Though I am a Manhattanite through and through, I did spend a good half of my tender years in a small town in upstate New York, where I learned to drive.

One of the things that everyone who has ever ridden a schoolbus or driven a car knows is that you STOP if the bus’s red lights are flashing. Yellow lights, you slow down. Either, you remain alert because children may be exiting the bus. It’s fairly intuitive. It’s also the law.

Today was the first time since moving to Los Angeles (four years and counting) that I have seen a schoolbus use its red lights. I almost invariably see yellow flashers on the rare occasion that I see a bus letting students off. The bus was on Western Avenue near Melrose, and it had its red flashers on with stop sign extended from the side.

Do you suppose anyone stopped?

Well, let me put it this way – when’s the last time you saw traffic pull to the side of the road for a fire truck?

Every single car flew past the bus. (Not me. I was on the other side of the intersection and just an observer, albeit an observer without her camera handy.)

So I’m wondering – were they all complete and utter fucktards, or is stopping for a schoolbus optional in Los Angeles?

I think there’s a lot more awareness of this upcoming march on Monday than there was for the last one. Which is a good, since this one is set for Monday … you know, a workday. As many as a half a million are expected at BOTH demonstrations.

So, even if you’re not going to go participate or document it, you should probably at least be aware of what’s going to happen on Monday.

Start here at the LA Times.

There are two demonstrations planned:
11:00 AM – Downtown Los Angeles – Starting at Olympic/Browday and ending at City Hall
3:00 PM – Mid Wilshire – Starting at MacArthur Park down Wilshire Boulevard to La Brea Avenue. More info here

Some downtown and Mid-Wilshire businesses are urging their workers to use public transportation or carpool to get to work on Monday to reduce traffic congestion. Signs are already posted in the Mid-Wilshire area letting people know as well.

UPDATE: More info after the jump.
Continue reading May Day March →

Is there some sort of law or ordinance that prohibits freakishly bright or distracting signs next to freeways? Cuz there should be.

I drive down to Orange County a couple of times a month on weekends. And every time we return on the 5 north through City of Commerce there is a slowdown at the Citadel. This only started recently. It started when they installed those sun-bright animated signs. The thing is, it’s not just how bright they are (and we’re often returning at dusk), it’s that they’re animated and they have no fade or transition between the advertisements.

That’s right, they blink around mentioning Starbucks, the current Lottery, shoe sales then they go black and then they come on again, full bright. It’s distracting. I’m distracted. I’m annoyed.

People driving on the freeway are not a captive audience. We have a job to do, we have to drive. Stop trying to get us to make decisions about shoes or sticky buns while we’re navigating traffic!
Continue reading The Hang Up on the 5 →

The most frustrating part about writing for blogs is that often the people you’d wish would read informative posts aren’t the kind of people who even read blogs. That said, sometimes its imperative that you, dear readers, do a community service and print out important blog entries and tape them up for the offline world to see. Maybe your work breakroom or near the copy machine, possibly inside the stall of a public restroom beside the poetic graffitti. Anywhere the class of citizens we often refer to (lovingly) as “asshats” mingle or frequent.

Such is this case with this recent entry by Brian Humphrey at the LAFD News & Information blog:

Nationwide, nearly 16,000 collisions occur each year because a growing number of drivers fail to Pull To The Right when emergency vehicles approach using their lights and sirens.

Continue reading Pull to the Right! This means you, @sshat! →

960.4 miles later…

Originally uploaded by dieselboii.

We’re here….

LA is beautiful! The I5 corridor is lush and green and so warm – 79deg. Coming from the land where it seems to have rained since october, this is heaven. We did the grapevine with no issues or traffic and came into town via I5 and 101 to where we are staying. We’re up here in West Hollywood or as i understand it is called – WeHo. Hopefully we’re not in a sketch part of town.

We’re gonna venture out for food and drink and then to the show. You coming? We came all the way down here to see the Brian Jonestown Massacre at Little Radio Warehouse tonight and tomorrow night. You should join us. I’ll be the one with nice chops!

Seen a few of these billboards around town. This one is on Brand in Glendale.

Anyone taking responsibility?

Hard to see in the phonecam shot but the billboard is all black with white writing. Between the numerals is an upside down cross (just the shape, not elaborate), and under it is the text, “THE SIGNS ARE ALL AROUND YOU.”

Explanations?

Driving into Studio City on Cahuenga/Ventura, I spotted a gentleman driving a beige-ish Villager, playing the drums at a red light. Well, no – he was playing the steering wheel with drumsticks. His license plate cover and a sticker on the rear window indicated some affiliation with (or support of) the LAFD.

I found this terribly entertaining (and am happy to report that he did free up at least one hand to steer when the light turned green).

Maybe you’re one of the bastards that’s been blowing through reds at Santa Monica and La Brea, smug in the knowledge they’ve been out of order since last June. Allow me to be the one to tell you that the party’s over. According to a police news conference on Tuesday, the City Council has approved a multi-million dollar contract with a new company to install camera systems at up to 32 intersections. They’re also planning on using the cameras for remote imaging:

The cameras from Nestor Traffic Systems Inc. will enable police operators to monitor and adjust the equipment remotely via satellite and, in case of an emergency, the cameras could provide live images, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

To be honest, La Brea and Santa Monica’s not among the first set of intersections that have been announced—there are only 10. But, if the program goes well, I’m sure it’s on the do do list. I wonder how long until people are blowing them up with pipe bombs?

If there are two things you should’ve learned about blogging.la by now it’s that we’re always going to post about biking and when people park like idiots we’re going to take their picture and put it on the internet. This parking warcrime is brought to you by the awesome folks in my building. A lovely building that not only includes my place of work, but at least two calling centers for at least two different phone companies, also a weird men’s clothing store that I’ve never seen anyone inside of, a yoga center, an urgent care clinic of some sort (I think?) and a place that’ll tattoo makeup on your face! Seriously, you think you have weirdos around where you work. . .you haven’t seen squat. Anyway, they are so awesome that this is how they park. I have to admit it was pretty funny to watch them all trying to undo the puzzle they’d created when they all wanted to go get lunch. (click on the image for a the biggie-size as well as a bit wider view)

Found in the Los Angeles Flickr Group, taken by obeck

I’m not quite sure how they ended up separating these cars without creating more damage. (Location: Laurel Canyon at Riverside – October ’05.)