Wishing For Carmageddon
This is a little peek into the local news here in Southern California. I'm sure the rest of the nation has been watching with breathless anticipation how us Los Angelinos would survive the forty-eight hour closure of one of most important arteries for a bridge demolition project, nicknamed "Carmageddon." Well we made it through the wreckage and we still look really good. Which is what's really important here anyway.
Actually the job was completed eighteen hours early and, sadly, yes, very sadly, the 405 was opened at around 3pm PST Sunday. But Saturday was very different from any Saturday my friends and I had experienced. Anticipating the worst, those who didn't plan vacations around this weekend, just stayed home. They went to their local restaurants. They got on bikes for local jaunts. They even WALKED. Amazing, huh? All over the Westside of Los Angeles, usually jammed with traffic, there was nary a Smartcar to be found. Pacific Coast Highway, always one long line of beach goers and tourists in July, was at about 20 percent capacity.
Since the expected jamming of every North-South artery didn't happen, of which we're sandwiched between the two biggies, the coast and Sunset Blvd., we ventured into Santa Monica for Mexican food. We all remarked it was as if it was 1972 again. Just the lack of street noise was relaxing. It was a joy. And we all wished we could do it every week. Make people stay local, hang with family. Stop the rush.
And then I remembered we used to have one of those days when I was a kid. It was called Sunday. Now as a Jewish kid, Sunday was a drag. It wasn't our holy day, but everything closed anyway. I remember hating it. Now I wouldn't care so much. Sunday, Saturday. Any day would be great. So how about it, any chance we could bring back Sunday? Not a chance!
Anyway, next year they will close the freeway to tear down the other half of the bridge for Carmageddon II. I can't wait.
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Comments:
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
I happened to be in California last week, flying out of LAX on Saturday. People who heard this warned me that I might not survive. Some suggested I helicopter to the airport. Or fly from John Wayne International to LAX. Well, we left four hours early to get from Dana Point to the airport. I caught my driver going well past 80 miles per hour throughout the trip. Had two Bloody Mary's at the bar and killed time reading.
I'll admit it was kind of cool to travel the 405 with no traffic. That has most definitely never happened to me before.
Glad you had a nice day!
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
Carmageddon was the Y2K of traffic. I wish we could do it once a month.
Aug '10
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
Does anybody else find this trend of making up of labels like 'Carmeggedon' extremely annoying or should I just accept the fact that we live in an age of hype and overstatement where everything is an apocalypse that is nowhere near being an apocalypse at all ?
Oct '10
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
Denise, you are correct. The Sabbath, whether Saturday or Sunday, is a day to rest and recover our relationship with God. And without it, we will descend into commercialism and emptiness.
May '11
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
One could go on and on making comparisons between the inconvenience of "Carmeggedon" and say NY's World Trade Center or Pearl Harbor but the REAL "Carmegggedon" will happen when they close US 11W @ US 25 in Bean Station, TN. You just watch!
Aug '10
Re: Wishing For Carmageddon
I really like the videos of skateboarding on the 405:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=8254962