Heh. The trick there is to take the 2–which is never busy–down to Silver Lake, stop off at The Red Lion for a beer, and then take Alverado down to the 10 West, thereby bypassing the dreaded 101/110 and 10/110 interchanges. Once you get some incoming cash get yourself the Thomas Guide for L.A. County (or at least one of those QuickFinders) and study it well. A working knowledge of major surface streets will serve you well. I find it pretty easy to get around via surface streets when the highways are backed up. But if you just have some urgent desire to go to Orange County (???), well then, you’re ufcked. 
Those are actually pretty decent hours for beating traffic. Van Nuys, though. :eek: Learn the mountain bypass roads well.
I’m breaking the pact here–the one that requires all residents of Southern California to maintain the facade that it’s always sunny and bright here–but it’s actually pretty grey and SoCal “cold” right now. I kind of like it, actually; it gives the place that kind of Chandleresque feel rather than the cheap, tinny 90210-vibe it normal exudes. 
Stranger