Carmageddon!

In Southern California, it will never to cease to amaze me how locals can make drama out of an absolutely non-dramatic situation. Native Angelenos can make a sensationalize something as benign as a bowl of soup. The first example of major dramatic overkill in L.A., L.A. Land is the weather and how a few showers can turn into a, "Storm Watch, (insert year here)?" We have NO WEATHER here, that is why everyone wants to live here. 99.9% of the time it is sunny and clear. So, why the need to dramatize the undramatic? Get a tan and live with the fact that while you are getting nothing more than a mere sprinkle on the just-washed finish of your Beemer, the rest of the World is dealing with REAL weather and really suffering.

Now, the ultimate; the freeway closure which will by all accounts by the local media machine, will cause a complete stoppage of all commerce and human existance in and a round the area of the 405 fwy, and between the 10 and 101 fwy's. Store owners are beside themselves with the coming, "Carmageddon," and what to do to avoid the 36 hours without customers. Los Angeles Citizenry are in a funk about the possibility of "their" freeway driving rights are interrupted. God firbid they should have to locate an alternate route and maybe venture into the unknown, "side streets." I can well understand the consternation, as most So. Cal drivers cannot drive and tend to be selfish caretakers of the highways and byways of the Southlands. However, feeding into this is the media, who appear to have nothing more newsworthy to cover here in the largest city and county in the World, but want to open each night's newscast with the lead story, "Carmageddon!" I have some ideas of how we can avoid Carmageddon meltdown and the related anxiety that will unavoidably come with it. First, business owners, offer local area shuttle service. Publish alternate routes on your websites for customers to navigate to your business. Commuters; is this trip really necessary? You can wait for that Falafal until Monday or next weekend. Take a vacation or go somewhere else, which does not include going to the area effected by carmageddon. Get out your Thomas Guide! Now there's a novel approach, as everyone in Los Angeles should know what one of those are. After all, do we all need to be reminded that we have a lot lacking with many, many freeways and their limited capacity and age. Another idea, take public transportation. Yes, West L.A. trendy shopper and commuter, you might have to lower yourself and shlep it on the bus or train. I also read a story, today, that a helicopter service was offering flights for about $150 per person from Van Nuys to various locations. Let's please stop bitching and moaning and making non-existant news headlines and be grateful for the improvements being accomplished. Compared to "Carmageddon," I am looking forward to the next, "Storm Watch."

To Style. . .