Over a decade ago, my son and daughter-in-law were already living in the Conejo Valley when I decided to move here. My son was helping me look for an apartment to rent that would allow my dog (that was a challenge!), and we were driving around near Los Arboles and Erbes Road in Thousand Oaks.
We drove up to an intersection with a 4-way stop and we stopped. There was another car already stopped in the street that would cross ours. The other driver stayed stopped and did a hand motion for us to go first, which we did. That got my son talking about how shocking it had been to move from L.A.’s frenetic Westside, where everyone wants to go first because they deserve it,  to the Conejo Valley.   It had made him laugh to see drivers in similar 4-way stops go back and forth, motioning, “You go first,” and the other driver motioning, “No, you go first,” and for this hand dialog to continue for a while!
I don’t know if one of those interactions ever ended with both drivers then running into each other because they finally decided to go at the same time, but I doubt it. Part of the polite interchange seemed to be to accelertate slowly through the intersection, so one or both drivers would have had time to stop.Â
Anyway, Â I was very impressed with the politeness of drivers in the Conejo Valley, and it gave me an added incentive to move here.
Posted by Janna Orkney
The big jo
Your favorite docent // Mar 7, 2010 at 3:40 PM
Janna..
I’ve been living in West LA for 9 months now. NOTHING has changed.
Jeanne Cope // Mar 7, 2010 at 5:38 PM
About ten years ago that politeness started to change. In the last ten years, I have seen our teenage children NOT look both ways before crossing the street. Stops signs are increasing seen as a suggestion.
I was rear-ended on Valentine’s day. The other driver stated,”You mean, you really stopped at that stop sign.”
The courtesy that brought me here in 1988 has changed. More and more drivers act as if they are entitled. Pedestrians act as if they have no clue about their personal safety.
We all hold a responsibility for safety and courtesy. Waving some one though, slowing down, and NOT parking in the handicapped spots when you pick up your kids at the dance studio is a start.
eco-nerd // Mar 7, 2010 at 7:34 PM
I came from the valley in 1976. At that time, valley taggers were using street signs to confirm their knowledge of four letter words. I will never forget the first time that I rolled up to a stop sign in TO and someone instead had defaced it with the word ‘fart’. Ahhh, the old innocence of the Conejo, still makes me smile.
As for stopping at a stop sign these days. (You know why they call them California stops) I love it when you do stop and the person behind you honks.
Jeanne Cope // Mar 11, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Eco-nerd. I had someone honk at me this AM at a stop sign.