Left turning in LA

[Cloud]

I'm sure most people know that in LA, there are barely any protected left turn lights. To do a left turn you would have to turn as the light turns yellow so only 2 cars get to turn left at a time.

I wonder what happens if some elderly person who is adamant in abiding the law refuses to make a left on a yellow?

Would a cop give this person a ticket for running a yellow/red if he decides to make a left? or give this person a ticket for obstructing traffic?

I just moved to LA not long ago and this has always confused me.

[radix]

Originally Posted by Cloud

I'm sure most people know that in LA, there are barely any protected left turn lights. To do a left turn you would have to turn as the light turns yellow so only 2 cars get to turn left at a time.

I wonder what happens if some elderly person who is adamant in abiding the law refuses to make a left on a yellow?

Would a cop give this person a ticket for running a yellow/red if he decides to make a left? or give this person a ticket for obstructing traffic?

I just moved to LA not long ago and this has always confused me.

In every state that I know of, if you are in the intersection when the light turns yellow, it's your responsibility to clear the intersection. It's also the responsibility of those at the "fresh" green to wait until the intersection is clear before proceeding. If you are not in the intersection already, you simply remain stop and wait until the next green. What would this person do in this hypothetical situation, just sit in the middle of the intersection until the light turns green again? That'd be stupid.

[number335]

[FStop7]

it's legal to turn left on yellow if you're already in the intersection. in fact in most states it's illegal if you don't.

[ktdw]

Best advice I got in LA was that "two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left."

[jhv]

Originally Posted by ktdw

Best advice I got in LA was that "two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left."

[xbook]

This reminds of the scene in the film Grand Canyon when Kevin's Kline's character is teaching his son to drive. The son goes through a similar experience trying to make a left turn at a very busy intersection. He waits too long, then doesn't go, then almost gets hit by other cars, etc. After the entire ordeal is over, the dad has the son pull to the curb and he says words to the effect "Don't worry about it, making a left turn in LA is one of the hardest things you'll learn in life"

[Tondtar]

I usually ram them from the back and make them turn their fucking car so I don't get a ticket for running a red light just because I had the good fortune of being behind them.

The way I look at it is this : I got enough gas for both of us... Why the hell not?

[Gavin@MMW]

making a left in LA might as well be a drift event..

PUNCH IT, Turn, Slide and keep hauling ass before the truck you just cut off molds itself to your rear bumper lol

LA is the worst place to drive.. I love it

[Alexander]

In Georgia if there is traffic and the light is green when your in the intersect, but it turns red before you get a chance to turn, your allowed to turn legally, but if some jackass behind you decides to turn on red he gets a ticket, camera ticket 99% of the time.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by ktdw

Best advice I got in LA was that "two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left."