What's the driving "ettiquette" like?

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by jksouthbay88

The one thing that sucks about driving in LA is the lack of left turn arrows at intersections.There are hundreds of busy intersections that do not have a protected left turn meaning one or two cars turn during a cycle.They normally sit in the intersection and wait for the light to turn red so they can continue through the intersection.

We actually have too many of those, and they really get to be annoying when there's no oncoming traffic and one is only prevented from turning because of a red arrow.

[stillkit]

SoCal drivers are the best freeway drivers anywhere. They're familiar with it, have long experience and understand how it's done. Yes, there are bad apples who cause problems and newby's who are still learning, but the majority are quite adept at maximizing the opportunities.

As a newby yourself, you have one cardinal rule: Do as they do. Keep up with the flow of traffic and damn the speed limit. If everyone else is going 20 mph, you go 20 with a smile on your face and be patient. If they're doing 80, get right in there with them. Nobody will say "Boo" to you as long as you're not going abnormally fast or slow. Holding up traffic in your lane or weaving in and out will get you a ticket...or worse. Always remember that if you're not going faster than the car to your right, get over there with him and clear the faster lanes.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by Santa's Neighbor

I hear all the time about how it's horrible to drive in LA, but want more details on why. Is it generally a volume issue, or are the drivers themselves horrible? Are they aggressive? Incompetent? Hostile? Will they let others merge, or do their best to cut them off? Or are they the friendliest people on earth, just too many of them? That sort of thing.

How are they towards cyclists? I'm an avid cyclist, and am used to city conditions. How homicidal are the motorists? And if so, are they benignly deadly ("sorry Ma'am, didn't mean to crush you") or more intentionally murderous? Or hopefully... careful, safe, and appreciative that I'm not clogging the roads further with my car?

Driving etiquette is actually based on respect. Don't cut anybody off. Signal ahead of time. Don't tailgate. Don't be too aggressive--people don't like it if you're too aggressive--because we all have to be somewhere, not just you. Don't be a hot dog. Don't try to floss. Just be cool and respectful and you will probably be ok.


Will you be run over? If you're on the way, you probably will be at least sideswiped or bumped back into your place. I would say yes and don't get in anybody's way.

[Santa's Neighbor]

Originally Posted by Jay100

<...>Don't be a hot dog. Don't try to floss <...>

Which manoeuvres (had to get the dictionary out for that one, like I meant to do before misspelling etiquette) do these relate to? I can kinda visualize, but I like precision...

[Ghostgecko]

Thanks for the corrections on the lane splitting thing. I guess that makes sense. I just thought that people didn't want to wait in traffic, and thought they were better. The air cooled thing makes a lot of sense.

The transmission wasn't a tiptronic, It was one of those autos that you have to have it on to change the gear. A nice car, but she's not rich. I meant the aspect of poor as if to say that's a really bad time to stall out your car and a bad place! And in the left-most lane. That's why we helped push her off to the right lane. Although breaking down anywhere out here, would have to say is no fun.

I think that some people out here play into the whole thing too. It's kind of like since we are all in a big city full of people, we can drive like an Moderator cut: language cause you'll probably never see them again. I remember when I first moved to Key West I flipped a guy the bird for almost hitting me, and we pulled up right next to each other at the grocery store....ok, bad moment.

That's not the case here. But then again, if you came to LA to experience serenity in auto driving, you're nuttier than anyone out there. It was a world-known reputation for being a crazy place to drive.

[DewDropInn]

I never appreciatedhow polite LA drivers are until I moved to Arizona where no one knows that there even IS a turn indicator in their car.

Of course there are exceptions, but for the most part LA has some of the best mannered drives in the nation. They signal, let people in, use the correct lane for turning, give a little wave to let people in, give a little wave to other drivers for letting them in, use their horns sparingly, know how to park and usually manage to actually pull up to a pump at a gas station so that they don't block traffic and have to pull the hose clear across the back of their car because they canot remember from one fill-up to the next which side of the car the nozzle needs to go into.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by Santa's Neighbor

Which manoeuvres (had to get the dictionary out for that one, like I meant to do before misspelling etiquette) do these relate to? I can kinda visualize, but I like precision...

Umm just basically follow the rules of the road and don't swerve in and out of traffic, so as to try to beat everybody. Don't try to "show up" or taunt the other drivers.

[JumpingBird19]

Santa
LA is huge. It is concrete roads from LA to the Long Beach Ocean. That is 50 miles. Some people when visiting move from city to city not realizing they left LA 15 minutes go.

Driving in LA is the same as any huge city, Dallas or Chicago etc Are you speaking of downtown. Or outskirts of LA.
It depends on where you are going , the time of day, and gas prices. Most families own two cars so volume is an insane issue. Everyone is in a hurry. They move at high speeds whenever possibly. No they are not rude but don’t get in their way.

Don’t go on the freeways unless you want to drive 80. Or willing to do the bumper to bumper thing going nowhere because of the volume of people.

I don’t know of any bike lanes in downtown LA, Buses keep that area busy, Hey it is the buses downtown that would nail you. They are rude. There are 2 or 3 buses following each other. Too many people on the street to use the sidewalk. Plus you would get a ticket.

If you are speaking about West LA or UCLA a bike is great on campus and the local area. The beach areas seem to be kind to cyclist. There are a lot of parks to ride a bike.

Parking a car downtown is $50.00 and up a month.

Good Luck

[JumpingBird19]

Santa
LA is huge. It is concrete roads from LA to the Long Beach Ocean. That is 50 miles. Some people when visiting move from city to city not realizing they left LA 15 minutes go.

Driving in LA is the same as any huge city, Dallas or Chicago etc Are you speaking of downtown. Or outskirts of LA.
It depends on where you are going , the time of day, and gas prices. Most families own two cars so volume is an insane issue. Everyone is in a hurry. They move at high speeds whenever possibly. No they are not rude but don’t get in their way.

Don’t go on the freeways unless you want to drive 80. Or willing to do the bumper to bumper thing going nowhere because of the volume of people.

I don’t know of any bike lanes in downtown LA, Buses keep that area busy, Hey it is the buses downtown that would nail you. They are rude. There are 2 or 3 buses following each other. Too many people on the street to use the sidewalk. Plus you would get a ticket.

If you are speaking about West LA or UCLA a bike is great on campus and the local area. The beach areas seem to be kind to cyclist. There are a lot of parks to ride a bike.

Parking a car downtown is $50.00 and up a month.

Good Luck