This is a good suggestion. Take the opening paragraph from a recent Stephen King work:

Augie Odenkirk had a 1997 Datsun that still ran well in spite of high mileage, but gas was expensive, especially for a man with no job, and City Center was on the far side of town, so he decided to take the last bus of the night. He got off at twenty past eleven with his pack on his back and his rolled-up sleeping bag under one arm. He thought he would be glad of the down-filled bag by three A.M. The night was misty and chill.

Note how many details we get: Augie is broke (1997 Datsun, gas was expensive), he's desperate for a job (brings a sleeping bag to a job fair on the far side of town), and he's likely single/lonely (taking the last bus without having to tell anyone). There' no sluggish language like "Augie Odenkirk felt lonely as the bus pulled up." Instead King takes a snapshot out of Augie Odenkirk's life and we're right there with him.

If it helps, here's a revision of your first paragraph that I believe would apply these principles:

Tomas usually steered with his palms, but the hard turn onto Hollywood Boulevard always found him white-knuckled. Even this early, the freaks would be out. Most of them were leadfoot drivers or passing-lane cruisers, but they were on the streets too, a cacophony of panhandlers and buskers with empty guitar cases. This was part of the commute where he'd roll the window back up. The radio wasn't much help, mostly synthpop, EDM, and top 40. Katy Perry would suffice. At least she put a warm voice inside the car.

We get that he's going to work ("this was the part of the commute"), that he's lonely (he leaves Katy Perry on because she's a warm voice), and that he doesn't like Hollywood Boulevard ("the freaks would be out" and the knuckles), but it comes packaged in specific.

Why do we (if you'll forgive my assumption) buy this paragraph more? It's the usual "show-don't-tell" idea. If we're in this character's head, he's not thinking "I hate driving up Hollywood Boulevard." Well, maybe he is, but we can't write that in our first sentence.

Instead, he's thinking about what he doesn't like. The leadfoot drivers, the cacophony of buskers, etc. Then we as readers are going "I'm not sure if I get this guy, but I see what is going on in his head."

Hope it helps.