Watch It

Driving Laurel Canyon, the narrow passageway from the Los Angeles basin to the San Fernando Valley, you’re reminded of why canyon driving is so wonderful. I took that route today, and I should mention, this was a non-rush hour experience, so I was moving along, not creeping in bumper-to-bumper.

It shouldn’t be this nice an experience. After all, for large sections of this winding, hilly road, it’s one lane in each direction. You can go from bright sunshine to near darkness in a few yards, making visibility a roll of the dice.

Today I realized—in Los Angeles, a canyon drive is one of those rare drives where you actually must pay attention. I know, everyone should always watch the road, but in L.A., many of the roads and boulevards are so wide, and the sunshine is so bright, you feel as though you can see forever, and unless a comet comes at you from above, you can be casual about watching the road.

Not in a canyon. Even driving 25 mph, you can’t sip your drink—you’ll either spill uphill or down hill. And you can’t look away—the twists and turns are too tight. The phone reception is only so-so, and even if yours is okay, your sense of self-preservation in a canyon alters the normal cellphone driving dynamic. You’ll actually drive better at the expense of missing a piece of conversation.