SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 @ 2:55PM - SB 405 at Studebaker Road Off-Ramp

Here's a shout out to those hard working people at JjK Roll Offs. These guys provide those huge roll off garbage containers you see at major construction sites.

In order to get these huge steel multi-ton receipticals to and from the sites and the garbage dumps, rather large diesel tractor trucks are required to muscle them from here to there.

Oh sure, they take up extra space on the freeways, drive slower than the rest of traffic, and usually have a vile stench about them. But it's the subtle things that make these trucking giants the 'welcome' traffic additions they are.

JjK Roll Offs, if you would be so kind as to check the California Vehicle Code and it's passage concerning commercial trucks and their loads. TO give you the thunbnail sketch of the code; YOU HAVE TO COVER YOUR TRUCK BINS WITH A TARP TO KEEP THE CRAP IN THE BIN YOU ARE HAULING FROM BLOWING OUT AND INTO TRAFFIC!

Today one of your trucks was cruising SB down the 405 Freeway just before the Studebaker off-ramp. Large cardboard boxes (more than a couple, more like dozens) were flying out of the top of the bin being transported, and into traffic and the path of the drivers following your truck. This un-expected rain parade of cardboard was causing all the cars behind it to take drastic action to avoid hitting the boxes. One driver in a Nissan Pathfinder looked to have gotten the attention of your truck driver to alert him as to his problem, but there seemed to be a communication error; your driver just smiled and continued on.

So, JjK Roll Offs doing business in Torrance CA, I hope that one day a CHP officer actually witnesses one of your trucks dumping trash into traffic, causing a major accident which after a legal trial, you business is found liable and is closed down forever.

It doesn't pay to be a Highway A-hole Jjk Roll Offs.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2007 @ 1:23 pm – SB 405 Fwy at Sunset Blvd

Driving in Los Angeles has been called a lot of different things, but boring isn't one of them.

Here's Super Mom driving her newer silver-grey Mercedes E350 in the number 1 fast lane on the 405 freeway SB approaching Sunset Blvd off-ramp. Traffic was flowing amazing quick for this time of day. I was driving a few cars behind her in the number 3 lane at a brisk 60 mph.

All of a sudden, traffic ahead of me started to hit their brakes hard. Red lights lit up faster than dusk on a Saturday night in Amsterdam. Some tires screeched and rubber was laid to pavement as dozens of cars tried to stop. Fortunately, it didn't appear that any bumper tagging occured.

As I crept forward, I was passed the offending instigator - the silver-grey Mercedes Super Mom was driving was at a full halt haly way between lanes 1 and 2. The car was slightly sideways and their were skid marks trailing the Mercedes to where it stopped.

In one hand Super Mom held a cell phone as she yelled into it and at her very young child in the back seat jumping in and out of car seat. In her other hand she was holding a large paper Starbucks coffee cup in a paper sleeve.

It appeared that the loose kid in the back seat may have distracted her a tad bit more than the converstaion she was having on the phone. She must have hit the brakes (whick I thought would have been anti-locks, but I guess not) and slid into her current position dead in traffic across two lanes.

See, even Super Moms can be Highway A-holes.

AUGUST 31, 2007 @ 2:42 pm – SB 405 Fwy at Cherry Ave Exit Ramp in Long Beach.

Damn it's been hot here in the LA area. For the most part, the Highway A-holes have been keeping to themselves. I'd like to think that all LA drivers read this blog and think more than twice when they are about to make stupid decisions.

But this heat wave is finally starting to take a toll on drivers. Today on the SB 405 at the Cherry Ave off-ramp collector, there were not one but two A-holes.

One car, a 2006 Chevy HHR mini SUV, was driving very slowly - like 5 MPH or less, in the right lane as the Cherry Ave collector started. I wasn't getting off the freeway, so I was in the second lane from the right driving a respectable 55 MPH in the early Holiday get-outta-town traffic, but just as I approached the collector lane where the HHR was, traffic slowed down abruptly to about 10 MPH.

As I was passing the even slower HHR, I heard a loud truck horn blast next to me. There was a massive off-yellow and orange-brown cement truck with western motif graphics painted on its mixer drum and cab doors right up to the bumper of the HHR. When the driver of the HHR heard the horn, the woman driving stopped her HHR cold in the middle of the collector with no trafic ahead of her. As I continued past I caught a glimpse of her staring in her rear view mirror back at the cement mixer truck while she was at a total stand still.

