Over the past month, the weather in Los Angeles has been unpredictable and weird. The city of LA was not built to sustain any type of weather, other than 80 degrees and sunny, which is odd considering that we do have quite a rainy season here when we are not in a horrific draught. If you are a native, you know what I mean when I say that the city cannot stand the rain, and the people here do everything they can to get away from it. When it rains in Los Angeles, it’s almost equivalent to a sort of apocalypse; trees break and land in the middle of main roads, traffic lights suddenly cease to work, streets get WET (which is apparently the biggest deal of all), and in general, people forget how to drive. For any normal city with a decent understanding of how weather works, and a decent public transportation system, rain is not an issue, neither is snow, nor sleet. If you are an actor in LA, whether starting new or well seasoned (figuratively, of course, because there are no seasons in Los Angeles other than “sunny” and “rain”) here are some tips on how to get to your audition on time.

1)       Leave your house at LEAST 30 minutes early. If you have an audition that is any more than 3 miles away from your house, you have to be prepared for being late, being late for an audition is not professional and if it happens enough times, you may get a severe talking-to from your agents. In order to prevent this from happening, studies from my own life show that you should leave your house with far greater than ample time to get to your audition.
2)       When you are driving, focus strictly on the road. This could seem like a no-brainer. But if you are from a city other than Los Angeles originally, then this one is for you. When it rains here, people just forget how to drive. It isn’t a joke, and it’s not a hyperbole. When water falls from the sky, there is an uneasy feeling that takes over the greater LA area, and somehow summons sentiments of lack of safety on the roads, the thought that you should drive way slower than the speed limit, and, you guessed it, the idea that “Maybe I should just forget how to drive today!”
3)       Do not get on the freeway during rush hour! Freeways are a place of fast paced driving and allow you to get from point A to B in a much more streamlined fashion, but only when it is sunny outside. Traffic in the rain is awful, but traffic in the rain on the freeway is practically unbearable. So, if you have the option to take the streets or the freeway on a damp day, elect the streets. You will find yourself hating humanity a lot less.

      And there you have it… some helpful tips on how to drive in Los Angeles, the city of angels, when it is raining. Make sure you have a good soundtrack to listen to for those longer drives (4 miles or more), to help calm your nerves while you wait patiently in traffic to get to your next audition. Always remember that the rain only lasts for a few days, in about a week everything will be back to normal and we can all start remembering how to drive again! When you aren’t stuck in traffic or auditioning, make sure you walk around the city and enjoy the rain while we have it! Los Angeles really is a beautiful place in this dreary weather!