Lost in Hollywood

I’m now feeling better; although, I got lost, driving to work the other morning. Noticing fewer cars on the opposite side of the 101, I decided to deviate from my normal route, thinking I’d found a shortcut. And then I learned the reason that section of Cahuenga Blvd. moves quicker: it’s one way (but not my way). This I realized not from having driven it in the past (several times) but as I passed a gridlock of cars, all waiting for access to the street from which I’d just turned. So much for my shortcut.

Not wanting to get stuck in the gridlock, I decided to ascend Lake Hollywood Drive to see if I could simply drive over the hill, in the direction I needed. Sometimes that works. The most common indicator of an alternative route would be other cars, on-route to work, but I saw only two people walking dogs, and a bicyclist. Not good. Soon, a sign indicated that a right turn would take me to the Hollywood Sign. I found myself on a desolate section of street, facing the Hollywood Reservoir, cars parked at the sides of the road, looking like they just might’ve been there most of the night. Drug deals? Passed out? Morning prayer? At 7:15 a.m., this was not the place to be. I imagined trying to explain my situation to a policeman.

“How long have you lived here?”

“All my life.”

“How long have you worked at your place of employment?”

“Over fifteen years.”

“And today you’re lost. Uh, sir, please step out of your vehicle…”

So I returned to the gridlock and walked into work twenty minutes late. Indeed, my manager’s eyebrows rose, probably wondering if her employee had a screw loose.

- PJ