Out Came the Rain..

This has been a wet weekend in the City of the Angels. According to the August LA Times, there has been record rainfall in Downtown and at the airport with more on the way. There's a stereotype about LA that people cannot cope with precipitation, and unlike most stereotypes there's a bit of truth in there. People either slow down to a crawl that is far out of proportion to the amount of rainfall or worse, speed like maniacs. I've more than once seen an SUV go merrily twirling through an intersection because the driver clearly thought the electronic nannies, all-wheel drive system and sheer mass made them immune to hydroplaning. Infrastructure seems to go wonky as well as at some major intersections traffic lights seem to conk out to 4-way blinking red at the first sign of moisture.

But the worst effect are slides. If there has been a fire in the recent past the area can easily collapse into a devastating mudslide. Even area that haven't been burned aren't immune: parts of Mulholland Drive have collapsed just because, one only a few months ago. We're on shaky ground in Southern California, in more ways that we can count.

So, fellow City dwellers, the sandbags are now available. Slow down, and look on the bright side. It could be snow..

Photo: my iPhone