Red lights Black lights.......

Ok - I've been away awhile, and I have some things saved up.  I'll start slow with this return to posting :)

I've been noticing lately  that car lighting is changing - and not for the better!

I got behind a Lexus SUV recently and did not see a turn signal.  The brake lights were fine so I slowed and was mentally running through my 'turn signals are not optional' rant when I noticed that one of the rear brake lights was dimly flashing.  I looked again.  Wait - aren't turn signals yellow?  Isn't that the law?  Apparently not any more!  I made an effort to start watching more cars (those who did use turn signals) and saw that an increasing number of vehicles no longer use yellow turn signals.  Most of the vehicles I saw had brightly flashing red turn signals so I started trying to figure out why that Lexus' was so darn hard to see.....

BLACK FRIGGING LAMP COVERS!  That is now apparently the 'thing' to have.  At night it may be easy enough to see a driver's intentions with these things, but in the day time?  They are a, hmmm..., female dog.  This morning - leaving my neighborhood I saw something even scarier and most certainly illegal - a hopped up pickup truck painted matte black all over - including the headlights!

And people here get stopped for window tinting?

P.S.  To the person who drives Topanga Canyon at night with *pink* Xenon lights - those hurt the eyes and are quite the distraction.....

CANYON DRIVERS

If you take the canyons (I don't care if it's Malibu, Topanga, or any other canyon in the local area)  you know about canyon drivers.  They come in all kinds of personality. I've learned to identify them.

The granny (or grandpa) driver - they go through the canyon about 10mph below the speed limit.  I get that some people are not comfortable driving the windy, twisty roads.  But, there are numerous turn-outs through the canyons and *lots* of signs asking slow traffic to pull into the turn-outs and let faster traffic through.  I've had people actually slow down more - just to prove a point - when you try to point out the issue by flashing your headlights, pointing to the turn outs, etc.
 
Locals - some of them are also granny or grandpa type drivers - but for an entirely different reason.  It's their canyon.  I know the feeling.  I live in a smaller canyon like neighborhood and people terrorize our streets - where we have no sidewalks and no streetlights.  There's a 'but' to this though.  The canyons have clearly posted speed limit signs.  If we are not in a section that says 35mph then don't slow down to that speed.  It backs up traffic, encourages pollution, and generally pisses people off.

The speed daemon -  the opposite of the granny or grandpa driver.  Ok, face it, we all take the canyons at 5 mph faster at some point.  These are the guys/gals that sit on your, um, backside when you're already pushing it.  I usually pull over in a turn out and just let them by.  I want to live another day.

The curveball -  this is the person who either speeds up on your butt, and then slows once you pull over to let them pass, or lets you pass and then crawls up your backside.  I place these people in the same category as computer hackers - NUISANCE.  Get off the road before you kill someone (including yourself!)

The motorcyclist - these folks (guys or gals) have the ability to weave in and out of traffic legally here in California. I'm constantly checking my mirrors on regular roads or freeways - doubly so in the canyons.  Still, they've been known to come up behind you out of a turn and make you suck in so much air you think you'll pass out.

Just a reminder on canyon driving?  It's like driving anywhere else.  Hang up the cell if you can't handle hands-free calling, don't put on your makeup, shave, read the paper while driving, and for Pete's sake - pay attention!  There are animals crossing those roads often - not just the occasional squirrel or raccoon, but larger animals like DEER.   Coming from the Midwest I've seen what that can do to your car - and you.  It's not at all pretty and sometimes neither one walks away.

I'm Baaacckkkk!!! (aka construction woes)

CONSTRUCTION RANTS

I've decided that the head (or heads) of the Los Angeles DOT construction projects is (are) **male**.  I doubt seriously that a woman would plan construction on every major artery into the Brentwood/Santa Monica area (and beyond) out of the Valley at the same time.  We have the 405 upgrade project.  While it's mostly for the northbound side it includes the updating/modification of 20+ on and off-ramps north and South bound, and the reconstruction of 3 bridges that pass over the 405.  This is a 3 year project (at the rate our state is going probably closer to 5).

Ok, so why worry?  We'll just take Topanga Canyon out to the coast and go that route.  There are projects in two places bringing the canyon down to one lane in both places during the majority of the morning and evening rush hours.  Oh, and there's a sign on PCH warning of impending construction delays there (no date given.)

Alright, alright, let's take Ventura Boulevard to Haskell, up to Sepulveda and go that route (the 101 is always backed up for the morning commute - and you have to take the 405 from there anyway.)  Ventura Boulevard is under construction in at least one place (again down to one lane during the morning commute) and the little jog to Sepulveda/405 on-ramp (should you decide to chance it) is intermittently closed.  Okay, stay on Haskell it becomes Sepulveda.  Now Sepulveda is starting construction in several places.

I realize that this sounds whiny.  But just try to get out of the valley in the morning rush and see where you start to get frayed around the edges. Until next time - Please drive safely!

Left Turns...

OK Gang.  Left turns seem to be one of the more dangerous options with LA drivers.

Case in point:  Last week I was on the boulevard in the far right lane.  My lane was clear, the light had just turned green and the two lanes next to me hadn't quite started moving yet.  That, in itself, is not unusual.  There was a large truck to my left, obstructing my view.  Again, not unusual.  Next thing I know there's a car in my lane - cutting in front of me to a driveway.  Thakfully I have good brakes and keep them in good repair.

