Los Angeles Drivers, Boo

[Gone in 60]

562loose, what surprises me is, as a rider in downtown LA, that his moved surprised you in the least. The whole 5/110/101 zone is a vacuum of any driving brain power whatsoever. Any time I'm in that tunnel on the 110 north going to 5 north, I'm assuming that every car within a two mile radius suddenly has to be in front of me, and that the winding two-lane extended ramp after the initial turn will bewilder any driver in close proximity.

On my morning commute, I exit the 405 in Santa Ana at Harbor Blvd. Harbor is a main boulevard, and is at the end of a "feeder" ramp that has two earlier exits before the ramp ends at Harbor. Each morning, I assume that every driver ahead of me is confused, and am never disappointed when two cars cut over at the last second because they're on auto brain pilot, thinking that Harbor is the first turn-off on the ramp. (I take the second exit on the ramp, Susan St., or as I like to call it, "Ex Wife St.")

Earthquakes? Heck, 1994 didn't take us down. Just made the commutes crappier than normal for a few months. Imagine that but with no Waze.

Now that they've done the bizzaro exterior remodel of the Petersen Museum, making it the current most controversial piece of L.A. architecture (the concept is "what if a building were put in a wind tunnel"), I tell my tour guests "Mark my words, the next L.A. earthquake disaster film you see, this place will burst into flames and collapse first. The Columbia Records building has always been the first one that blows up, but it's had its day."

[pekingduck]

If the Petersen Automotive Museum were consumed in an earthquake, how could you tell? Would the walls become flat and vertical?



LA is not the only place full of bad drivers with a sense of entitlement - we have a particular breed that surpasses all as the worst of the worst - worse than divorce lawyers or Hollywood agents, none but the feared and dreaded entertainment industry attorney.

You'll find him mostly on the Westside, phone or phones in hand, slithering through traffic like the snake he is, in his Jaguar FU-type or Land Rover Aloof. All black with limousine tint windows of course, lest some ray of sunshine peak in. You never hear him coming, but even on the hottest day, you'll feel the hairs on the back stand up and your blood will run cold.

He'll be heading to a lunch date at an exclusive new restaurant that doesn't have a name, just an address and a valet. You could be stopped at a light, he'll run you over, slowing down only enough to drop his lawyer's card next to your crumpled body.

And sure, it's all his fault, but not only will you never work in this town again, you'll never get a table at any restaurant, you'll only be able to stream reruns of Andy Griffith, and taco trucks will suddenly close their windows when you get to the front of the line.

[Gone in 60]

AAAGGGHHH NO, not the entertainment lawyer! I usually see him on the hiking trails in Temescal Canyon. He'll be loudly telling his Tinder date about how he just got xxx actor signed with yyy producer to be in yyy's next production. Oh, and he just sued zzz for non-fulfillment of contract.

He's talking loudly because he has to get the hike wrapped up within the next 30 minutes and she's having a hard time keeping up. His McLaren is ready to be picked up at the dealer, and he needs to get it before he heads to a meeting with bbb. The dealer loaner is just an S-Class, and he wouldn't be caught dead in something like that.

Thank gawd for headphones.

[pekingduck]

Wait a minute - was it a gold McLaren with a personalized plate that says HUBRIS?

People think we're kidding, but we're not......sadly.......

[Bazbro_imp]

I "almost" follow this - very funny, but not if you have to live alongside them.

Every country has "cringe makers".
"The Englishman Abroad" is my hate...
There are several types, but apart from the quiet, decent majority, we have "18-30 Man". He's never spotted during the day - only appearing about 5pm, rumpled, baggy-eyed and looking for DRINK... By 11pm he's sobered up enough to do his thing in the club, looking for some poor, dopey female he can salivate over.

Then there's the loudmouthed "Loadsamoney Plumber" type, with family in tow - equally loud, big, blonde, buxom wife, with a mouth as bad as her husband's but with a few extra choice swear words, and kids that can only be summed up by the word "obnoxious".

Then the "Hooray Henrys" who "made a lot of cash in the City" and are desperate to flaunt it in the most crass and offensive way possible.

And so it goes on...

"People watching" is a good hobby!!

[Cormanus]

pekingduck, that was a very funny post. I had to work way too hard not to spray a mouthful of pizza all over the dining room.

[Gone in 60]

Yes, every society has their cringe worthy elements, and as cool and suave as I think I am, I’m sure someone thinks that way about me.

I set up trade show displays occasionaly, and when I travel to England for the Autosport show, I’m sure I come off like a typical American redneck.

“Hey, there’s the same car I got, but the bumpers look funny and the steering wheel ain’t on the right side. And how come your trucks have so many dang wheels? And how come your electric plugs are so big?”

I took a break from the show last year when I learned that the British Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham was a short distance from the convention center. I walked there, basically as-the-crow-flies. In doing so, I crossed a major highway on foot, which apparently is frowned upon. Heck, it didn’t have big old guard rails around it like we got on freeways here in America, so how was I supposed to know.

I asked the hotel clerk that I was looking for a package addressed to “Mr. Anderson.” He gathered all of his friends and asked me to say “Mr. Anderson” repeatedly because I sounded like “The guy from the Matrix”.

As a side note about the Petersen museum, that I find sort of funny - since they did that exterior skin of stainless steel ribbons illustrated here previously, they have posted security guards outside on the sidewalk. They learned that basically they built a huge steel ladder around the building, and the guards are there to keep people from climbing it.

[Bazbro_imp]

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yes, every society has their cringe worthy elements, and as cool and suave as I think I am, I’m sure someone thinks that way about me.

I set up trade show displays occasionaly, and when I travel to England for the Autosport show, I’m sure I come off like a typical American redneck.

“Hey, there’s the same car I got, but the bumpers look funny and the steering wheel ain’t on the right side. And how come your trucks have so many dang wheels? And how come your electric plugs are so big?”

I took a break from the show last year when I learned that the British Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham was a short distance from the convention center. I walked there, basically as-the-crow-flies. In doing so, I crossed a major highway on foot, which apparently is frowned upon. Heck, it didn’t have big old guard rails around it like we got on freeways here in America, so how was I supposed to know.

I asked the hotel clerk that I was looking for a package addressed to “Mr. Anderson.” He gathered all of his friends and asked me to say “Mr. Anderson” repeatedly because I sounded like “The guy from the Matrix”.

As a side note about the Petersen museum, that I find sort of funny - since they did that exterior skin of stainless steel ribbons illustrated here previously, they have posted security guards outside on the sidewalk. They learned that basically they built a huge steel ladder around the building, and the guards are there to keep people from climbing it.

They must have seen you as The One, neO.

[Gone in 60]

I still remember their cockney accents... “Ok, this time say “Good Morning Mr. Anderson.””

My boss, Mr. Anderson, reminded me that over there, I was the one with the accent.