6FLU532

Here's coming South on the 5 at the point where the exit lane for the 60 picks up. Pay attention to the 2nd car in front of me, you'll see them drift halfway into that lane... then back. Very shortly after this, they head over to the right and lay on their brakes. I have no idea what some people do when they should be driving.

Another Bicycle

Once again, here we have a bicyclist with no regard for the law, or anyone else on the road. First, he's going right down the middle of the lane in violation of CVC 21202. Next he's splitting lanes. I know that splitting lanes isn't illegal for motorcycles, but I'm pretty sure it would be considered unsafe if there were any law around. Finally, he blows through the red light.

Because the law doesn't apply to bicycles.

6UJN624

What is it with people who drive Nissans? I know there are a lot of them out there, but it doesn't seem like more than you see Hondas or Toyotas, but it seems like an inordinate amount of them I see are driven badly, dangerously and illegally.

Perfect case in point here. This is Northbound on the 5 at the transition to the Northbound 710. If you don't know, this is one of those transitions that exit to the left side. The lane picks up around 1/4 mile before the actual transition. You can see, the traffic is backing up onto the transition (they're doing construction on the 710, and it's most always jacked) and this takes place within a couple hundred feet of the split. This tool comes cutting in where there isn't sufficient space and then slams on his brakes. No, signalling your intentions while you are coming up from behind me doesn't make it allright. It was a close thing, just the kind of thing I wanted to get a dash cam for!

7GCM708

Saw this the other morning. It's pretty amazing how fast he's coming up on the truck at first, then he does some excellent tail gating. Even though there's no room to pass, he illegally crosses the double yellow line... and tail gates someone else! Crosses it back in behind the truck. I edited out probably close to five minutes, then he crosses the double yellow AGAIN exiting off camera, then back. That's four times! I couldn't be 100% sure, but it looked like he (surprisingly) didn't even have a passenger.

7DCH880

Here's a prime example on a cut off. There was less than a car length between our cars, doing around 60 MPH. At this distance, even my low resolution camera, his license plate was easily readable. Of course, he couldn't bother to use his signal, and no sooner is he in front of me than he's on his brakes. Just a few seconds after the end of this clip, he did the same thing to the guy in the next lane to the right, but that wasn't easily seen from my cam.

6VVT269

Just driving along & this Mercedes does this U-turn in front of me. I don't have a problem with that, so long as it'd done safely... that is, where there is enough room before any oncoming traffic! As you can see, there isn't. The topper to this is as I swerve around them, they honk at me! What's wrong with people?

5TFP382

Three moving violations & a near accident! I call that worth sharing! This starts off at the previously posted 5-way intersection where the offending vehicle, plate #5TFP382, makes the right fork turn from the left fork lane, albeit not against the red for that direction. Still a violation of the rules of the road and common decency. Right after they do this, it appears that they can't be bothered to stay on the proper side of the road, and repeatedly drift over the double yellow line. If they hadn't been so far over the middle, I likely wouldn't have caught this with the car between us!

After the transition, you get a good shot of them rolling right through a red light, you see where they can't be bothered to be behind a truck, and get back into the lane the truck vacated... because there was a slow roller stopping to make a right turn! If I recall correctly, the reason for the delay was pedestrians. I found this to be a nice coda for the clip!

5HFX969

Here we see a Nissan that gets in front of me and proceeds to drive fairly slow for a mile or more. I generally get in the lane I'm going to need to be in and stay there, unless there's plenty of room and opportunity to do so. Thus, I was behind him for far longer than I would have liked! That mile or so later, they FINALLY start acting like they are going to get out of my way, signalling right. Of course, I'm pleased and also thinking that they probably had meant to take the exit to the right and may cut all the way over. Oh, no. After a few seconds of signalling and not going, they suddenly decide that LEFT was the way they needed to go (could have just stayed there, out of my way) then proceed to slam on their brakes before cutting across the double solid white lines and gore point! You can see me swerve, but can't hear me laying on my horn!

4ATM738

This is one of those incidences where I wish I had a rear facing cam, too! The first part of this clip is at a 5-way intersection. Going in my direction there are three lanes, one for hard left, one for fork left, and the right lane either forks right or you can turn hard right. As I'm waiting for the light, I see this Saturn pull up behind me in the right lane... then back up, and get behind the two vehicles in the middle lane! Heh. The the light for the fork left changes... and they fork to the right! You'll see them right after the ambulance. Very dangerous, because the crosswalk on the far side of the right fork is walk lighted at this juncture.

