Head on.

               Sunset and Crescent Heights

You hear on the radio that someone knocked a kid off his motor bike and killed him. Then you hear it was a head on collision and the next thing is the car coming the other was on the wrong side of the road. Later it transpires that the car driver was an American not used to driving on the left and then we learn that the driver had diplomatic immunity and has fled the country.

She was over here with her husband so the diplomatic immunity is in his name, and the USA will not send her back here - then we hear she is in the CIA.

Don't watch this space as it's an ongoing case but it reminded me of the first time I went to Los Angeles.

I was wondering, before I got there, what it would be like, driving on that side of the road, even though I had driven the length of France, which is where they drive on the right too. That time I was in a British car where the steering wheel is on the right so it's difficult to see anything if you want to overtake. The person riding shot gun would look out for oncoming traffic and shout 'GO!!' 

And I would go.

In Los Angeles, at the airport LAX, I picked up my rental car and drove around for hours looking for somewhere to stay. Every place I tried was too expensive. I tried to knock them down but none of them would have it and eventually I settled down in the Travelodge in Santa Monica. On the main street, Ocean Blvd I reckon.

But I was delighted, as I settled into my room, that I had found the driving on the right experience second nature. The next morning I checked out and set out for Hollywood Blvd where I had an appointment with a casting director or agent, can't remember which. I got there nice and early then went for a short drive to kill some time.

I saw Laurel Canyon, on my drive, and I thought 'I've heard of that' so I took a right. I was on the right so I took a right and even though the light was on red I could still go around as the road was clear the other way – I new thing for me and a law LA invented – great stuff.

It was wonderful I was playing Aretha Franklin on the stereo listening to the power of her voice and the feeling she had for all those songs. 

Every time I hear that album today I think of that hazy day in Hollywood all those years ago.

I drove to the top of Laurel Canyon and came to Mulholland Drive. I was at the junction there not knowing whether to go right or left. 

It was the crossroads where a guy I knew, in later years, was shot dead as he sat in his car.

This day I turned; I knew who lived on Mulholland Drive – Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and, even though I tried to look at buildings and drive at the same time, I couldn't really see houses as there seemed to be trees in front. 

Then I did a U turn and went back.

There was no traffic on the road so Aretha was singing and I was in America and it was sunny and then there was a jeep coming at me, on my side of the road, I tried to turn and go passed him but it was too late!

A head on crash!

The big thing about it was that we saw each other and we both slowed down so the impact looks more dramatic on paper than what actually happened.

You see when I saw him, not registering that it was me on the wrong side of the road, I had tried to go passed him on the wrong side too.

'Hey you came at me' he said.

'no I didn't – well I didn't mean to.'

I explained and he had to make a call. He was a script writer on the way to an important script meeting and he told them at the other end that he had hit a Brit driving on the wrong side of the road.

'I'm Irish' I said.

TOMORROW: I move to LA - watch this space.