"The 101" and "The 405"...say either or just one of these things to anyone in LA and you will see them cringe in fear or scour in disgust. Both are major freeways (technically, one is an interstate and one a highway...but I digress...) that, within the city of Los Angeles, are constantly clogged with commuters, vacationers, freight haulers, trucks, anger, impatience and despair. Jump on at 3am....bumper to bumper traffic. 9am...you're stopped more than you move. 11p...traffic. 7p...welcome to the biggest parking lot in the world. The 405 has been dubbed the busiest and most congested freeway in the United States...and I believe it.
My daily commute ranges from 35 minutes to over an hour depending on the traffic and if there were any accidents. Oh, yes, I forgot to add that there is no shoulder on the 405, if your car breaks down, you have no where to go. People just pile up behind you... so image what happens when there is a major accident...no one moves.
I've learned to cope with this daunting drive by listening to This American Life (LOVE), Audio Dharma (sometimes I just gotta get my Zen on) and by catching up on my phone calls and...taking pictures of the sunset. It's become that time of the year when the sun is setting in just the right place when I jump onto the 101. I literally get to drive off into the sunset.
I know what you're probably thinking...I shouldn't be taking pictures while I'm driving. Well, thanks to the 101 and the 405, technically, I'm not. I take these pictures while parked, on the freeway...amid a sea of traffic.
