Driving Recommendation (Santa Ana, Simi Valley, Newport Beach: home, buying, law)

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Hi. I will be driving from Simi Valley to go to court in OC.

All the times I have available to show up are pretty bad.... Which is the best of the worst driving there and driving back?

Option 1 CJC in Santa Ana at 8:30
Option 1 is HJC in Newport Beach at 8:30 or 4:30
Option 3 is WJC in Westminister at 8:30 or 4:30

Thanks

[Captain-Jack]

I'm guessing this isn't jury duty.

[EscapeCalifornia]

I vote for West Court. Its marginally closer and the parking is easier than Central. The worst traffic will be getting through LA so that's going to suck regardless. Leave home by 5:30am. Eat dinner in OC and leave after 7pm.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

I vote for West Court. Its marginally closer and the parking is easier than Central. The worst traffic will be getting through LA so that's going to suck regardless. Leave home by 5:30am. Eat dinner in OC and leave after 7pm.

Thanks. So the PM time is probably better than because at least I would get to sleep in huh?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Naomi Manischewitz

Thanks. So the PM time is probably better than because at least I would get to sleep in huh?

Yeah, you'll still need plenty of time to get through LA. I wouldn't leave any later than 1:00pm for a 4:30 appointment just to be safe. Better to arrive early and read a book than sweat it on the road. There's an outdoor mall (Bella Terra) just down Beach Blvd from West Court you might want to kill time at.

[ragnarkar]

And if you have a smartphone, use the Waze app.. a lot of times, it's given me reminders of faster routes where you can literally cut corners (i.e. you're approaching a busy freeway interchange where you'll be exiting; it advises you to exit onto a surface street a mile and merge onto the new freeway about a mile into that route.)

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

And if you have a smartphone, use the Waze app.. a lot of times, it's given me reminders of faster routes where you can literally cut corners (i.e. you're approaching a busy freeway interchange where you'll be exiting; it advises you to exit onto a surface street a mile and merge onto the new freeway about a mile into that route.)

LOL. That's why I got this ticket! I checked my navigation on the phone and got fined for being a distracted driver even though I drove perfectly safely! You can get fined for drinking soda while driving, eating while driving, doing something on your GPS, etc today! But have kids screaming in the car while talking to them, or checking out other people while driving, nope!

I'm fighting it even though I doubt I will win since I was using the device.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Yeah, you'll still need plenty of time to get through LA. I wouldn't leave any later than 1:00pm for a 4:30 appointment just to be safe. Better to arrive early and read a book than sweat it on the road. There's an outdoor mall (Bella Terra) just down Beach Blvd from West Court you might want to kill time at.

Thanks

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by Naomi Manischewitz

LOL. That's why I got this ticket! I checked my navigation on the phone and got fined for being a distracted driver even though I drove perfectly safely! You can get fined for drinking soda while driving, eating while driving, doing something on your GPS, etc today! But have kids screaming in the car while talking to them, or checking out other people while driving, nope!

I'm fighting it even though I doubt I will win since I was using the device.

Wow! How did they catch you doing that?

I've got to say, though, the law is OK with me. I've had a couple people swerve into my lane while texting. If your car is moving and you're looking at a phone (for any reason), you're focusing on the phone and not the road.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Wow! How did they catch you doing that?

I've got to say, though, the law is OK with me. I've had a couple people swerve into my lane while texting. If your car is moving and you're looking at a phone (for any reason), you're focusing on the phone and not the road.

The cop got me from behind...
There is a big difference IMO between texting someone back and forth using both your hands, and just pressing 2 buttons to turn my navigation and click alternative route while having both hands on my wheel with my eyes still on it, but of course my opinion doesn't matter because the government is broke and wants to collect $$$.

You can actually get a ticket for drinking water while driving according to the police officer. The distracted driver law sees no difference between talking on the phone, changing a radio station, drinking coffee, turning on a GPS, etc. Technically sneezing should be up there because don't people have to close their eyes when they sneeze due to nerves LMAO?

Yes people can get distracted making it unsafe on the road, but I wasn't driving unsafely!

I also have NEVER been distracted when I have answered a phone and spoke to someone while driving. I never dialed a number and I end up having the phone on speaker, but again won't be doing that any longer!

The only things that I can not do while driving which does make me very distracted would be:
eating while driving
having a lot of people in the car
texting (I admit I have texted during red lights but IMMEDIATELY stopped when it turned green- but I won't be doing that anymore!)


I will most likely end up losing and having to pay the $170 since YES, I did break the law. I am willing to go drive all that way to try to reason with a judge. I would even consider spending a few nights in jail if it means not paying it because I feel getting a ticket for this when I am not distracted is so fricken stupid! I was probably a better driver on the road than people who did appear completely focused!


I want to end up buying a bluetooth since I have 2 ill relatives, but I could see in a year that, that too ends up becoming illegal by some means.