Carpool Lane: A Beginner’s Guide to Commuting in L.A.

Welcome to Los Angeles, Trojans — the city made up of top tier universities, A-list celebrities, sunny skies and burning hot asphalt. 

Whether you’re hauling yourself onto campus after a two hour commute or a five minute bike ride, it never hurts to get a quick refresher on why the California driver’s license, especially for those who drive in L.A., should be considered valid around the world. 

Everything here is relayed by a matter of time, not distance.

If time is money, think of streets and freeways in L.A. as those fun slot games that let you blow off a bit of steam and let loose a little. Except, let’s remove all the fun parts and emphasize sprinkles of pain, frustration and grief. Even when mapping out where to run to next when you have back-to-back classes, we often think of the trip in a matter of minutes, hoping that the teaching assistant or professor isn’t a stickler on time if we know that we might slip in a bit late.

Same thing applies for when you’re on the road. A trip to Santa Monica from USC can vary greatly, depending not only on the mode of transportation you choose to take but also the time of day you choose to go. Driving on the I-10 West Freeway in the morning can be twice as long compared to taking the same exact freeway in the afternoon, or even better, an hour after you had originally chosen to go. 

There’s always a way to get where you need to go.

I’ll admit, this place is no New York City or Seoul or Paris — with their fancy trains and buses and incredibly comprehensive public transportation systems — by any means. However, that’s not to say that you’re gridlocked to a few miles around campus. Traveling to other parts of the city and Los Angeles County can definitely be a bit confusing at first, but once you map down a route with the Big Blues, Metro Rapids, Metro slows, rainbow-colored train lines, bikes, steps and transportation-galore to certain places, you’ll know city transportation like the back of your hand. 

Maintain your ride.

This can often be taken as a point aimed towards solely the sedan and four-door crew; however, every commuter can take this to heart. Unless you are a literal hellspawn, you should never litter on public transportation. If you’re carpooling or car-sharing, treat the owner’s vehicle with a great deal of respect. It’s not hard to take a few extra steps to pick up your trash or not dent your buddy’s convertible. 

If we’re talking about a car or bike, the same thing applies. Have your insurance and registration always handy. Even the safest of drivers cannot avoid the most dangerous of lunatics. 

And don’t forget to do your timely oil changes, smog checks, headlight fluid replacements — the usual. 

The More, Usually the Merrier.

As the title of this column suggests, use the carpool lane — legally. Commuting with friends when you travel to new and unfamiliar places makes the whole adventure thing more worthwhile. For my fellow Angelenos, prepare to be poached as the tour bus, takeout person, Uber/Lyft or U-Haul for your friends and classmates. Gas has been pretty generous lately given a bit of legislation, albeit certainly not the $3 our parents were afforded when we were growing up, so don’t be afraid to charge a bit if the money is tight or the travel is far.

Play it safe.

On a more serious note, vehicular accidents, an avoidable disease that has taken countless lives, have always plagued this city. Don’t contribute to it.

Often, the commute can bring out the worst in us: getting hangry on the way to a restaurant while stuck in traffic, fighting in the car over a missed turn or being peeved over someone playing their music a little bit too loud.

Road rage — or even the anger that comes from commuting — can become an incredibly real, vivid experience, which may translate to regrettable action. It can be a culmination of all the issues that you may experience if you live a bit away from campus: FOMO, skipping events, waking up early, paying for extra commuter fees, etc. Recognize that those around you, whether or not they contributed to your rageful mindset, should not have to be at risk for losing their lives — nor should you. 

Making your commute can definitely take a good chunk of time, but always remember why you’re making the trip in the first place. Might as well make it worthwhile.

Get home safe, Trojans.

Lois Angelo is a senior writing about the perks, downsides and necessities of the commuter lifestyle in his column, “The Carpool Lane.”