If you use the names of freeways--the Santa Ana Freeway, San Bernardino Freeway, the Santa Monica Freeway, etc.--like I do, you're considered an old-timer.
It’s God’s wrath for the acceptance of homosexuality in our lives.
Even then it depended on which way you were going, if you were headed north on the 101 it was called the Ventura freeway, if you were headed south it was called the Hollywood freeway, just depended on where you were and where you were going.
Old Route 66 was actually Colorado Blvd in Pasadena and old Foothill Blvd. in Fontana.
When I first got to LA in ‘73, the signs didn’t have North, South, East and West on them. They only had city names. I still remember getting on a freeway and the only signage was “Santa Monica” and “San Bernardino.” Then another day it was “Long Beach” and “Pasadena.” I was driving, fuming, cursing the idiots that thought everybody knew where things were based on city names and fumbling with huge paper maps.
It took a long time to figure all that out. After a couple of years, I knew my way around pretty well and I relished the idea that other newcomers would “enjoy” their arrival as much as I did. I figured it was part of a sneaky initiation rite to see if you could really hack it in SoCal. Eventually, I got smart and moved to the SF Bay Area.