LA Vs. DC - Part II

These DC Drivers...

Its an old fact that LA's traffic is bad. That it's so bad, that apparently, and this is the part I don't believe- that some people (and these are East Coastans - surprised? I'm not) claim that they will never move to LA because of the traffic. Yeah, right.

I tend to somewhat agree with the fact that LA's traffic can get to your sanity. I've coursed LA's infamous freeways so much, driven from county to county so much, and been stuck in traffic so many zillions of times, that I would readily agree with anyone-even East Coastans, that LA's traffic is its biggest bane. There have been many a time when I would be sitting on 405, switching between 104.5 fm and the traffic update channel, outwardly calm, trying to think of alternate routes, but desperation bubbling inside, threatening to blow my sanity along with it.

Yes, LA's traffic is bad, people. BUT- and this is the part that might get some of these locals a tad bit testy - here is my take on traffic in DC. It's not as bad as LA, although everyone complains, but it's the DC drivers that have me gasping and gagging (and swearing) when I'm driving around. Yes, they are a rude bunch, methinks. They honk you out of pleasant day-dreams while you're waiting at a signal light, they scare the living daylights out of poor old Mr. and Mrs. Smith (who are in their 80's at least, out on an evening walk) at the pedestrian crossing, and they dont seem to care about the concept of waiting to let someone else have the right of way, if they absolutely dont have to. Somewhat reminiscent of the New York cab drivers, no?

Say what you will about LA's traffic. I for one always thought that they LA drivers were examples of courtesy. Countless times have they waited to let people cross, drivers drive ahead of them, and wait patiently in a huge long queue of traffic, not honking. Yes, these LA drivers zip on the freeways at 80+...but they're as patient as job at all other times. And if you, standing for all the good things that LA drivers stand for, wait at a Stop sign to let another car have the right of way, then the DC guy behind you honks loud and long to let you know you're really pissing him off. Abominable!

Round 2 - the city of Angels, my friends.

LA Vs. DC - Part I

Ok, you guessed it. It HAS to be about the weather.

I got out at Dulles, DC and expected a blizzard. I was wrong. No raging snowstorm, no bone-chilling winds. Days passed, temperatures were low, mind you...much lower than the sunny land I had left behind, but still, it was not the weather shock I had been warned about. Weeks pass, no snow, and I look questioningly about at the people who are the veterans of winter weather, these East_Coastans, and they look at me with a mixture of pity and sympathy and encouragement and say "You're so lucky, this has been SUCH a mild winter"....which I heard as many times as I heard "What-ever made you move from LA to DC??"..ah, yes, that million dollar question.

Well, that was January and February. Then came March. Then we had the snowstorm. Then there were the cold winds. Then there were the sub-zero temperatures. Spring? Think again, my friends. These were the times when I could so vividly picture in my mind warm, really warm, almost hot LA and Orange County, and wearing my shorts and T-shirt and flip-flops...walking on the warm sands of the beaches, the breeze in my face, the tan on my skin....and NOT shivering everytime I step out of the car, not having to run from the car into a building, and not have to layer up all the damn time.

Ok, I'm a drama queen...I know that. But really, is this fun? No, I dont think so. "Youre lucky", people said. "Such a mild winter, this..". Oh really? Great, I feel so lucky, I cant stop shivering.

Round One: Do I even need to spell it out? Its LA by a wide, wholloping shot.