Carmageddon: 'I wish it were like this all the time,' resident says

Michele Cohn, who lives in Bel-Air near the juncture of Sunset Boulevard and the 405 Freeway, had prepared for the worst: She had stocked up on groceries Thursday and was anticipating being shut in all weekend.

But when the dreaded day dawned Saturday, Cohn, 53, embraced it. She and her husband decided to visit local garage sales in their car, and by afternoon had arrived in Santa Monica without having encountered much traffic.

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"Life goes on after Carmageddon," Cohn said as she tried on a big gold bracelet at a sale being held at the home of Payce and Rose Louis. "They scared everyone. I think they did so intentionally."

But in her opinion, the event was not an inconvenience but a delight. She watched bicyclists roll down Sunset. Neighbors came out and talked to each other, and the stress of traffic was absent.

"Its like we live in a small town today," she said. "Its amazing; I love it. I wish it were like this all the time.... Let's just have this once a month."

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-- Rick Rojas in Santa Monica

Photo: Traffic was light on Beverly Glen Boulevard on Saturday afternoon. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times