OK, I’m avoiding the Toyota Prius driver these days, just can’t deal with them. On to the only thing worse then the attitude toting Prius driver, and that is the GRIDLOCKING BASTARD. Besides gridlock situations being very dangerous (No fire or police services can pass) it is highly annoying. I think it is ultimate exhibiting of lack of courtesy and intelligence on the Los Angeles roads. How many of the new signs do you see that say “Don’t Block Intersection”. I’m pretty sure that it is obvious, but I guess not. BTW if you own a Prius this is the perfect place for you to exercise your ‘Green-ness’.
Maybe on the driver license test a new section should be put on, with some questions that have obvious answers, and if you answer any incorrectly, your on the bus. Well I drive in West L.A. for my Job, and I pass through one of the most IDIOTIC intersections in LA, that would be Olympic Blvd and Bundy. I can sit in traffic for hours, with the rumble of my Ford (well Navistar) Powerstroke Diesel under chair as a relaxing and calming mechanism, with always the realization that traffic is what you get for Living in LA. Now enter the “Idiot-section” which is Olympic Blvd. and Bundy (may also be Pico and Bundy as a close second).
The problem is that when you combine idiots driving north-south with idiots driving east-west you have an explosive chemical reaction of bad driving. Toss in some left hand arrow action and you have a nice Gridlocked intersection. Traveling a 10 minute city block is a good evening. People are just so stupid that they feel they must cross and be the last car on the yellow to make it and that is where the problem begins. Everyone has to make the light even while view traffic already stacked well past the middle of the intersection. It’s like the freeway on ramps, you can speed things up if you ‘Zipper’ correctly.
What I am seeing is people can spatially figure out how to zipper in 2 dimension, add in traffic from a left hand arrow, some right turn action, and most people become catatonic and all logic of reasonable driving goes out the window, and they the “Don’t Block Intersection” signs are everywhere. How hard is it to see that traffic is stopped for 5 blocks in front and no chance you will clear the intersection.
Some proposed solutions are to one way many of the streets. Good luck.

How about a traffic cop with a Gridlock / “Idiot-section” camera dishing out tickets. The city of Santa Monica does it an makes millions by raping the drive for any infraction (or is that fleecing?)

Some questions on the New California driving test at the DMV might include -

When people are stopped in the intersection should you :

A: Beep the Horn in Anger, repeatedly
B: Enter quickly before the light changes to Red
C: Look both ways for a Traffic Cam and Proceed if none seen
D: Take the Bus
E: All of the above
F: None of the above

If you answered anything other the ‘D’ you loose your license. As Bus driver are brutal drivers but they damn well know how to drive. And all the other answers are for idiots.

Maybe we can get a list of questions together to send to the DMV! Maybe Ron Paul can get involved :-)
Well, can say much more about this except people that are not stupid are the worst offenders to me as they know better and just doing give a $hit.
By the way this traffic is during the rush hour periods, sometimes you can actually drive and make it without much trouble, not often. And that is all I have to say about that. Ok, not. I’ll save the left turn Gridlock breaker conversation for another day.