Traffic a challenge in L.A.

We just drove to Los Angeles the past three days and I couldn’t help but notice the large number of semi trucks on the road going both directions.

And we also couldn’t help but notice all of the trains going both directions in Arizona and California. What we didn’t see were trailers on the trains. It was mostly containers stacked two high on the train cars.

The only reason I can tell for not having more trailers loaded on the train cars is convenience.

Logic tells me the cost of moving freight would be a great deal less if the trailers were transported via the trains. And logic tells me the roads would be a lot less beat up if the heavy trucks pulling trailers were kept off the roads.

I am sure the truck drivers would not like this idea. And that just in time delivery would be a much bigger challenge.

I know that when Hillsboro still had a train depot, a Mr. Wiens would go to the depot, pick up the freight and take it to its final destination.

Maybe I don’t know enough about this to make these comments but using my logic gives me the foregoing conclusions

When I was just getting started in the newspaper business, the newspaper I was working for at the time would go to the Marion depot, in a grain truck owned by Vernon Bartel, who was a brother-in-law to Aaron Reimer, and load up the prepackaged boxes of newsprint and bring them back to Hillsboro and unload them in the back room for use on the hand-fed press in the next room.

We are staying with Nancy’s brother, Dave, and our sister-in-law, Sally, in Sherman Oaks for a few days before heading up the coast to Bend, Ore., to see Dan and Katie before heading back to Kansas later this month.

So far I have managed to only leave one item behind—in Flagstaff, Ariz. It was my walking stick and we already have another one on the way via Amazon. In L.A. one can get delivery via Amazon in one day and some even the same day. Not all items, but many qualify.

I knew driving in the Los Angeles traffic was going to be the biggest problem, and it didn’t fail.

We were told to check to see if there were going to be any sporting events on the way in but failed to do so. We drove through Pasadena around 3 p.m. of a 5 p.m. UCLA game at the Rose Bowl.

The biggest mistake ever, with bumper-to-bumper traffic as far as the eye could see. I think we may have fewer brake pads than when we left home.

We finally made it to Sherman Oaks. Nancy was in the process of texting the kids that we made it safely, when a car pulled right in front of us causing a big scare and I slammed on the brakes hard just as she sent the text.

If you wish to share your comments or ideas, my e-mail address is joel@
hillsborofreepress.com.

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