I have to say it: I hate driving, and more importantly I hate driving in LA.
I don’t understand how people say driving is calming. I’m pretty sure my blood pressure and overall anxiety levels have risen by maneuvering through LA traffic. I was petrified the first time I started driving in LA. I would barely drive to Ralphs from school. I would park far away just so I didn’t park close to a car and accidentally hit it. I was more than cautious; I was vigilant.
My current job has me driving. All. The. Time. I drive all around Beverly Hills, dodging tourists, struggling to find parking and driving five miles per hour in congested construction zones. Since driving, I’ve learned a lot about how LA drives and I want to share some times with you all about how to drive in LA.
1. Avoid the right-most lane at all times
The right lane is not a place you want to be until you have to turn. The right lane is awful. There’s often cars parked there between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (sometimes even when they’re not supposed to be) and you’ll have to merge back into the lane through traffic and look like an a**hole. Oh, and you'll be stuck behind five buses.
2. Yellow means speed up
If you stop on a yellow, you’re going to make drivers angry. In LA, a yellow light means speed up, not slow down. People even drive on red. It’s a crazy world out there.
3. Beware of the California stop
A California stop is illegal but wildly used. It’s basically a pause instead of a full stop and is dangerous. I don’t recommend using it, but beware of other drivers not bothering to fully stop at a stop sign.
4. Let people in
Don’t be rude and just let people in. There’s going to be a time you need to move over four lanes and exit and people will let you over, so just be a good human and return the favor.
5. Know how to parallel park
I never had to pull up to the curb on my driver’s test, so when I moved to LA I had no idea how to parallel park. Period. It terrified me. Unless you want to pay $20 to park in a lot (yeah, it’s pricey), learn how to street park and save a lot of money. And always have a ton of coins on you to pay the meters.
Are any of these tips helpful? They apply to most major cities, but mostly LA.
