Fear and Driving in L.A.

Seong Un Joe, a radio personality in L.A., says that Koreans are the worst drivers. Maybe yes, maybe no. In any case, driving well, as a metaphor for living well, is a serious problem. What we don’t need on the journey through life is a NASCAR mentality that pushes us out of control.

A police officer with the L.A.P.D. pulls a driver over to the side of I-5, and asks for his license and registration.

“What’s wrong officer?” the driver asks. “I didn’t go through that red light. And I certainly wasn’t speeding.”

“No you weren’t,” says the officer, “but I saw you flashing the one-fingered salute as you swerved around the lady driving in the left lane, and I further observed your flushed and angry face as you shouted at the driver of the Hummer who cut you off, and how you pounded your steering wheel when the traffic ground to a stop.”

“Is that a crime, officer?”

“No, but when I saw the ‘Jesus loves you and so do I’ bumper sticker on the car, I figured, ‘This car has got to be stolen.’”

Driving in traffic can be a problem. Especially if you live in major cities like Boston, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Perhaps Los Angeles is the worst. When it rains, you might as well stay home. If you want to use the HOV lanes, you go to Romantix and get yourself ...