People from LA don't pay attention to driving

[ponyfool]

If you watch the video, you will see the remains of the off duty cop's motorcycle as car after car not paying any attention to the road ahead of them crash like a pin ball machine.

Sad.

CNN Video

 

[Rogue]

I've driven in LA for over 30 years and ridden here for over 25 and what you saw on that video is way too common here! If I was 16 now I don't know if I would try to ride here (Having ridden in it as it has gotten worse had gotten me used to it).

 

[Windjammer]

That's just insane. I don't have any other words to describe my feeling after watching that. :dribble:

 

[Bull]

speechless

 

[double_entendre]

I've driven in LA for over 30 years and ridden here for over 25 and what you saw on that video is way too common here! If I was 16 now I don't know if I would try to ride here (Having ridden in it as it has gotten worse had gotten me used to it).

Funny thing is that I'd almost argue the opposite. If you're gonna learn to ride here, you're almost better off being young and immortal. If I was just picking up riding at 40+, I'd probably be terrified of what passes for driving skills here. :dwarf:

Rancho

 

[user 6774]

My dear.... they just f**kin' weave around wrecked cars in LA?! There's no stopping, hazards, getting out to help?! Nothing?

 

[exskibum]

I left LA in 1973 at 21, with a brief stint back in summer of '74 and again for 7 months in '77, when I left for good. My sister still lives in the San Fernando Valley and my Dad in Simi Valley. I was last down there in May, once last fall, and once the previous May (roughly averaging a week each time). I usually ride the FJR down when I go.

That place MUST have the very worst drivers this side of southeast Asia!!!! I believe there is an unwritten social law there that you must be on your cell phone 17 of the 18 hours you are awake, and obviously, that requires cell phone use at all times when driving. Yellow lights mean speed up, there is no need to stop at a red light, you can make a left or right turn from any lane, and it is important to get where you are going in the briefest possible time**, no matter what carnage your lane changing, tail gating and road raging method causes.

Un-F$@#ing-Believable is the only word for what passes as driving for a HUGE part of the population down there. Every time I get out of there on my bike, I count my blessings that I survived, and actually look forward to the mind numbing monotony and relative safety of staying with traffic at 90+ MPH up I-5 on the way home.

** "Briefest possible time" does not mean "brief", since the roadway system is so huge, so congested and such an integral part of life that everyone spends a minimum of 1 hour a day commuting, and some as much as 4. "Shit Hole" comes to mind.

 

[quietguy]

I was born and lived in southern CA most of my life... escaped in 1995 never to return.

Crazy state, nutso people, scary place.

Too many cars.

Glad I'm in Texas.

 

[gr8eyes]

:dribble:

 

[camelot]

I left LA in 1973 at 21, with a brief stint back in summer of '74 and again for 7 months in '77, when I left for good. My sister still lives in the San Fernando Valley and my Dad in Simi Valley. I was last down there in May, once last fall, and once the previous May (roughly averaging a week each time). I usually ride the FJR down when I go.
That place MUST have the very worst drivers this side of southeast Asia!!!! I believe there is an unwritten social law there that you must be on your cell phone 17 of the 18 hours you are awake, and obviously, that requires cell phone use at all times when driving. Yellow lights mean speed up, there is no need to stop at a red light, you can make a left or right turn from any lane, and it is important to get where you are going in the briefest possible time**, no matter what carnage your lane changing, tail gating and road raging method causes.

Un-F$@#ing-Believable is the only word for what passes as driving for a HUGE part of the population down there. Every time I get out of there on my bike, I count my blessings that I survived, and actually look forward to the mind numbing monotony and relative safety of staying with traffic at 90+ MPH up I-5 on the way home.

I just moved from LA just a bit south of your location in Auburn. Having been born and raised in LA I always thought the drivers there were no better or worse than anywhere else, there are just more folks on the road. In the year that I've been in Rancho Cordova I've had a few close calls. I really don't see that drivers up here in northern cali are any better than so cal or anywhere else. Lots of cell phone users just like in LA. Personally I think the only 'safe' place to drive is when I'm in my driveway heading into the garage. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Oh yeah, one thing I miss about LA is the freaking food!! Where's all the good mexican food up here in nor cal, the Tommy burgers etc..... :dribble:

 

[keithaba]

I'm having trouble figuring out what happened.

It looks like around 30 seconds into it, the cop was in the right lane, a car just swerved right and slammed right into him?

