I have a bone to pick with moronic LA drivers and road repair workers (or actually the people who decide when/where to do roadside construction).
The last two days has been hell on wheels -- an hour to get to downtown from Venice (a 15 mile drive, on the highway) and another 20-30 minutes to get from Downtown to the Parking Structure on Hope St. (a 2 miles drive on city streets) [in LA we count miles, not minutes]
The blame can be equally distributed between a number of causes:
1) Morons who don't know how to drive but somehow got their licenses and were able to purchase a car (which I guess means they're somewhat functional enough to hold a job yet not bright enough to figure out how to use turn signals or switch lanes)
2) Road construction on Main St. just before Pico Blvd., blocking my way to the 10 (detours are available but thats not the point!)
3) Construction on Flower St. and 6th St. -- b/c whoever is responsible for deciding when to do construction apparently can't even fathom the idea of MAYBE just MAYBE doing construction at night when there aren't 100 cars and 20 buses on a tiny little 3 lane downtown street
4) And last but not least -- the weather -- in LA (in case you don't live here) people tend to forget how to drive when there is a drop of rain. I almost feel like it's enough for the car in front of you to clean their windshield and get cleaner mist on your windshield to freak you out enough to make you forget how to operate a vehicle.
These are just SOME of the problems NORMAL LA drivers are faced with every morning, and I didn't even mention the people who like to signal left and go right and the ones that slow down to 2 MPH on Abbot Kinney/Main St. about a mile before they actually decide to turn (that IS once they figure out which fucking street they're turning on!!!)
As you can see -- although we try to say that "you get used to the traffic and the drivers" you NEVER get used to it and it's never OK
So if I drove a Hummer, and had no concern for the cost of my car insurance, a lot of people would be fixing the back of their cars -- daily!
As I begin my professional career it is important to remember the difference in perception people have of you in the workplace. As a woman (who doesn't particularly likes to yield) it is difficult to maintain a positive and professional reputation while also not becoming a pushover.