As I continued on, she continued to remain steadfast in her position. I don't believe she had any mechanical problems (even though she was driving a Chevy, but I digress) but I think she was just pissed someone had the nerve to honk at her, or she was trying to back off the collector to get back on the freeway... an even more bonehead to try as a Highway A-hole.

Then HHR's potential mechanical issues I really can't speak to, but if her problem was that she took the wrong off-ramp, her problem would have been solved if she would have just continued on the collector and followed the signs to re-join the freeway 100 yards ahead.

That's what the signs that read "Thru Traffic OK" mean you Highway A-hole.

And dude driving the cement mixer, get a grip already... according to your dispatcher's desk (yes, I called), you get paid by the hour. You should thank Ms. HHR for putting another $3 in your pocket.

AUGUST 22, 2007 @ 11:12 am – SB 405 Fwy at 105 Fwy Interchange

Well thanks to Wil Smith and Universal Pictures, I was late to work today. Just when things were starting to improve around here, this had to happen.

Universal Studios is shooting a freeway action scene on the 105 freeway just west of the 405, adjacent to the SW corner of LAX. As I understand it, the shoot requires that the 105 traffic WB from the 405, and all associated on/off-ramps be closed from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm "for a number of days". Can someone tell me what that "number" is please?

Wait a minute! It's the middle of the week people. Why shut down one of SoCals most commute crippling and busiest freeway intersections? Commuters are beyond inconvienced by these closures. What show stopping scene had to be shot mid-week that couldn't be shot on weekend days?

Are you guys taking scheduling lessons from CalTrans now? I most certainly hope not. The freeways can't possible handle another asinine studio public relations stunt. The spin control for a Highway A-hole is almost always futile.

And boy are his ears pointy.

AUGUST 11, 2007 @ 12:45 am – NB 405 Fwy at 101 Fwy Interchange

God damnit CalTrans!

You have a really cool and hourly updated website. For almost a decade it has been the trusted online source for scheduled freeway closures. These closures are usually for road work, lane re-striping, k-rail installation or removal, road survey work, etc. Anything to do with the scheduled maintenance of the statewide California Freeway System. Knowing where these closures are allows the California driver to plan alternate routes if necessary so they are as inconvienced as little as possible due to the closure.

So here's why you guys at CalTrans are Highway A-holes.

Your website located at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/laneclosures/d7PClos.htm states that this morning at 1 am, the entire on and off-ramps for the 405 NB to 101 EB and SB ramps will be closed for k-rail removal and lane striping. No problem. For most of us that means getting to through the intersection closure before their public announced scheduled times.

But, someone on the scene in one of those fucking orange trucks for CalTrans decided to start the closures early, like more than 15 minutes early. At 12:45 am, all lanes for the 405 NB to the 101 interchange were closed way before their scheduled 1 am start time. Boy did this put a crink in the driving plans of every fucking motorist traveling NB through the area trying to get through BEFORE the closure started.

When you are a good driver and check the closures before you travel through an area that has an expected closure, yuo would expect CalTrans to honor their schedules and not create even more emotional commuter shit amongst the citizens of the highways.

AUGUST 10, 2007 @ 7:55 pm – NB 405 Fwy at Century Blvd

Just freaking great, stuck in Friday evening rush hour near LAX. It's my fault I suppose since I wasn't able to get away from work before 4 pm like I usually do on Fridays.

This time our Highway A-hole of note was a serial tailgater. Nice new Dodge Charger R/T, red with black ralley stripes. The driver was non-descript due to the heavily tinted side and rear windows.

We were just inching along N from Orange County to the 110 Interchange. There the traffic lightened up to a point we could all move pretty much the speed limit. The Charger A-hole was really riding up close on the bumper of a silver Cooper Mini. The driver of the Mini was a yuppie looking programmer type, probably a TRW, Boeing or Northrup-Grumann employee (I've seen my fill of these people). He seemed to be staring straight ahead and driving very intently. He probably already noted the tailgating Charger behind him.

Now this Charger was really right up on the Mini. Not just I-need-to-get-by-you close, but more of if-you-hit-your-brakes-our-cars-will-be-having-sex close. The Charger was right on the Mini's butt until we got to Century Blvd. There traffic started to slow to a crawl once again. The Mini has already merged to the number 3 lane - it looks as if the Charger had done the same. The number 2 lane was clear and free for he Dodger to pass the Mini. Nothing doing, the Charger remained on the Mini's ass as I went ahead and passed both.

Really, this was nothing a little tap on the brake lights could have solved for the Mini.