Posted on 05/23/2013 4:54:56 AM PDT by Notary Sojac
I remember when I lived in England in 1975 there was a super round-about that had one giant roundabout at the center of a circle of smaller round abouts (5 or 6). Each entry into the round about complex had a pull-off car park
with a big sign that mapped out how to negotiate it.....
The single lane roundabouts near me have the concrete curbs worn down from so many vehicles banging over them. They’re not big enough for larger vehicles (such as street maintenance trucks), which is probably by intent.
LOL! Thanks for the morning chuckle!
You want excitement, pull up to a roundabout in Italy and if you have to stop and yield for traffic soon you’ll have vehicles that were once behind you pull up to the side of you like at the starting line of a road race!
Haha! Good humor ping. Thanks for posting.
Must have been - interesting - when combined with the ‘wrong side of the road’ thing.
My first relationships with roundabouts came in Washington DC. I understand they were meant to confuse an invading army. They certainly do an effective job of confusing invading commuters.
Greensboro has recently added roundabouts in several locations, some downtown and some in the burbs. I actually saw one woman, stop, watch for a few minutes and then backup to the nearest place she could turn around. I don’t understand how a woman that can backup can be intimidated by a roundabout.
Rotaries are the epitome of driver ed;
Y'gutt'a look and think ahead as to what you want to do .. place yourself in line for that act .. and once in ... you're committed.
Rotaries are for intelligent people.
If a rotary (or roundabout) baffles you ... I'd suggest a bus or cab ...
It was a bit intimidating, even for the locals.
I never did too bad with the left hand side thing, even in cities. It was when I was out on a two lane road in the country and had to move over the right side for one reason or another (passing parked car, etc.) was hard because I sometimes found myself staying on that side out of habit....hard to break.
You should see the way they try to negotiate the roundabout in Corinth, Mississippi. Its a royal cluster.
What I’ve always found hard in this country is negotiating a left hand turn in parts of New Jersey where they love to use what they call a “jug ear”....a good thought, making two rights after an intersection on a jug ear to execute a left turn. Trouble is they (NY) seems to like to hide theses damned things in the bushes and don’t put signs out until you’ve damned near passed them.
(NJ) not (NY)
Heh! It also kinda reads like Patrick F McManus’s The Grasshopper Trap.
I hate these things, while in them I’ve almost gotten nailed many times by a person entering it who forgot that I had the right of way.
One time I was behind an elderly lady as she started to enter one. I then looked to the left and saw a vehicle about to enter it and knowing I had plenty of time and room, I then accelerated and headed forward. Unfortunately, the dumb lady ahead of me stopped while she was half way in and I rear ended her.
Thankfully there wasn’t any damage but when I asked why she had stopped insteading of continuing into it she said “I didn’t know what the guy on the left was going to do....” Sheesh!
“Big Ben...Parliament...”
LOL My wife feels the same way about Volvo drivers.
They put a roundabout down my way. I must admit —it works.
The intersection was a true danger, there was an accident there almost every day. Serious accidents. Since the roundabout the accident rate has practically ceased., and when there is one it’s not serious.
Of course the truckers hate it.
Roundabouts are OK as long as you’re playing a little Boots Randolph to get you in the mood.
Again ... look ahead.
Every crossroad is a jug handle (or could very well be) ... if you're taking a left on Main .. get in the right hand lane for the left.
If it's hidden by trees and bushes ... no one drives that road anyway ... /8^)
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