“What Are You Doing???!!!”
- Fancy car…check.
- Latest and greatest mobile communication device…check.
- Power tie…check.
- The slightest hint of a “clue”…uhhh…ummm…well, not so much.
My last entry briefly discussed that sickening feeling we all get when a police car pulls in behind you - worse yet, how you feel when the lights actually come on. This installment, I believe, is even worse…
Irvine, CA really has a problem with traffic congestion during the 5:00 PM rush-hour. A combination of far too many cars and many close traffic lights can really snarl things up. Not sure if it is by design, but you can imagine the revenue generating opportunities for local law enforcement, as motorists constantly look for ways to shave seconds off their commutes.
The intersection of Michelson Drive and Jamboree Road is full of these opportunities. The straight lanes on Michelson for through traffic crossing Jamboree seem long enough, right? Not even close! Everyday from about 4:45 to 5:00 PM, these two lanes back-up all the way to Teller - making it nearly impossible to get into the turn lanes to go left on Jamboree. Further, most cars turning left on Jamboree at this time are looking to get on the 405 Fwy - requiring them to merge to the right shortly after turning on to Jamboree. This results in the outside turn lane filling up - blocking easy access to the inside turn lane. So, in order to save those precious seconds we discussed earlier, some clever drivers have started crossing the double yellow (and driving on the wrong side of the road) to enter the inside left turn-lanes.
While making a right turn onto Michelson from Teller (toward Jamboree), I witnessed a BMW cross the intersection into an on-coming lane to get to the inside turn lane. Before he came to a stop, a motorcycle cop, who was parked in a driveway to the right, shot across the road and pulled up along the driver’s side of the BMW. The fun had begun! Read the rest of this entry »
