These streets aren’t made for walking, but that's just what we'll do

Content warning: Description of a person driving a car hitting a person walking.

I always assumed that you had to have a car to get anywhere in Los Angeles. I don’t like driving and don’t normally drive, but I thought, you have to in LA. The last time I was here, or at least I think that was the last time, I saw a woman in a powder blue outfit get hit in a cross section by a car turning left. The car was going very slowly and while she fell over, she got back up and walked away. It was so upsetting that I deliberately watched television commercials for a couple of hours to wipe my memory. I also refused to drive any more, and took a cab to Griffith Observatory instead of driving there. It was fine. I took a lot of photos of people in golden hour light. I got to see Mars through the telescope. I took the bus back down, and then the metro and that was fine, too.

So when I planned this trip, the one I’m on right now, I said, no car. We’ll just take the metro and cabs as needed. It’ll be an adventure. Besides, when you don’t own a car, car rental is more expensive because you have to pay extra for car insurance, not having your own already.

Today was the first day of that adventure. I don’t have much to say yet except these few observations:

• All the stores in the little strip malls with tiny parking lots have signs that are easy to read from the street but difficult to see when you’re walking up to them.
• The blocks are ridiculously long.
• So many taco trucks, everywhere; I can’t wait to eat from them.
• Los Angeles is not so much a city as multiple little cities in a trenchcoat.
• The metro is lovely. If only it ran more often.
• I still don’t trust anyone taking a left turn.
• Union Station is incredibly beautiful, but like a lot of public infrastructure marred by anti-homeless people measures.
• It’s a different city on foot.