I think visitors see the worst of it. LA is big, can you can set up your work/life to avoid the worst of it (like the parent poster did). Like you said, you p

I think visitors see the worst of it. LA is big, can you can set up your work/life to avoid the worst of it (like the parent poster did). Like you said, you plan accordingly (many jobs are flexible about scheduling, too). When visiting, usually you're on a constrained timetable and your only choice is to brute force your way through the worst traffic. Holidays are usually the worst of the worst. For a few years I drove from the east part of LA to Vegas for Thanksgiving (not having to drive through LA). That 4 hour drive (admittedly a bit longer on a Friday) took 13 hours; 1pm - 2am. What's unfortunate is in LA it is not just that there's rush hour on the weekends, it's all over and at odd times. 9-5 workers have accommodated the situation so long that leisure time is regularly constrained.