1. Don’t smile back.
Californians are friendly-freakishly so. They smile at everyone they pass on the street, and usually each other into their lanes of traffic with a grin. Scowl as you skulk by a happy California native and it will baffle them.
2. Say you “don’t get traffic”.
Half of California life is spent waiting in your car to get somewhere-whether it’s not moving at all in LA on the 405, headed from San Francisco to Sonoma, or just hoping to beat the rush to a San Diego beach. Tell a local you’re from somewhere without traffic and they’ll stare at you with wonder.