Observing the speed limit is an unforgivable sin. The trick is to quickly change lanes then hit your turn signal as if to say, “That’s right man, I just cut you off.” To signal before a lane change is to guarantee the car behind you will not let you in. Traditional defensive driving is not enough. Whether you drive a Rolls-Royce or a broken-down Chevy, all drivers have equal access to the freeway.Ĭharles Bukowski wrote, “When I drive the freeways, I see the soul of humanity of my city and it’s ugly, ugly, ugly.” The unwritten rule of freeway driving is to drive aggressively. In a city that clearly delineates the haves from the have-nots, freeways are the last bastion of true democracy. You learn to accept the gridlock and reckless drivers, the ramshackle cars, and ever-prowling highway patrol.

To live in Los Angeles, California, one must make peace with the freeway. Moments later a massive truck smashed into his Mercedes, totaling the car.Īll Angelenos have stories of witnessing horrific car accidents or being caught in nightmare traffic jams. He opened the car door, waited for a gap in traffic and sprinted across five lanes to the other side of the freeway. Common wisdom dictates that if your vehicle stalls on the freeway you should wait in the car and call for help.

He maneuvered the car to the left shoulder but couldn’t find his cell phone. He was in the fast lane and suddenly the car stalled. On the night of June 23, 1997, boxer Oscar De La Hoya was driving his brother’s Mercedes on Interstate 605 near Whittier, California.

Gridlock traffic in la downtown