Tragedy....

My first riding in L.A. experienc was "interesting," to say the least.

I will say there are clear differences between Louisville, KY and L.A. CA, drivers.

Drivers are a lot less aggressive here, and will slow down to let you in if you signal. They just seem to be more aware, and less in a rush. There is the occasional asshat, but overall, the driving is very different. Not to mention wayyyyyyyy less traffic.

 

[fjrchooser]

I think population density has a lot to do with the callousness shown in that video. Life becomes cheap when its not your own...

In a more sparsely populated area, virtually everyone would have stopped and assisted until officials were on scene.

 

[exskibum]

I left LA in 1973 at 21, with a brief stint back in summer of '74 and again for 7 months in '77, when I left for good. My sister still lives in the San Fernando Valley and my Dad in Simi Valley. I was last down there in May, once last fall, and once the previous May (roughly averaging a week each time). I usually ride the FJR down when I go.
That place MUST have the very worst drivers this side of southeast Asia!!!! I believe there is an unwritten social law there that you must be on your cell phone 17 of the 18 hours you are awake, and obviously, that requires cell phone use at all times when driving. Yellow lights mean speed up, there is no need to stop at a red light, you can make a left or right turn from any lane, and it is important to get where you are going in the briefest possible time**, no matter what carnage your lane changing, tail gating and road raging method causes.

Un-F$@#ing-Believable is the only word for what passes as driving for a HUGE part of the population down there. Every time I get out of there on my bike, I count my blessings that I survived, and actually look forward to the mind numbing monotony and relative safety of staying with traffic at 90+ MPH up I-5 on the way home.

I just moved from LA just a bit south of your location in Auburn. Having been born and raised in LA I always thought the drivers there were no better or worse than anywhere else, there are just more folks on the road. In the year that I've been in Rancho Cordova I've had a few close calls. I really don't see that drivers up here in northern cali are any better than so cal or anywhere else. Lots of cell phone users just like in LA. Personally I think the only 'safe' place to drive is when I'm in my driveway heading into the garage. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Oh yeah, one thing I miss about LA is the freaking food!! Where's all the good mexican food up here in nor cal, the Tommy burgers etc..... :dribble:

Obviously, this is all anecdotal. I'll grant that on an individual basis, it's likely you can find horrendous examples of driving skills, awareness and antisocial behavior anywhere -- one as bad as the other. But that's where we stop agreeing. I grew up down there too. And I go back there now and then. I *think* it has to do with frustration and annoyance borne of the congestion and long commutes, but it certainly seems to me that I see a lot more instances of inconsiderate, hostile, dangerous and clueless driving in a much shorter time down there than I do up here. OTOH, I also avoid driving and riding in urban areas as much as possible, have a 0.4 mile commute to work and do almost all my riding in the mountains and foothills, so maybe I'm missing some of teh better norcal driving you see. Still, the frequency of the dismal driving practices I see in my infrequent trips down to LA leadds me to my conclusions. We just disagree.

 

[rogdeb]

Pissed me off just watching it :angry: -------- fuckin' useless drivers.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Oh yeah, one thing I miss about LA is the freaking food!! Where's all the good mexican food up here in nor cal, the Tommy burgers etc..... :dribble: [/b]

Sol Azteca in Folsom for really fantastic sit down Mexican

https://www.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&a...p;z=12&om=1

Adalbertos for fast food mexican

https://www.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&a...p;z=12&om=1

Not sure about Tommy burgers, but I'll grill you up a few burgers you might like and take you on some of my favorite roads up here if you haven't had a chance to explore yet.

 

[MikeYork5]

I just moved from LA just a bit south of your location in Auburn. Having been born and raised in LA I always thought the drivers there were no better or worse than anywhere else, there are just more folks on the road. In the year that I've been in Rancho Cordova I've had a few close calls. I really don't see that drivers up here in northern cali are any better than so cal or anywhere else. Lots of cell phone users just like in LA. Personally I think the only 'safe' place to drive is when I'm in my driveway heading into the garage. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Oh yeah, one thing I miss about LA is the freaking food!! Where's all the good mexican food up here in nor cal, the Tommy burgers etc..... :dribble:

BINGO!

 

[TCFJR1300]

Born and raised in LA left in 1992 never to return. The freeways and bike mean pain in socal plain and simple

 

[dcarver]

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