1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Favorite Freeway Shortcuts

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Arroyo, Apr 23, 2004.

  1. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    217
    45
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles area
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    LA CAR is featuring their forty favorite freeway shortcuts: http://www.lacar.com/modules.php?name=News...article&sid=221

    Most amusing:
    Northbound 5 (between the 91 and the 605)
    "During rush hour traffic, this stretch can get really bad. However, you can literally save up to five minutes of drive time if you have the chutzpah to take the shortcut: Stay in the right-hand exit lanes all the way. It will require that you cut across to the lane to your left just before the exit arrives. And you'll have to do this around three times. Of course, a lot of drivers who've been politely waiting their turn stuck in traffic will think you're a putz."

    [​IMG][/url]
     
    #1 Arroyo, Apr 23, 2004
  2. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    217
    45
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles area
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Freeway shorts continue on in the LA CAR Blog. Here's the latest entry:

    Valley Boulevard

    Back in the days before freeways, Valley Boulevard was the route to take when Inland Empire residents wanted to visit the city in Los Angeles. Today, it remains a good freeway alternative when things get heavy on Highway 10. I know of one Duarte resident who makes Valley Boulevard his daily commuter route to Monterey Park (Valley Boulevard to Garvey). Stretches of this street remain low density, and you can move at a pretty good clip. While you're at it, you can enjoy seeing the many Mexican restaurants and shops that now populate Valley Boulevard.

    ]http://www.lacar.com/modules.php?name=News...e&sid=233[/url]
     
    #2 Arroyo, May 5, 2004
  3. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2003
    5,341
    920
    251
    Location:
    Surprise, AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    I can't stand the behavior of those who think the exit lanes, lane ends merge left/right, and freeway entrance ramps are an extra lane to pass with. :cussing: While they feel it sames them drive time, it's mostly at the expense of other drivers as they slow the rest of the traffic down when they have to power merge in the end (the annoyed drivers generally won't let them in very easily). All the other shortcuts are great - but the using the exit only lane one irritates me :-( :cussing: :ahole:
     
    #3 HTMLSpinnr, May 5, 2004
  4. jfschultz

    jfschultz Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2004
    635
    114
    0
    Location:
    Germantown, TN
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Take it easy. Some people are just too improtant to waste time waiting on traffic, or they have over inflated egos to go along with the swollen, empty heads! :guns: :cussing:
     
    #4 jfschultz, May 5, 2004
  5. LewLasher

    LewLasher Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2004
    244
    66
    0
    Location:
    Cambridge, Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    At the risk of leading this topic off course: does it count as a shortcut if it takes longer than just staying on the freeway?

    My favorite freeway bypass is route 3A in Hooksett and Bow, New Hampshire. It adds about 10 minutes to my drive between Massachusetts and Vermont, but I avoid paying the state of New Hampshire 37 and a half cents. Plus (don't tell anyone in Vermont that I am going to praise a neon sign, but:) I really like the "JW Fleet" sign. There's also the (somewhat underwhelming) historical site at the birthplace of Mary Baker Eddy.
     
    #5 LewLasher, May 6, 2004
  6. delrey

    delrey Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2004
    280
    14
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area (East Bay)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I tried the NAV system "detour" function last night -- didn't follow it exactly but nevertheless, it was great. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge here is under constant construction, and coming home *after* 8 or 9pm can mean a loooong wait in traffic.

    So last night when stopped in traffic I hit "detour". Then once I inched to an exit I drove in the general direction of the bridge itself on surface streets. I wasn't sure where the entrance back on the bridge was, and I certainly never would have pulled of the detour without the NAV system at night. Sure enough, a mile later I was getting back on the fwy just before the bridge entrance (and I wasn't driving on residential streets during the detour, by the way). I love it!
     
    #6 delrey, May 6, 2004
  7. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    217
    45
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles area
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Here's the latest Favorite Freeway Shortcut entry. Umm, if the one about the chutzpah method got you riled up, you may not like this one either:

    The Dirty Little Secret About Trucks & SUVs

    Courtesy of Juggernaut:

    "So, you want to have fewer interruptions on the freeway? Most people know about the height advantage of trucks and SUVs - the fact that it allows you to see over most vehicles and to get a better sense of the flow of traffic. Here's a dirty little secret about trucks and SUVs that most owners won't talk about: The intimidation factor. Not only do more cars get out of your way if you have a truck or SUV, people are less likely to cut in front of your lane. Of course, the size of your truck or SUV will make a difference. You are more likely to experience this phenomenon in a big SUV than in a small one. I think trucks work even better than SUVs. I drive an old, restored pick up that resembles the one in the last scene from Easy Rider."

    A friend of mine, who had just purchased a pickup truck, noticed that drivers of smaller vehicles - either consciously or subconsciously - seem to get out his way on the freeway. He also believes that fewer cars cut in front of him, which in turn allows him to be a little more aggressive on the freeway. That, in turn, makes other drivers even less inclined to cut in front of him. In all likelihood, this cycle will continue until someone gets in an accident.

    For some people, there's a war going on - and it's not the one in the Middle East.

    http://www.lacar.com/modules.php?name=News...article&sid=233

    [​IMG]
     
    #7 Arroyo, May 9, 2004
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)