This is just too perfect. If you think we should, or even can, lane-mile ourselves into a livable society getting around in cars…at automotive ground zero, people can’t even see a whole play from beginning to end: even if you’re on time, someone climbs over your knees in the middle, and it’s OK, because its traffic.
Late arrivals: Get used to it, especially at big theaters like the Ahmanson, the Kodak and the Pantages. It’s not uncommon to see people streaming in 20 or 30 minutes into a show. The reason is simple: traffic. Plus the bottlenecks to the parking garages. And there are always bottlenecks.Walkouts: Voting with your feet is universal and in L.A., we exercise our right with a vengeance. And it’s not just because we don’t like what’s on stage. People start streaming out well before curtain call as a way to avoid the inevitable traffic jam in the parking garage.
Standing ovations: Like grade inflation, they are everywhere, even for the worst of shows. But it seems to us that most of the time people are just jumping to their feet so they can leave quickly to get to the parking lot.