Los Angeles is a gorgeous city, but it can be an interesting place to drive! Here are a few of the things that being a driver in L.A. can teach you:
1. Patience – You’re going to spend A LOT of time in traffic. Either you’ll become a very patient person, or you’ll go insane.
2. Plan ahead — You never know when L.A. traffic will strike next! If you haven’t left to your destination with plenty of time for traffic, you’re not timing yourself right.
3. “Rubbernecking” – There’s something about the drivers in Los Angeles that cause them all to slow down if there is anything distracting on the side of the road. All that extra traffic is caused just because one car is pulled over with their hazard lights on.
4. Prepare for a tanned left arm – Given the amount of time you’ll spend sitting in traffic or driving under a hot sun, your left arm (the one hanging out the window) is going to be A LOT darker than your right arm. Either bring a lot of sunscreen, or prepare for strange looks from your dermatologist.
5. Be prepared for sudden traffic – If you don’t have something to do while you’re driving, you’re in trouble! There are thousands of things that could cause traffic jams:everything from road repairs to surprise shutdowns to car crashes. Always have a fully-charged cell phone stocked with plenty of music or audio books.
6. People just CAN’T drive smart in the rain – It’s amazing how many people are terrible at driving in rainy, windy conditions! A startling number of Angelenos turn into total buffoons when the rain starts falling.
7. Car turn signals do not exist – Or if they do, Angelenos have no idea how to use them. You’re more likely to get struck by a falling unicorn than see someone signal their turn.
8. Your temper will get daily exercise – The amount of times you’re going to be cut off will astound you. Either you lose it, or you get tight control over your temper. Road rage is a VERY real possibility in LA!
9. Motorcyclists in L.A. are the worst – While motorcyclists in the rest of the country are usually little more than a pain, bikers in L.A. are the worst! No, the ones in criminal gangs aren’t the problem—it’s the ones that zip in and out of traffic that make you want to scream.
10. There’s nothing better than speeding at night – When the highways are empty in the wee hours of the morning, nothing feels as amazing as cruising down the 110 south with no one else to share the road.