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 ;)