru in Training

 

Driving Oxymorons

December 9, 2014 Driving, Driving Oxymorons, Traffic, Uncategorized One comment

 

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

December 2, 2014 110 Freeway, Driving, Driving in LA, Driving in Los Angeles, Holiday Traffic, Holidays, Traffic, Uncategorized 3 comments

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

November 24, 2014 A Guide to Surviving, Driving, Driving Behavior, Driving in LA, Driving in Los Angeles, Holiday Driving Tips, Holiday Traffic, Holidays, Traffic, Uncategorized 3 comments

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

TGIF!

November 21, 2014 Driving, Holidays, Traffic No comments

Happy Friday! I’ll be back later with a post, but for now I’m going to brave the first stages of holiday traffic and head across town for happy hour. More to come on this topic soon!

Drive safely out there and if you go to happy hour, be sure to have a designated driver!

Party on…

Marci

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

November 11, 2014 Driving, Driving Annoyances, Driving Behavior, Driving in LA, Driving in Los Angeles, road closures, road construction, Traffic, Turn Signal, Uncategorized 3 comments

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

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