I was looking around today .........

and I found this article.


L.A.'s unwritten rules of the road are keys to survival
By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 11/07/2007 04:21:48 PM PST


"Newcomers to Los Angeles learn something real quick about the way things work here: There are the official Department of Motor Vehicles rules of the road and then there are the unofficial L.A. rules.

And if you want to survive these mean streets, you need to understand both.

One L.A. rule works like this: If you're waiting behind cars in a left-turn lane, never expect to go when the arrow turns green.

The first driver in line will almost always be distracted and fail to notice that the precious green arrow is lighted until the last few seconds before it again turns red.

Then the driver will punch the gas and get through the intersection - leaving the rest in line angrily muttering about dimwits until the next green arrow arrives.

Expect the cycle to repeat.

Here's another rule: When on the freeway in gridlock, don't expect drivers to use their blinkers to signal when they want to change lanes.

They'll just slide over in front of you without any advance warning.

Some of these lane-changers believe it's pointless to use blinkers because other motorists are so steamed about sitting in traffic that they won't let anyone get in front of them. So, it's just best to cut them off.

Sound familiar?

Even Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich has compiled a "how to" guide for driving in Los Angeles County.

It hit home when he read it last week to a crowd of business
people and other L.A. officials who had just made their way through maddening traffic to attend an 8 a.m. meeting in Burbank:

Morning rush hour is from 5 a.m. to noon. Evening rush hour is from noon to 7 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning.

The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 mph.

If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended, cussed out and possibly shot.

MapQuest does not work here. None of the roads are where they say they are, or go where they say they do. All of the freeway off- and on-ramps are moved each night.

If you are in the left lane and only driving 70 in a 55- to 65-mph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be flipped-off accordingly. If you return the flip, you'll be shot.

Although all rules are subject to change, generally these are ideas to keep in mind when hitting the road in L.A. No doubt there are plenty more.

But there's no class motorists can attend to learn them. No handbook either. It's a roadside behavior that gets embedded in your psyche if you ever want to get anywhere in this jampacked city.

So if you have friends coming to town, please share these rules with them before they arrive.

That way they're already in-the-know about our rules.

Because in the City of Angels, we don't like anything that messes with our commute."




I read it and thought that is exactly how I think while driving. This hit 100% right on. I don't know how many times Mapquest and similar services have gotten me lost.I finally had to resort to the Thomas Guide because that way it gave me a better way of getting unlost. The only part of this article I had any beef with is the rush hour times. 5 in the morning is not the start of the morning rush hour. I am always surprised at how busy the freeways are when I get off at 3 in the morning. I am going to make a statement saying that there is no rush hour. There are rush days! that applies to Monday Thru The Next Monday.