FOR ALL THE GRIPING ABOUT GRIDLOCK IN L.A. AND FORECASTS OF TRAFFIC WOES IN YEARS AHEAD, MANY MOTORISTS HAVE WAYS TO MAKE GOOD USE OF STOP-AND-GO DRIVING: THEY APPLY MAKEUP, PAY THEIR BILLS, EVEN FALL IN LOVE SOMETIMES ... DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION.

Byline: RACHEL URANGA Staff Writer

Felicia Montgomery used to hate traffic. But gridlock now occupies a special place in the heart of the 40-year-old personnel clerk. If not for a chance encounter during a bumper- to-bumper trip home last year, she would not have found the man of her dreams.

``Some people complain about road rage. Well, I fell in love on the freeway,'' said a giddy Montgomery, who met her fiance while stuck in traffic on the San Bernardino Freeway.

For L.A. commuters, who spend more than 93 hours a year in rush-hour traffic -- more than those in any other city in the U.S. -- the precious moments sitting behind the wheel are often spent doing things authorities say they shouldn't.

And a new study finds they'll be looking for even more diversions.

The Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation predicts that by 2030, driving during rush hour will take twice as long as it would take during off-peak hours. Already, average speeds can slow to 13 mph during rush hour on the Ventura Freeway through the San Fernando Valley.

``L.A. has now set the mold that is being followed by Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, (Washington) D.C. and Chicago,'' said Robert Poole, director of transportation studies for the Libertarian think tank.

``This (behavior) really frightens me. There are accidents because of this. But it's completely understandable. People are desperate to figure out something to do.''

So Angelenos -- who spend an average of 23.4 minutes commuting one way to work -- are going to continue coping with the traffic in their own way.

Stella Chalian, 31, blushes as she talks about her grinding, two-hour, round-trip commute on the 134 and 101 freeways.

``I do all the calling -- the doctor, the credit card companies,'' Chalian said. ``I write bills. Because it makes you feel good that you are not so stupid being stuck in traffic for so long.''

And, of course, she does her makeup, sometimes in the rearview mirror of her 2006 BMW 325.

``I wake up five minutes later because I can put makeup on in my car,'' she said. ``I am just sitting there idle. I would go crazy if I didn't do something. It saves me from insanity.''

Between the 134, 101 and 405 freeways, Officer Leland Tang, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, has seen it all -- couples kissing while driving, men shaving and women flat-ironing their hair.

``The whole multitasking while driving is a recipe for disaster,'' Tang said.

``Rear-end collisions are the No. 1 type of collision encountered in the Valley. A high number of them are from speeding and most of them may have an element of distraction, but (drivers) are not going to admit it at the time.''

But for all the finger-wagging at commuters, even Tang was impressed by Montgomery's commuter love connection.

With no air conditioning and the radio on the fritz, the personnel clerk was just beginning to settle in to her daily, 45-minute commute from downtown to the San Gabriel Valley. Then, her soon-to-be-fianc(hrt) called out, ``Hey, pretty lady! Hey, pretty lady!''

``I just kept saying to myself, `Don't turn around, don't look. You know how people get shot on the freeway.'''

But after eight calls, she did. She gave Edward Bielucke her cell-phone number, and three dates later, she started to fall in love.

Montgomery, a widow, said her deceased husband is the angel that must have sent Bielucke.

Most Angelenos aren't that blessed. Though Poole points out that even dating patterns are determined by the couple's proximity to one another, most use the time for more mundane activities, like singing or learning a language on tape.

But for some, the car doubles as a boardroom or a rolling office.

Garen Vartanyan, a 47-year-old gas station owner and Glendale real estate broker, stores his files in his trunk, where he can always grab them before the next meeting.

``My car is a second office. I have everything I need here. I have my files, my suit, my appointment book,'' he said, pointing to the trunk of his 2002 BMW X-5.

There are also routines developed around time in the car -- from choosing the right traffic report to buying a single cup of coffee before kicking off the Prada stilettos to ensure they aren't scratched by the gas pedal.

Identities form or are reflected by one's vehicle. Vartanyan, who can sometimes spend up to four hours a day in his car, wears his identity on his license plate -- HIBROKR. ``Hi'' means ``Armenian'' in Armenian.

Radio is formatted for car listeners, and doctors even have special names for a condition caused by anger behind the wheel -- road rage. Traffic patterns and shortcuts become the topic of water-cooler conversations and cocktail party chats.

But Poole said if Angelenos are going to live their lives outside their SUVs, convertibles and clunkers, transportation officials need to dedicate more money to freeway infrastructure -- double-decker freeways and toll roads that would allow motorists to travel farther faster, rather than investing in short-range public transit.

Local and state officials say developing a balanced approach -- making highway and public-transit improvements as well as building transit-friendly development -- is the best way to reduce congestion.

For now, many of the freeways remain a parking lot.

The latest figures show that during the most congested time during the evening rush hour, the 405 near the 101 interchange slows to an average 16.7 mph. The 101 near the 405 interchange grinds to an average 13.2 mph.

By 2030, with no infrastructure changes, the Southern California Association of Governments predicts that average rush-hour speeds along the same stretch of the 405 will slow to 4.1 mph and the 101 to 6.2 mph.

Steve Ries says he's already become accustomed to the idling. He commutes for more than two hours round-trip -- sometimes three -- from his home in Valencia to his job as an elevator serviceman in Warner Center.

To pass the time and distract him from the stresses of traffic, he catches up with his colleague via phone.

``He's my driving buddy. We talk on the walkie-talkie while sitting. We talk about family, complain about work, a little bit about everything,'' he said. ``So I don't get overly stressed.''

Ries, who can wind up driving for four or five hours in a day, said it keeps his temper cool and him from becoming too focused on the road.

``Everyone is in a hurry,'' he said. ``People are constantly cutting each other off. They don't use turn signals. Then you will see the person that gets cut off cut somebody else off to get to the car that cut them off. Then you see arms flailing and you think they are cursing. It's just terrible.''

Jeffrey Spring, a spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, said to de-stress, people should allow enough time to get to their destination.

``Listen to your favorite music,'' he said. ``It sounds simplistic, but those are key things.''

Caroline Miceli, a college fundraising specialist for Scripps College, has her own solution -- books on tape.

``I am going through a self-help topic right now. It's amazing how many books I have gone through,'' said the 27-year-old, who commutes for about an hour and 15 minutes from Hermosa Beach to Claremont in her Toyota Prius. ``I only wish I could exercise in my car.''

rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) Felicia Montgomery and Ed Bielucke met while they were driving separate cars on the Santa Monica Freeway, and later married. Here, they show off her wedding ring above the Hollywood Freeway near her office.

David Sprague

Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) Multitasking behind the wheel

(2) Driven to distraction

SOURCE: California Highway Patrol

Gregg Miller/Staff Artist