19 Words That Mean Something Different To L.A. Drivers

    Another Sig-Alert on the 405? Ugh.

    Omar Villegas
    by Omar Villegas

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. "Compact Parking"

    malingering / Creative Commons

    What it means: A parking spot created for compact cars.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A parking spot.

    2. "Stop Sign"

    youtube.com

    What it means: A sign that notifies drivers when they are supposed to stop.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A sign that notifies people they should slow down a bit. If they want. I mean, it's up to them. No pressure.

    3. "The 405"

    dongkwan / Creative Commons

    What it means: An interstate highway that runs from San Diego to San Fernando.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: One of the largest parking lots in California.

    4. "Obama"

    winni / Creative Commons

    What it means: The last name of President Barack Obama.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: STREET CLOSURES.

    5. "Rain"

    waltarrrrr / Creative Commons

    What it means: Precipitation.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A liquid substance that renders L.A. drivers unable to make sound decisions.

    6. "Hollywood & Highland"

    kkanouse / Creative Commons

    What it means: A tourist destination in Hollywood featuring restaurants, shopping, and the Kodak Theater.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: An area to avoid at all costs unless you feel like being stuck at an intersection for eternity.

    7. "Pedestrian"

    fig4all / Creative Commons

    What it means: Lacking inspiration; a person who is walking.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A person who is expected to hurry up and cross the street when cars are waiting to turn.

    8. "Dodger Game"

    malingering / Creative Commons

    What it means: A baseball game featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: Nothing but brake lights on the 110.

    9. "Shoulder"

    youtube.com

    What it means: An emergency stopping lane.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A special lane created for impatient drivers whose time is way more important than yours.

    10. "Over The Hill"

    kenlund / Creative Commons

    What it means: An expression used for people who are getting old.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: Driving from the Valley to Hollywood, Santa Monica and other nearby areas.

    11. "Yellow Light"

    veisto / Creative Commons

    What it means: The light in a traffic light that notifies drivers that they should prepare to stop.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: The light in a traffic light that notifies drivers they should speed up and beat that red light. It also notifies drivers making a left turn that two-to-four cars should make a left after the light turns red.

    12. "Sig-Alert"

    sigalert.com

    What it means: According to the California Department of Transportation, it's "any traffic incident that will tie up two or more lanes of a freeway for two or more hours."

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A term you've dreaded for years but couldn't define until you read the above.

    13. "Turn Signal"

    Universal / Via hungarianducks.tumblr.com

    What it means: A blinking light at the rear of a vehicle that notifies others that you wish to merge into another lane.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: A blinking light – its use is optional – that notifies drivers to do everything in their power to prevent you from merging into their lane.

    14. "High-Speed Car Chase"

    KTLA / Via nydailynews.com

    What it means: A high-speed police pursuit of a suspect.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: If you're on the road, it's a terrifying procession of bright lights and sirens. If you're at home, it's a television event that will stop you from whatever you're doing until it reaches a resolution (or until the helicopter is out of range).

    15. "Freeway"

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    What it means: An express highway.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: A highway so free that it holds you against your will between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

    16. "Carpool Lane"

    burlap / Creative Commons

    What it means: A lane created for drivers who are carrying one or more passengers.

    What it means to an L.A. driver: That lane you look at longingly when you're stuck in traffic.

    17. "Ways"

    waze.com

    What it means: A distance; a suffix that follows and adverb.

    What it means to L.A. driver: A strange spelling of WAZE.

    18. "Sepulveda Pass"

    docsearls

    What it means: A stretch of the 405 freeway that passes through the Santa Monica Mountains.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: A place where thousands of drivers can congregate and take in the smell of burnt brake pads.

    19. "Patience"

    Universal / Via forum.expressobeans.com

    What it means: Tolerance or acceptance of a situation without getting angry.

    What it means to L.A. drivers: An emotion they've heard of but have never experienced.