Carmeggdon Week-end? Car-free Summer?

When I returned phone call this week to staffer of my state representative he sounded agitated, edgy, tired.

"We can't have a full conversation, I don't have time because of what's going on."
Why, I said, what's going on?
"Carmeggdon" he said incredulously, as though I must be half brain-dead not to know.
Oh sheesh, WHAT is the big deal, I said.
"If you lived on the west side -couldn't use the freeway, you'd be upset --or like if you couldn't get on the #110."
NO I wouldn't, I'd find a work-around or stay IN. The media and the politicians are acting near-hysterical, but people will just Deal with it.

I'm Sure he thought: I was poorly informed, or nuts.

Duh, not a nut. I was Here --saw how grown people handled the stunner when Ma Nature shook the earth January 1994 --a hole put in the #10, sadly discovered when a few headed downtown to work at dawn went off the edge of the most important/critical east-west Los Angeles freeway. No way --for 67 days and Los Angelenos managed --superbly.

But The Freaking going on weeks/days before The Week-end #405 Closure: Ridiculous. Canyon dwellers freaking, expecting to be "the gridlock" Prisoners of drivers trying to 'escape.' Oh Paleese.

As I said later, talking to a publicist for Bastille Day event Sunday (today), the only ones who deserve any sympathy: those who picked this week-end a year ago to have a wedding. She agreed. She couldn't get numerous public officials to help or even to talk to her. lol They're ALL freaking.

Meanwhile:
Friday night freeway --empty
--drivers took themselves elsewhere, long before midnight closure
Saturday:
except for the fool who apparently believed he was The One who could booze it up AND drive well --right up until his head-on collision with another car; another fool who went on --and backed off the freeway; one with a sense a humor who couldn't take the obviously tantalizing utterly Irresistible 'blank canvas' and skateboarded the freeee way; everybody else: Stayed Put.
By Sunday morning (as of this writing 7:20 am):
a few: walked to freeway edge, the Mullhulland over-bridge to watch --the destruction.
Some took advantage: METRO --free on nearly every area & cross-town train -bus -DASH or $10 anywhere Day Pass.
The Determined to show the world: the Power of the Pedal. --Riders played beat the flier to Long Beach, including a race with a Jet Blue $4 traveler --who had to use up valuable time before and after :20 flight on "Check In/Park/Out."
Bicycler :54 --flier couldn't do better than 1:51 over LA

EVERYone else: nesting --with family -roomies -chores -pets, pensive... mowers, ironers, walkers, book (remember those?) readers, painters, cooks --for those who didn't pack the place with pre-made junk.

Local Media
Eric Estrada --left town to 'escape the trouble' sheesh, jerk. LA 1984 Olympics reduex. So for the hommies Who could resist: turning on the tellie to see the pictures of how The Freeway --side streets --canyons --relative freeways looked... What was everyone Else doing? Exactly what they were doing: staying Out of Car, At Home, Enjoying sights, sounds, smells in the 'hood, happy to be far from the Madding Crowd.

So since Angelenos, and all the newbies, have stayed so well out of the way: the wrecking crew Finished wrecking --early, so early da Mayor & Co to have Press conference around 11:00 am to announce

Freeway not gonna open 5:00 am Monday --but Today Sunday
--This afternoon
(insiders say: Before 3:00 PM)!

Whodda thunk it? Moi.
People have tweeted -messaged -sent pics of What they're doing instead -how they're enjoying the No Freeway Week-end Not From Hell, but from heaven: so I'm thinking...
Why Not Do this all Summer.

Start say Summer Solstice June 21, by which schools are (stupidly) closed, through say Labor Day week-end: stay off freeways Every week-end of Summer. Get on bicycle --METRO --train --those things below ankles... week-end workers won't abide, no doubt, but week-enders at loose ends: Stay In/Put, not a "law" --"rule" but Everyone just Agree to go Green, Clean... think of all the pollution we wouldn't have... the Pleasure, the fun we would....

We would be the only large metropolitan city in the world... not traveling/whizzing freeways in summer....

How about it, Mayor -Angelenos? Wouldn't it be daVine....

Post Note: Local "news"
--did anyone else catch KTLA "news"? Sheesh, bobble-heads & dumb corny junk, they're like old-time pictures of 1950s. Between the giggling, stupid banter, hours of some stupid car-chase, dumb banter, really stale dumb contest, blather about the Freeway, Gosh they are just Lousy. KNBC: did rather good job, without hyperventilating. (But somebody should tell them: drop those Dumb self-promoting ads, sheesh.)


UPDATE 11:15 am - Mayor Press Conference
They are saying: contractors did superb job, same ones who built the overpass (in 1959). Knock-down -Road checked for dings, Done and broom-clean.

#405 Freeway: to OPEN at 11:30 am Today, Sunday! wow

Order:
-Mainline #405 east-west transition Open
-then on-ramps
-then connector freeways
-ramps near Getty Center last, by 3:00 pm

Freeway: Entirely open by: 3:00 PM! Fourteen hours before deadline. wow Well Done. Congrats to All of us.

Angelenos did so well Staying home/Off streets -no police grief, etc., City: saved $405,000 bucks. Yippee. Let's hear it for those: who chose THAT contractor!

Now for Part Deux
next year: other side of #405. WHY don't they complete the job: Labor Day Week-end, when they will have THREE days to do it all, most people will be away/have plans. That: also would be daVine....

* * * *
tag: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, north-south #405 freeway west Los Angeles westside Westwood Getty Center beach Laurel Canyon


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