Was in LA last year for 3 weeks, rented a house just of Mullholland Drive. Was expecting the worse from traffic but just set my SatNav to avoid the freeways. Only time we sat in traffic was on the way down to see the Mouse. We did drive through some 'Interesting' neighbourhoods but was a lot more interesting than sitting in nose to tail traffic staring at the tail end of an Econobox. Think I would invest in good map and plan my route better rather than throw my toys out of the pram.... P.
6:58am,Sat morning, Theres no traffic anywere in LA county, Im leaving the beach, driving to East Los Angeles to buy A oil pan, than to the valley to see some friends and cars, be back around 1:00 pm, In Los Angeles, you gotta roll when you can, not only when you want to! (Maden Voyage in Bobs long tearm build, 425 buick 5 speed,)
born and raised in la area... moved to northern arizona in '74. now i'm back and forth to ventura to take care of the folk's stuff... so. cal is a nice place to visit... glad that I don't live there.
Oh boy, another rant about So Cal and traffic. It then turns to all kinds of other **** about So Cal. If all you people who complain and talk **** would either leave, or not come back (or visit) it will once again be Nirvana, like it was when I grew up here and there weren't so damn many people that came from somewhere else to live the dream only to screw it up and then ***** about it. I hope all of you who are haters just go somewhere else.
If you decide to take an alternate route, so does everyone else. When traffic gets bad the sidestreets get just as backed up. I ride a bike to work occasionally, the problem with that in LA is if your going faster than them it pisses them off and they will swerve AT you.
the problem with traffic is also the problem with big cities. not too many cars just too many humans in too small an area, used to have to take my wife to doctor in Chicago (Rush hospital) many times I-55 near joliet/bowlingbrook would be like a parking lot! once in the snow it took us 6 1/2 hrs to make a 2 1/2 hr one way trip. we were late to say the least! im glad im a country mouse not a city mouse
WHen I was a kid we usta play in this huge wild barley field that one day they started bulldozing and paving and called it the San Diego Freeway. Later, people who weren't born here started calling it the 405 and for the longest time I didn't know what they were talking about. I still only know the 210 and 110 as the Long Beach and Harbor Freeways but still don't remember which number is which freeway. Now a bunch of Easterner carpetbaggers are coming in and building "toll roads" in a state that has always had "freeways". When I was a kid, my Dad usta say that if the freeway is averaging over 25 mph it's going to be faster than the surface streets because with the lights and stop signs, that's all the surface streets will be doing. Also, I watch the traffic conditions before heading out at http://www.sigalert.com/map.asp and noticed that rarely is there an ambulance call for a collision on the freeways but almost always is in a collision on the streets, so, statistically anyway, the freeway's safer, except for motorcycle riders, they eat it on both. If you or your car can't take the heat, stay off the freeway, please!
True story, a woman in N.J. just picked up her new Harley Sporster, and on the way home from the dealer was a major jam on the Jersey Turnpike. She sat there on the bike, with it idling the whole time. And she sat there, and sat there, idling the whole time. That is until it went up in flames.
There were three cars and a cattle truck at a four way stop yesturday.So much for a traffic jam in South Omaha.
I'm a native of LA... I was just there for a month a couple months ago... It's not just LA... People do **** here that would get them shot on the 405... And smile at you doing it. There's a logic to LA rush hour traffic... There's no logic to what goes on here...
I was able to stop taking "Blood Pressure" medicine shortly after I moved away from the puddle..! As soon as I got over the mountains... I found out I could finally use a new gizmo on my car... it's called a "Cruise Control"! Hahaha...!
I just try to stay out of trouble... If I have to go to the westside, I time it VERY carefully, get in, get out- I usually drive 11:00- 2:00 before or after that, I don't bother. I'm lucky my studio's at home. Traffic can definitely ruin your day in an old car, and old's all I got.
lol! our idea of a traffic jam here is getting stuck behind a farm tractor on a two lane hwy and not being able to p***!
I've lived here for 60 years, my whole life, and I've gotten used to it. You plan your day accordingly. I'm 20 miles east, next to Pasadena, so I avoid going anywhere downtown and the "westside" is the worst of all, no question. I use the freeways only when they are open. I never sit in traffic. There's too many ways to get around by avoiding them when they are clogged. I'll never leave. This is home. I've only moved a couple of miles north from Arcadia, where I grew up. As said, this is home. Like any other place, there are always drawbacks to anywhere in the world. I've driven across the Country in hot rods, from Oregon to St. Louis and I'm always glad to be home again. Whether you like to hear it or not, Southern California has been and always will be the center of the car culture universe. Every part of the Country has some "car activity" but nothing like it is here. The smog is nothing like it was in the 50's-70's. We don't have smog alerts anymore. The traffic is just as bad as it's always been, it's just that there are more freeways today to clog. When I was a kid, there weren't the 605, 210, 60, 105, 118, etc. Just side streets. Up until the 60's, if we wanted to go to the beach, Dad would take surface streets all the way, some 35-40 miles...there was no 605 to travel on. So, before you all get your kicks bashing Southern California, remember, this is the home of choice for many of us. I could move anywhere I wanted to, yet I choose to be here. I've driven hot rods through Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Oregon and many other States. All of them have wonderful points of interest, their own beauty and charm...no question. But I love coming home again. So, be respectful for those of us who love it here. Otherwise it just sounds like the bashing is just envy in disguise, even though you may be dead serious. Bashing a person's home is not far removed from bashing someone's family. If you knew the SoCal that I know, you might not be as critical. I do find it odd that I never see posts on the HAMB of people bashing Iowa or New York or, Heaven forbid, Texas, but yet California seems to get the negative **** all the time. Makes me wonder why. So, respect begets respects...dig?
what? no back roads to enjoy? its supposed to be more about the ride, not the getting there. your letting this make you throw in the towel...wow
Damnit... I've gotten ingrown toenails since I was 13 or 14. No matter what I have done, they are always going to keep coming back as long as I wear shoes. So, from this point forward, I am going to take my big *** sized 12 feet and go barefoot! If this doesn't solve the problem, I guess I'll just have to remove the offending toes and then not have to worry about it anymore. Selling the car to avoid the traffic, yet keeping the other vehicles? I know you said you don't drive it as much anymore, but release the garage queen into the open more often and you'll feel better about the car, yourself, and life in general. Now that I think about it.. if I removed ALL of my toes, I might be able to save more money since my feet should fit into smaller shoes. Its a win/win situation!
whoa...cool off Gotz...have an Chardonnay with a little umbrella in it....grab a tub of bon-bons and watch some Oprah reruns......
I ride my bicycle most places. Used to take me 15 min to get to work in a car, now it take me 25 on a bicycle, plus i get to enjoy the beautiful Cali weather. I feel for the guys that have to drive on the freeways for work, i used to have to, so glad i got a new job closer.
your better off selling it and going to bingo, you sound burnt out on hotrods anyway, time to move on and let some else take care of your ride and not be afraid to get it out and enjoy it. just don't move to the south. i had to slow down to 55 mph today on the highway a possum was crossing. I'm glad i drive my hotrod everyday, everywhere i go, sure the roads **** and so can traffic but at least i'm in a hotrod doing it. i wouldn't change it for anything.
This is a funny thread. LA traffic threads always bring out the weirdos and goofballs. So Cal natives know that *****ing about traffic is like *****ing about the weather. Pointless babbling. It's the Oprah/Springer part of the HAMB, I guess. Vent, have a good cry and move on, right? Boy Howdy!
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