I made a mental note to myself to try and get their plate number if I was able. Two cars got between us, but a mile or so up the road, where the video resumes, they both get in the right turn lane, giving me a clear shot. The bonus came right after I'd gotten the number, they turn right across the very wide double white line gore point! Whenever I see this type of thing, I think that they have no idea where they're going!

7DHP262

I was amused by this. The driver of this mini van, plate number 7DHP262, apparently thinks the proper procedure for exiting to the right is to briefly signal to the left!

7COS919

Whenever any vehicle has stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle. Cut and pasted from the CVC, section 21951. Yet that is exactly what the driver of this Honda, license number 7COS919, does, and in a VERY unsafe manner, I may add!

6GTY634 and POETES

Here's a clip I caught & saved all the way back in May. Probably didn't share it because it's a fairly common offense, going South through the East L.A. interchange, and I've posted several of those.

Something a little unique about this one, though, I caught two of the violators right at the start of the lane that goes to the 60 freeway. The Pontiac, plate number 6GTY634 does the rather common cut across two lanes then take the Soto exit. The Benz, license plate POETES, you'll see going all the way to where it's past the solid line and into the gore point.

I might have never posted it (Lord knows that if you drive around L.A. with a dash cam going you'll never be wanting for video of bad drivers!), but then today I caught POETES doing the EXACT same move! This turn, they're the one that goes two lanes over... and then they go really slow...

Re-enforces the feeling I get when I see people doing this kind of thing, that they probably come this way five days a week, and almost certainly pull this kind of move every time!

1316806

Seems like using an embedded video from YouTube ends up stepping on the sidebar writing over there --->

Oh well. I'm sure there's a way to fix that if I cared that much. Here's a little something from a while back. Looking at my covered up text over there, I realized it's been a while since I've had any of the lawless lawmen. Main reason is you really don't see that much of it. This is a little nit-picky, but here we have L.A.'s finest in a car with CA exempt plates 1316806. Ever notice how cops almost never signal? Here's a double example, both for a lane change and for a turn!

7DID716

I'm trying something different. I notice that the video quality is greatly degraded (it wasn't that great to begin with) once it has been uploaded via Blogger, so I'm trying uploading a clip to YouTube and embedding it here. More than I really wanted to get into, but...

Here we've got a Camaro, license number 7DID716, who pulls out in front of me and doesn't accelerate. Predictably, as soon as I get out from behind him, he suddenly finds his accelerator. Pulling up to the red light, it looks like he can't decide what lane he wants to be in! My favorite part is when the light changes, and he drives up the sidewalk ramp! There is a Metro PCS store in that lot, perhaps that explains a lot of the way this guy was driving...

5UMA433

Here's a spot of road that actually got fixed recently. It is a stretch of road that is routinely backed up in the morning. It used to have two lanes, then narrow down to one, and of course you'd always get people who would pass in the right lane and continue past where it ends, until the road narrowed to where they have to bull their way in. In the last few months, as you can see, they have eliminated the right lane. But, if you're a big enough tool, I guess that makes no difference! Here we have a Mercedes, plate 5UMA433, and if you were curious, the infraction would either be CVC 21754 or 21755. I kept the video long enough that you can see they get to where they're not moving, as well as getting a clear shot of the plate and their broken left tail light! I could have left it longer, so you could see they were not getting anywhere fast anymore until I turned off three minutes later!

7CIE244

Here's another one I see a lot of. At the poorly designed East L.A. interchange, where you always get people cutting in from the lane that exits to the 60 freeway (and isn't like it was a lane that was there the whole time, this lane picks up around a mile before), a fair percentage of the people making that violation end up getting off at the Soto Street exit. I usually don't bother documenting this activity because I can't get the plate. Well, today we had the driver of this Lexus, plate #7CIE244, who blocked both lanes sufficiently that I was able to get the plate on my low-rez camera!

6GFS859

Here's a 2 for 1, 2 drivers who decide well after the solid white line has gone out to a triangle that they need to be on the opposite side! I was only able to get the plate of the Honda, 6GFS859, (I think). The other car was a Nissan. I left a bit of length on the end of the clip, and if you watch you can see the Honda is all over the lane, and even into the right lane a bit. I suspect they were texting or drunk.

I see this kind of thing happen nearly every day. Over the weekend someone likely did the same maneuver coming North on the 5 at the 710 transition, ended up eating the piling and beams where they're doing construction. I believe it killed the driver and seriously injured the passenger.

