I second that. Take a rental.
Am returning home to .de from a 10 days business trip without my drivers license (phzsically lost it before heading out) and I have to say, LA taxi drivers are mostly hopeless.
Why they do not license them and with that check some local knowledge is beyond me.
And even more, if you drive a cab and wait to pick up a pax at West Hollywood and have no idea where Culver City is (OMG IT IS REALLY TRUE), get yourself a tomtom or whatever.