L A drivers, tell me why?

[kinein]

as a la driver in downtown nyc, nyc sucks its a battlefield with people cross the street i almost ran someone over, i live and breathe la traffic for 20yrs dont drive in nyc its just chaos you have to deal with drivers and people on the streets. unlike here its just the cars on the freeway

[sammyg2]

Traffic sux and it brings out the worst in people, and there's plenty of both in LA.

[look 171]

I take LA over NYC traffic any day of the week. I don't know NY, but we just go around the traffic.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by tevake

Hey Dean, I think I've caught a glimpse of that nice looking targa, but mine is a metallic black coupe and I hang mostly on the N. shore. I'm using a borrowed computer so can't post pics.
Did you have a fun visit?

Cheers Richard

I played golf there on the North Course on my birthday, I put it in the water twice on the first hole, the two guys I played with, total strangers, thought I would have a melt down, I said, it's my birthday, I'm in Maui and playing golf. I don't care. I think the one guy shot par, I was in shock. I like Hawaii but don't want to live there.

[Mark Henry]

Heavy traffic for me is getting stuck behind a tractor or school bus.

[Rick V]

You want to drive with some real jerkovs and nincompoops, try the capitol beltway (495) around DC. You will invent cuss words.

[campbellcj]

We definitely get our share of the 85mph weavers with phone in one hand, Starbucks in the other hand, and swatting at the kids in the back seat with the other hand...

However just as often we get the 60 in a 65 left lane bandits who slow down more for every slight curve or rise in the highway. The 405 Sepulveda pass drives me crazy in this regard, i.e. many people go well below the speed limit even when there's no traffic, and they won't get the hell out of the way.

[kevin993]

LA has three things that hurt:

1) Sheer volume
2) Awful lane discipline - please, everybody - move to the right unless you're passing
3) Carpool lanes - people cut across 3 or 4 lanes of traffic from an entrance ramp or to get to an exit ramp. Usually, there seems to be an urgency to get into the carpool lane immediately after entering a freeway and a desire to wait until the last possible break to get out of the carpool lane to get to an exit. Once people are in a carpool lane, you never know whether the person is trying to get somewhere with reasonable haste or whether they're trying to maximize their hybrid's fuel economy and sacrificing any pace in the process. Those two goals are inconsistent, so you end up with traffic jams and people that want to get around the slow pokes.

I have to presume that the level of distractions, the driving skill, etc. are not unique to LA.

[pegasus9]

I refuse to drive on the 405. That thing is a parking lot.

When I was in New Mexico on location for about three months I really enjoyed the open roads there. Sure enough when I got back to L.A. I had to get used to the roads again here. Sweaty palms and I was thinking man did this place get more crowded or what? Funny what you get 'used to'.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by kevin993

LA has three things that hurt:

1) Sheer volume
2) Awful lane discipline - please, everybody - move to the right unless you're passing
3) Carpool lanes - people cut across 3 or 4 lanes of traffic from an entrance ramp or to get to an exit ramp. Usually, there seems to be an urgency to get into the carpool lane immediately after entering a freeway and a desire to wait until the last possible break to get out of the carpool lane to get to an exit. Once people are in a carpool lane, you never know whether the person is trying to get somewhere with reasonable haste or whether they're trying to maximize their hybrid's fuel economy and sacrificing any pace in the process. Those two goals are inconsistent, so you end up with traffic jams and people that want to get around the slow pokes.

I have to presume that the level of distractions, the driving skill, etc. are not unique to LA.

I blame the people who design the car pool lane for that. some are done really well, some are just terrible. The car pool on the 10 going toward downtown is bad, also the 210. Once you exit, you have about 1/4 mile to get into the right to change fwy. with a little slow flow of traffic, many people just will not let you out. You are flying in the carpool, and can't slow down because traffic in the number 1 lane is going 35mph. They ain't letting you in because they just can't slow down or leave you a gap. Well, they just don't want to because they will be 2 second slower in traffic.

[SpyderMike]

I just drove from Hollywood to So Orange County ..50 miles...it took 1 hour 5 minutes. No big deal...today.

You have to time it right (and be a bit lucky sometimes). It's nothing like driving in Mexico City.

[Tobra]

Is Richard(OP) still with us?

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

Remember the experiment from first year psych class? Put two rats in a box and they retreat to opposite corners. Put four rats in a box and they each take one corner. Put FIVE rats in the box? It's on!

Behavioral sink is what you're referring to. It's a term invented by ethologist John B. Calhoun to describe a collapse in behavior that can result from overpopulation. The experiment was done with rats, and had very spooky results.

[HardDrive]

LA is busy, but I’ll take that all day over NYC.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Is Richard(OP) still with us?

His last post was 2022. I saw another old regular in a thread the other day and checked, and saw the same, last post was 2022. I can't remember who the other poster was.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

LA is busy, but I’ll take that all day over NYC.

Agree....I've driven in both. NYC is terrible.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by john70t

They are supposedly charging a NYC $9 entry fee now.
I won't say more.

London has some sort of fee that they are charging in an effort to keep cars out.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by masraum

London has some sort of fee that they are charging in an effort to keep cars out.

I heard lots of old cites around the world are doing that or ticket cars that have odd or even number lic plates on certain days within city limits. I understand that parking is none existence and streets were built very narrow, for walking before cars were invented.

[zakthor]

I’ve driven through that north la area a few times and while fast and dense I thought everyone was fairly competent. Maybe it was an unlucky time of day?

Worst I’ve seen were the freeways in the early afternoon around Provo Utah. Seriously angry and inept drivers there. The freeways seem to have plenty of space but about 2% of drivers are trying to go 2x faster than everyone else and using the whole freeway to make progress. Big pickups with big speeds tailgating, locking all wheels and going sideways was a sort of sport combined with a few tiny overloaded cars going 45 and the regular drivers on their cell phones. Once or twice I would think I’m unlucky but it’s every time through I see so many crazy near misses and smoke from the locked wheels. Im just passing through but feels like I’m playing checkers and the fast aggressive drivers are playing 3d chess. Now I know I find a spot with plenty of space behind a long haul truck and ride out those 10 miles or so.

[thingmon]

NY at Christmas time... just don't.

The 'don't block the box' signs are pretty funny and sad that you actually have to tell and fine people for it.

And bike messengers.