6FDC146

Here we have a stupid, inconsiderate, dangerous driver. They're driving a Honda Fit, license 6FDC146. You can't much blame people for not wanting to be behind a semi truck, but check out the nasty cut off they do when they first change lanes! Next, they've got a ton of room to get back in front of the truck... and they don't! What you get instead it not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES they block up the lane, laying pretty hard on the brakes before they actually get back in the lane they wanted to be in! For a nice coda, look at all the empty freeway ahead of them when they finally stop blocking the lane!

1162578

I see a lot of this. his is one of the local "Dash" buses, ID #03001, but this behavior isn't unique to them. Pretty much any bus line you'll see doing this kind of thing. After pick ups or drop offs, they'll just pull right out into traffic with no regard to who they're cutting in front of, or the fact that they're not going anywhere near the speed of traffic. I guess because they're subsidized by my tax dollars they think the law or common courtesy doesn't apply to them.

8T57662

Here's the main reason I wanted to get a dash cam, people who don't seem to be paying attention while driving! I put the portion from about a minute before, when he, for no apparent reason, gets in the left lane. The only reason he didn't take me out was I was laying on my horn from the time he starts drifting into my lane!

Movie Shoot

Here's one I happened on a while ago. Driving up a street near home, I saw a movie shoot going on up a side street. On the way back, I pulled the camera off and pointed it in that direction. Looked like quite a bit of law, and an older Caddy.

6LGY285 & 7BOK172

Another 2 for 1. Here we've got one of those metered on ramps (which I think are pretty useless) with the left lane exempted for car pools. So what happens? First a BMW, then an Infinity (Nissan) that blatantly violate the car pool requirement. Of course, they've gotten around about five cars for breaking the law! Totally worth it. It runs a bit long at the end to show the Nissan trying to cut around the truck.

5TSD600

Here's one that I see quite a bit. This is the exit by General Hospital, and very often when I take it, I'll see cars that make the right turn into the left hand lane... then drift back into the right lane and take the next right! I think that the employee parking structure is over there. I believe it is a Ford Explorer, license 5TSD600.

6PLU854 & 1UZ6--- Unified Grocers

What happens when you get a Lexus who won't yield a little room and a semi truck that won't use his mirrors? Here you go! I didn't get the full plate from the trailer, but it was from a company called Unified Grocers, who have their local branch in Commerce. Did take this screen capture of the cab, which has much numbers on it, but I didn't write any of that out.

I think if I were in the Lexus (6PLU854) I would be giving Unified Grocers a call!

Bicycle

Cyclists. I don't have a problem with them, except for the fact that it seems like a great many of them seem to think the law doesn't apply to them. I see a lot of them driving two and three wide, completely blocking whole lanes, not yielding the right of way, driving the wrong direction, crossing all the way across the road at random intervals, and almost never do you see them stopping at stop signs! When I see such flagrant and dangerous (and by dangerous, I primarily mean to the cyclist themselves, so one could make an argument for Darwinian evolution) behavior, I often make the comment, "Because the law doesn't apply to bicycles!"

Here we see a prime example. To start off with, it is fairly dark already, and you can see this girl has no light, front or back. Secondly, she's in between two lanes for no apparent reason. Next move, she rolls right over the limit line, then blows the red light in front of everyone who's turning left. A bit further up the road, she's pretty far out into traffic lanes (CVC 21202 - Bicycles traveling slower than the normal speed of traffic must ride as close to the right side of the road as practicable - a violation I see CONSTANTLY!). Finally, another blast right through a red light.

6YLV514

When I see someone who, pretty far on, gets over two or more lanes, I often have the thought that they're not paying attention to where they are going. This is another video that is a little bit lengthy primarily to showcase such a move. Right at the beginning, you'll see a Ford Fusion changing lanes to the left. Not long after that, they get over the second time to the interchange lane. I'm the type of driver where I plan ahead and am in the lane I need to be in to get where I'm going. 

The payoff for the lengthy video is at the end, where it truly seems like they aren't paying attention!

I Have to Turn My Head Until My Darkness Goes

Lest anyone think the title or the song it alludes to (The Stones' "Paint it Black") is used as a racist slur, I was using it more for the line that preceeds it, as this girl walks by dressed in her Summer "clothes". I know it's been hot hot hot for days here, but PLEASE! No one needs to see that! So as a special treat, you now get to see it!

As a side note, if you're going to go about in your underwear, at least find a pair that don't have a huge hole at the bottom!