If you're going to cut across 4 lanes of traffic in rush hour - please do so slowly.  We weren't quite at the intersection so it wasn't like he/she was coming through an intersection and was visible.  More likely - the other two lanes hadn't started moving yet so they cut in to get across.

I learned - about 10 years ago - not to leave room for left turns across lanes.  I used to leave a good car length between me and whomever was ahead.  this guy turned left into that opening.  He was in a  mid-sized sedan, I was in a 96 Explorer.  He got past me but didn't slow to make sure the lane was clear.  The lane next to me - like the one from last week - was clear and a car was coming down at about 25 MPH.  Needless to say she t-boned him and then her car ended up in my front end.  Being an EMT at the time I went to see if he or his passenger was injured.

This brings up another BIG pet peeve.  He spoke only Russian.  I don't care what language people speak at home, or shopping, or at dinner, etc.  BUT offering the drivers exam in 20+ languages is asking for trouble.  If someone cannot read well enough to learn the rules of the road how do we know they can read the traffic signs?

He was ok, but his passenger was slightly injured.  We had to wait for his son to come translate everything.  The poor woman who hit him refused to let his insurance cover her damages.  she was 86 and afraid of losing her license - despite the fact that he was ticketed for an improper left turn.

Finally, today I ran into another lovely type of driver.  I get this one nearly daily.  I'm going into an intersection to turn left, so is the person across from me.  My left turn happens just past theirs so I have to proceed forward first, then left.  I kid you not - every time I hit that intersection at least one left turning vehicle tries to beat me through.  Today the first one made it across.  the second one came to a very quick halt when she realized her silver Prius was probably not a match for my car.  She was almost halfway into her turn.  Is the left turn to Whole Foods such an emergency that you'd give your life for it?  Probably not ;)

Guest Blog - Tailgaters!

Today's post is a guest blog by Jen.by.14.   Thanks Jen for the post!

Recently, people with big trucks (or regular cars even but mostly trucks) have been tailgating other cars on a smooth freeway.

I can understand if the car before him is going like 60 mph on Lane 1. In 1 instance though, I decided to just pass the truck up from Lane 2, and then realized that this truck is high-beaming … and these lights are extra bright! Well, if I was the car in front of the truck, I would pull over, but since we’re in L.A. with nutty drivers, I’m guessing in that case, the driver was blinded first and didn’t know what was going on behind him. Now that I think about it a bit more, that truck should’ve just passed the slower car from Lane 2…

People are just greedy I guess - I came across this twice this week already.

STOP!

I live in an area with a large number of 4 way stop signs.  You can't go more than 2 blocks in any direction without running into one.  I've learned a few things over the years - at least once at a very painful cost.

People don't know the rules of a 4 way stop.

If you stop before anyone else, you go first.  This does not mean drive halfway through the intersection and then stop.  It's not a race - cheating to get ahead will only cause accidents.

If more than one vehicle stops at the same time there are more rules!  They don't include 'see who can get through first'.  It's not a game of 'duck, duck, goose', 'hot potato', or even 'simon says.'  I do have to admit that people often treat it like 'red light, green light'.

More often than not people blow the stop signs in our neighborhood.  The one at the top of the hill by our house is infamous.  I have to check and recheck before backing out to be sure no one is visibly showing up on any corner I can see.  There is one blind corner - people taking a right from the street above us rarely stop there.  More than once I've safely backed out - with no one behind me - and looked up a few seconds later to see someone right on my ass.

The worst are the ones who assume that there won't be anyone at the stop and just simply blow through.  I got hit by one of those a few years back.  She had no reason, never even hit the brakes.  Thankfully a witness stopped on my behalf.

That's my input for the day.

I wish you safe driving!

Land Rovers and more...

It was an interesting commute into the city this morning. Ventura Boulevard  was the start of my route - the 101 was packed all the way back to Calabassas.

Approaching Haskell Ave.  A black Land Rover suddenly jutted diagonally out in front of me at an odd angle.  I saw them and was able to stop but looked to see where they'd come from - and where they were going.  They had cut across 3 lanes - without a turn signal - to pull into McDonalds.  This was in a matter of maybe 15 seconds.  When they pulled in front of me their back end was still 2 lanes over!

I don't begrudge anyone their breakfast, coffee etc.  I am prone to the occasional junk food binge myself and absolutely must have my morning coffee (you don't want to meet me before I've had my first cup :) ).  Pulling across 3 lanes of bumper to bumper vehicles to get there is not something I'd consider - especially on a rainy day when people have a harder time coming to a sudden stop.

Once at the 405 I merged from the on-ramp to the lane closest on my left.  Folks were more patient than usual and did not speed up as soon as they saw my turn signal (that is the typical reaction to people who *do* use turn signals.)  I usually move over one more lane to the left because the original lane merged into is going to end within about a mile.  It was a pleasant surprise when a green Toyota van saw my signal and actually slowed to allow me in.  The courtesy impressed me :)

Shortly thereafter a white Chevy van pulled in front from my right - again no signal - and coninued to drift for another lane - still no signal.  It was a brand new panel van - no plates yet.  Let's hope they are able to keep it in one piece for now.

When the lane to my right finally ended a gray Honda Civic was on the shoulder still trying to get in front of everyone.  They cut off the guy in front of me, causing him to slam on his brakes.  This is why they tell you not to drive 6 inches from the next guy/gal's bumper ;)  Fortunately - I wasn't and his reaction time was good.

Yes, people are in a hurry.  Yes, some may have true emergencies.  But, if you end up in an accident you're not going to get there any faster - and maybe not at all.