I drove to downtown LA yesterday afternoon to do some volunteering for the homeless.
I drove back around 6:30 pm. Traffic was jammed, yet the right lane, the gutter lane, in the west-bound direction was largely empty. I sailed along at 35 mph, honking at anyone who slowed me down.
Why was this lane open? Because it was in such appalling shape. There were huge bumps and holes in the road. It was so bad that most people avoided the lane entirely (because of the damage it would do to their suspension) unless they needed to turn right.