8X33180 - City Wide Towing

Had another clip I have been attempting to use for the last two days, but for some reason Blogger gives an error every time I try to upload it. Instead, you get this:

Heading up to the stop, you'll see the tow truck drift a good couple of feet into the right lane. He corrects back, but is still encroaching. It's like he had no idea where he was headed! The part that doesn't show is after this, when the light changes, and he gets over to the right after all, as you can tell, crossing the solid white line. After the transition is a couple miles further up the road. Would like to have had a rear facing camera for that, and then before he makes the right turn. He pulled the EXACT same move AGAIN! Two lanes, one that goes straight, the other that turns right, and he's in the wrong one and crosses the solid white line again!

Tribute

Yesterday I was driving past General Hospital when I came upon this scene. I had heard on the radio that there had been another accident on Loma Vista in Beverly Hills that afternoon, with a police officer killed. Reviewing the video, it looks like at least 20 police cars, as well as four or more fire engines, and two police helicopters in the sky. I had not considered that the Coroners' office was there, and that there would be a turnout like this there.

I know I usually only have posts here when someone is breaking a road rule or making a dangerous or inconsiderate move, and with the law only when they're going outside the law, but for this I'll make an exception. I really do usually respect and appreciate the work of the local police.

The only call out I'll give here is that watching on the news last night, it sounds like the residents on this street had been complaining about big trucks on this street for a while. Maybe now someone will listen. There has now been a 30 day moratorium on big trucks put into effect.

6AFJ163

In case you might have thought I unfairly disparaged USC alumni in my previous post, here's another one doing the exact same move! This time in a Porsche Cayenne, and this time waiting until the were firmly into the solid white line to cross over. This is a rather lengthy video this time, because I wanted to show how long and how much free area was available for them to get over well ahead of the last second!

The bonus catch I got on this one was the Toyota mini truck that was ahead of them with dealer paper plates from Penske, pulling the same move, albeit not quite as late. Sure didn't look that new!

5XSS015 & 5XNV252

This is heading up the 710 to the transition to the 10. Always ALWAYS people who want to go East staying in the Westbound lane (which is clearly marked way back) until the last minute then cutting over. This car was totally predictable, it's an Acura, and they have a USC alumnus license plate frame. Pretty much most Japanese "luxury" model (a rebadged Toyota, Honda, or Nissan) you can count on having a rude, inconsiderate or just plain bad driver, it seems.

So it start off with the cyclist heading up. I don't count them, but, dude, watch out for the Acura! Sure enough, 5XSS015 starts signalling late, and doesn't even make an attempt where there's plenty of room ahead of the truck where the bike gets over, but waits until way late. Bonus, right as he heads right, you get the Nissan 5XNV252 (don't get me started on Nissan drivers) who it looks like heads to the left side crossing over the solid white line (and then proceeded to drive really slow).

VW

A return to one of the most prolific spots for seeing bad drivers, the South 5 at the East LA interchange! I'm sure I've mentioned before, but about a mile before the split, it picks up another lane on the left, which is clearly posted as going to the 60 East. There's always a bunch of people who wait until the last moment, then get back on the 5 South lanes. I've got what I think would be an excellent solution, but I'd bet that they'll never do it, because it 1) makes sense, & 2) would work.

Here's a prime example. This guy in the Volkswagen sedan (Jetta?) doesn't even start signalling until it's solid white line, and cuts over the full triangle, and causes the driver he cuts off to brake. I'd put money down that they come this way five days a week.

Reflexes

OK, I've got several more little video clips of bad drivers I could post, but for a change here's someone who gets the Rain Man Excellent Driver Award! Perhaps one day I'll actually make up an image for that, but for now, enjoy the good reflexes displayed by this driver!!!

Unfortunately, I've discovered that my cheap little dash cam, even though it has 1080p definition, isn't anywhere near good enough to catch license plate tags, even right up on them like this was! I'm either going to have to go back to using my still camera (which I never really much cared for, therefore the primary reason I stopped for so long) or the phone camera (really not a great format, being a flat little touchscreen) or just making a note and you'll have to take my word for it!

UPS

Hey, everybody!!! After a long LONG break, here I'm back!!! A few months back I picked up a dash cam, and believe me, there's no shortage of bad drivers I could submit from it!!! Now that I've remembered my password, I'll probably be posting more, but for now, here's a shot of a UPS truck making a last minute lane change over a solid white line with no signal!!!

Bonus, there's a Fiat that looks like they want to change lanes at the last minute, too, but they lack the courage of their convictions. They never did change lanes.