The Elves Are Gridlocked

Orange County’s streets, freeways and parking lots were jammed Thursday as mall and law-enforcement officials braced for one of the busiest weekends of the year for shoppers and travelers.

Retail officials said they are pleased that Christmas falls on a Monday this year, for that will give shoppers extra time to fill their lists. Many said they have hired extra security officers to keep the cars moving.

“We’re expecting very heavy traffic this weekend. We are looking forward to it,” said Steve Schwartz, marketing director at Westminster Mall.

Besides additional security patrols and help from Westminster police, the mall will get a hand from an auxiliary unit of Explorer Scout teen volunteers, Schwartz said.

At Santa Ana’s MainPlace shopping center, motorists were vying for parking spots Thursday.

“Traffic is gridlocked, but it’s not anything we haven’t seen before. It’s pretty much routine for the Christmas season,” Santa Ana Police Sgt. Raul Luna said. “We have passengers even trying to reserve parking spaces, but we haven’t had any incidents or fights.”

Smaller shopping centers also teemed with motorists and pedestrians.

“This is the time of year I look forward to most. It’s a way I can pick things for people I really care about,” said Rosanna Medina, shopping with her husband at Sportmart on Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana. “The traffic is just a small inconvenience. It’s the price you pay.”

In Costa Mesa, “There’s much more traffic out there” than on a typical weekend, Police Lt. Dale Birney said. “To add fuel to the fire, people are in a bigger hurry. Throw those together, and you are dealing with a volatile combination.”

Hot spots are Bristol Street at Anton Boulevard and at Town Center Drive, and Bear Street at South Coast Plaza Drive, he said. Motorcycle officers are watching for red-light runners, he said, and helping motorists exit the mall’s north lot near Sears onto Sunflower Avenue.

Joyce Montague of Orange said her minivan was almost hit Thursday as she parked near Sears at South Coast Plaza. “I’m wondering just how much worse it can get,” she said.

Montague said she still has gifts to buy because out-of-town guests are arriving on short notice. “I’m really hoping I just do what I need to do and get out,” she said. “This is a mess.”

Birney said the busiest time today is likely to be lunch hour and after work. On Saturday and Sunday, he said, people will be out early and there will probably be traffic all day in the South Coast Plaza area. His recommendation to motorists: Leave early and bring along lots of patience.

A spokeswoman from the Automobile Club of Southern California echoed that advice.

“Drivers should prepare themselves for the possibilities of delays, especially on the freeways leading out of Southern California and roads leading toward major airports,” spokeswoman Carol Thorp said.

An Auto Club survey found that Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and Aspen, Colo., are the three most popular destinations this holiday for Southern Californians.

Travelers were already dealing with traffic tie-ups Thursday as they began leaving town for the holiday weekend. Vehicles crept along the Costa Mesa and San Diego freeways near John Wayne Airport, where skycaps joked they were so busy, they didn’t have time for bathroom breaks.

Airport spokesman Ann McCarley said that John Wayne, which handles an average of 20,000 passengers daily, expects a 34% increase today, 29% more Saturday and 35% more Wednesday. To make sure they arrive at the airport on time, McCarley suggests that passengers call their carriers early for gate and flight information or look online at https://www.ocair.com.

To find out which airport parking lots are full, she said, travelers may call (949) 252-5200.

On Thursday, arriving and departing travelers with stacks of wrapped gifts and luggage made their way through a crowded airport. Near Delta Air Lines’ gates, passengers stood in long lines at the McDonald’s counter.

“You can’t expect much more at holiday time,” said Zachary Moss, 34, heading to Houston with his wife and their four children, Happy Meals in hand. “It’s a sign of the season.”