1. Traffic will be worse than you think.
“It’s 8pm, so the road should be clear by now, right?” Wrong! Never assume traffic doesn’t exist when it comes to the streets of L.A.
2. You’ll see someone make a desperate cut through traffic to make their exit.
It happens to the best of us. You’ll be cruising down the 10 in the left lane when Siri reminds you that you need to exit for the 60 on the far right. Cue hazardous merging in attempt to make it. Just don’t be that guy that essentially parks on the road until someone lets him in.
3. The “two left on red” rule will grow on you.
The rule seems like a myth when you first arrive in L.A. But when you are on an unprotected left hand turn and there hasn’t been a chance for anyone to turn, people will take the opportunity to go, even if it’s on a red light.
4. Honking is something that you’ll become immune to.
People in L.A. love to honk. From telling a driver that the light is green to saying you’ve made a mistake (even if you didn’t), some driver will think they are godsend for notifying you with a honk. After awhile the sound becomes white noise to your ears.
5. Cute dogs and cool murals can be distracting.
Keeping your eyes on the road is important, but out of the corner of your eye, you might spot a husky puppy crossing the street or a myriad of colors covering a downtown building. Try your best not to look – it’s an accident waiting to happen.
6. Someone will do something stupid – including yourself.
Maybe you turn in front of a crossing pedestrian. Or someone cuts you off. Don’t panic! As long as everyone is safe, you’re fine. But don’t tell that to an officer pulling you over.