"You either drive or die in LA"

While it is still technically legal to walk from place to place, it's not recommended unless done as part of some sponsored and supervised charitable event.

A police car actually pulled up beside me, to ask what I thought I was doing.

"I'm walking home."

Blank stare.

"I live just there, off Sunset."

Blank stare.

"Near that red car."

Narrow stare.

"Walking?" (he actually speaks)

"Yes."

"Well, don't do it again."

I wanted to ask, "Why, isn't it safe?" But I thought the answer would be, "No, we just don't do that here."

Driving anywhere in LA is such a major undertaking it begins to dominate your decision-making process in everyday life.

You can live just a few kilometres from the beach, as we do, along with 90 per cent of the Australians who live here.

But if you try to drive to the beach on a weekend, by the time you've found a parking spot you're actually further away than when you started.

And you also realise that it's now the following weekend.