gridlock

For more than a decade, photos and videos of the the epic gridlock stretching from LAX into the Westside have signaled the unofficial start of the holiday weekend and a bit of poetic justice for snowbound East Coasters jealous of our warm Thanksgiving al fresco.

Congestion pricing is designed to raise money for public-transportation improvements and eliminate gridlock, bringing a host of positive externalities such as lower asthma rates, reliable freight delivery, faster emergency response times, and a functional bus network.

A number of U.S. cities, including Boston and Los Angeles, have wondered if the tactic could help them manage the costs of gridlock.

Before you know it, gridlock could once again be holding up fire engines and blocking crosswalks, and the toll will look like nothing more than a cash grab.

We spent the next hour talking in circles, getting nowhere — all while stuck in gridlock on the 10 Freeway headed west.