15 Unspoken Rules About California That All The Locals Know

Voting Rules
Californians: Vote up the unspoken rules all tourists should know before they visit.

"California Dreamin'" is not just an extremely popular song - it's an actual thing. How many times have you thought about leaving everything behind and heading to California to relax, surf, get a tan, and become a movie star? If that's the case and you're about to book a flight, it's better that you read this list and follow some secret local rules before you arrive. 

Photo: Alfred Twu / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0

  • 1
    552 VOTES

    Applies For Everybody And Everywhere

    From Redditor u/actuallivingdinosaur:

    Wear headphones instead of playing your music on speaker.

    552 votes
  • 2
    345 VOTES

    No CD Policy

    From Redditor u/screenwriterjohn:

    Don't take any CDs from anyone. Ignore the folks in costumes. The beach is great north of Venice. Venice at night is [terrible].

    345 votes
  • 3
    324 VOTES

    Rain Is An Event

    From Redditor u/boosted_monkey13:

    People here do not know how to drive. Don't get me started when it rains.

    When it rains, you will hear everyone talking about it.

    Wear deodorant because you will be sweaty.

    Get ready to pay a lot for rent.

    Brace yourself for the entitlement that people have, especially on the roads.

    You must like drinking craft beer.

    324 votes
  • 4
    296 VOTES

    The 20-Minute Rule

    From a former Redditor:

    Everyone's always late. They are "20 minutes away."

    296 votes
  • 5
    211 VOTES

    Driving Can Be Perilous

    From Redditor u/pearlc:

    Two cars can make a non-protected left once the light passes yellow unless a [jerk] coming in the opposite direction insists on barreling through the red. Use at your own risk and judgment, of course.

    211 votes
  • 6
    408 VOTES

    THE Highway To Hell

    From Redditor u/d0ndada:

    Always include "the" when naming freeways. For example, "Take the 94 west to the 805 north and then catch the 8 west."

    408 votes