California Drivin'
Some of my first thoughts on driving in California:
There are highways and expressways everywhere. Every street is wide, and highways have like 30 lanes. I'm told that traffic here is absolutely awful, but while I regularly run into congestion during rush hours, I'm never sitting still. The traffic "problem" is overhyped in my opinion. I did have a much harder time in the middle of San Francisco the first weekend I was here, though.
My car insurance went up, and it's obvious why. I wouldn't say that drivers here drive more dangerously, but the pace here is a bit faster than it is elsewhere. In St. Louis, it was very rare to see someone driving 75+ on a freeway in the city (55-65mph limits). Here, it's normal to see people doing 80 in a 65. And I haven't seen a single person pulled over yet. I can't recall hearing a single horn blare either, so even though people tend to be moving quicker with shorter safety margins, everyone seems to be paying enough attention that it works. If you're driving through California, that would be my biggest piece of advice: pay attention.
Motorcycles are everywhere, and they have their own rules of the road. It's common to see motorbikes moving between lanes (as in, driving on the stripe), negotiating their way between cars. This is most common at stop-lights, where they make their way to the front of the line and then zip ahead when the light turns green. At first I was shocked by this behavior, but nobody else seems to mind, and if you think about it, they really aren't inconveniencing anyone else, because they are taking advantage of empty space on the road and they are peppy enough so as not to slow you down by getting in front of you, so is it so bad that they do it? I'm starting to think not.
So I'm trying to take a laid back approach and accept pretty much anything I see on the highways. So far it's working well.
I did have one experience that pissed me off, though. The other evening I was stopping at a stop sign, when a couple of guys up ahead start crossing the street. But instead of crossing completely, they start walking down the center of the street. So I make my way through the intersection, and slow down, waiting for them to get out of the way. One guy does once he sees I'm behind them, but the other takes his sweet time. I'm a patient guy so I keep my distance and wait. Finally he moves aside far enough for me to get past him, and as I do, he turns to me and says, "Fuck you." What the hell?
U-turns are everywhere. Lots of streets are divided here, so pretty much every intersection allows U-turns.
So to sum up: Pay more attention in California when you're driving. Don't get mad at the motorcyclists. When the red light at an onramp turns green, it's for one car only. Don't drive in the diamond lanes unless you have a passenger. Occasionally, late in the evenings, Mexicans will get angry at you for no apparent reason.