Driving in Los Angeles is damn "entertaining".

[vash]

wow..
you guys that live there must have nerves of steel. i just got back from a long weekend being my mom's driver. i learned early on, that using my turn signals was a sign of weakness..hahaha

i think of it (the turn signal) as getting the okay before i merge..the average LA driver? the turn signal has more of a "ready or not, here i come!" message. what was amazing, i never got flipped off. i pulled some questionable moves and nobody even bats an eye. no harm, no foul. the only time i got honked at was when i paused to let a car pull out of a parking lot in front of me. the guy behind me thought it was a bad idea.

i dont think i could ride a motorcycle down there... i admit, the system works down there. the defensive driving happening is very well done..i saw very little traffic accidents...saw four coming back home in the bay area.

(on a side note, the shorts on women are waaaaayyyyy shorter than the ones the ladies wear up here..you win that one..clearly)

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by vash

wow..
you guys that live there must have nerves of steel. i just got back from a long weekend being my mom's driver. i learned early on, that using my turn signals was a sign of weakness..hahaha

i think of it (the turn signal) as getting the okay before i merge..the average LA driver? the turn signal has more of a "ready or not, here i come!" message. what was amazing, i never got flipped off. i pulled some questionable moves and nobody even bats an eye. no harm, no foul. the only time i got honked at was when i paused to let a car pull out of a parking lot in front of me. the guy behind me thought it was a bad idea.

i dont think i could ride a motorcycle down there... i admit, the system works down there. the defensive driving happening is very well done..i saw very little traffic accidents...saw four coming back home in the bay area.

(on a side note, the shorts on women are waaaaayyyyy shorter than the ones the ladies wear up here..you win that one..clearly)

This thread is worthless without pictures.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Flieger

This thread is worthless without pictures.

[Flieger]

Thanks, Craig.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The only problem is they're shorter on the dudes too.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[look 171]

Damnit. Ban POP. I have this image of these "people" in West Hollywood during Halloween. Never get stuck in rush hour traffic in W Hollywood on Halloween. All the freaking freaks pour out onto the street.

[look 171]

Vash, what part of the city were you in? People are generally more aggressive on the west side and they are a little tame as you go eastward. But then, they drive so much slower.

[speeder]

I love driving and riding here for the most part. Lately I've been driving very little, riding MC everywhere. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping on my bike. Took an empty backpack to Trader Joe's and came home with a heavy one.

I agree that people are generally pretty good drivers here compared to other parts of the country I've visited. And people don't get mad when you "bust a move", as long as you show some skill.

[Embraer]

with the exception of "rolling chicanes" who don't understand the concept that the left lane is for faster people. drives me absolutely bonkers.

[techweenie]

I moved here to LA a zillion years ago. I learned that a turn signal means 'you're leaving too big a gap in front of you, and someone could change into that lane!' So the cooperating driver speeds up and politely closes the gap for you. I learned to use it to my advantage to tuck in to the space the accelerating driver leaves behind him.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by techweenie

I moved here to LA a zillion years ago. I learned that a turn signal means 'you're leaving too big a gap in front of you, and someone could change into that lane!' So the cooperating driver speeds up and politely closes the gap for you. I learned to use it to my advantage to tuck in to the space the accelerating driver leaves behind him.

It's exactly the same way in Quebec.

[Schumi]

I love LA driving. People are pros. Some tourists come and see all the cars merging and cutting in and out of tight spots between other cars at 80mph on the freeway and think those are bad drivers... WRONG! Those are good drivers. Those are drivers with depth and speed perception who know how to close a gap!

Meanwhile.. I move up here to silicon valley and there is a large percentage of the population made up of middle aged people who have just moved here and received a driver's license. And they have no idea how to negotiate busy traffic, how to merge quickly, what lanes to be in when they need to get across somewhere... it is horrible.

[Jim Bremner]

We really need to split this state up. Nor Cal people suck at driving.

Tourist in Soul Cal shouldn't be allowed in the 2 left lanes.

[Nostril Cheese]

I'm a better driver from growing up in LA.

I don't miss LA driving at all.

I'm reminded of driving on the 101 through the valley during a heavy (for LA) rainstorm and seeing an H2 Hummer going 45MPH in the fast lane with the hazard lights on.

[GH85Carrera]

I so vividly remember driving through LA from SLO down to San Diego in my 911 at the 5 PM rush hour. Traffic was moving for sure. The one bit of advice I had received from this board was "do in slow up the traffic." Even if it is going 10 or 15 over the posted limit, don't slow things up, go with the flow. I did.

Golly that was fun.

It makes me so much appreciate my commute to work. Some days I can drive 3 miles from home before I even see another moving car.

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by Schumi

And they have no idea how to negotiate busy traffic, how to merge quickly, what lanes to be in when they need to get across somewhere... it is horrible.

Sure it's not CT?

The state where brakes are the merging strategy for the majority. Kid you not, everyday, I witness lines of cars stopped at the end of long/fast entrance ramps because people are afraid to merge onto the highway. Then their, jump off the bridge tactics result in traffic coming to a screeching halt as they're not up to cruising altitude.

Me, the A--Hole in the Blue BMW, goes right by them.

On the menu this morning: a 3 car smash-up (rear-end job with cars shortened to the windows) with a side of a 4-car rail ride (on guy rode that guardrail all the way around an exit ramp about .2mi.) while another crossed over, rolled a GTI probably 4 times and landed shiney side up in a swamp about 60 feet below.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by vash

wow..
you guys that live there must have nerves of steel. i just got back from a long weekend being my mom's driver. i learned early on, that using my turn signals was a sign of weakness..hahaha

Having grown up in the LA area, I can tell you that drivers in LA are vastly superior to the metro DC area.

When I have to commute into DC I can witness in any five mile stretch of the beltway every conceivable douche-bag move that can be performed in a moving machine: The stretch I drive connects and combines all north and south bound traffic on I-95 onto I495 for almost thirty miles.

The motorized alchemy of bored, distracted and angry commuters, tourists (snow bird season, when the old folks head south to Florida, is bumper cars on concrete), college kids, soccer mom entitlement syndrome and every other racial and sociological stereotypical driver makes the beltway around DC a wonderland of motor vehicle stupidity.

The horror show that is DC traffic: Phone and texting is so prevalent I am not even offended anymore.

I have see DRIVERS reading a newspaper/book going 35mph in B to B traffic: Get a Kindle you Luddite!

Putting on make-up at 70mph? Why not.

It is the gift that keeps on giving.

[MBAtarga]

None of those stories compare to what I witnessed while driving in Boston during business trips several years back.

[vash]

first time ever i needed to blip the throttle on my wife's car to downshift smoothly to make an off ramp. LA traffic and a quick decision to check out the tar-pits..
my wife eyeballed me with that look she does.. driving was kinda fun..stop and go, universally sucks no matter where you are.

LA drivers win..

[sammyg2]

Driving in Los Angeles is damn "entertaining".

That's why I stay on this side of the Orange curtain as much as possible