Chaos, horror, mayhem in my neighborhood

[edward]

Originally Posted by edward

This traffic circle in Angola, Indiana has been in constant use since before there were automobiles. There is a Civil war monument in the center and the folks back there refused to move it to make way for a modern intersection.

In my youth I zipped around this circle a thousand times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A...a-panorama.jpg

You'd a think a driver would be able to figure out the pattern and decide which exit out of the roundabout he wanted after about 5 or 6 times around the circle. I guess some people are just slow learners.

Actually I meant entering from the south and zipping around and exiting headed west was no problem.

Late at night we used to pull all kinds of shenanigans driving endlessly around the circle in groups of 6 or 7 cars, then when someone spotted the local police coming, a honk of their horn sent us rapidly dispersing in four different directions.

 

[edward]

I think the traffic lights are to control the volume of vehicles approaching the circle.

The are a lot of freeway access ramps that have a red lights at the top. A sign usually states "wait five seconds then proceed". Hmm seems to me I have only seen them in LA.

 

[Moonbear]

My heart goes out to anybody who has to deal with this roundabout.

Is that a roundabout or weather map? Looks like a low pressure system and hurricane are about to hit. What are the little circles around the big circle? Are you supposed to doh-see-doh? (I have no idea how to spell that...the square dancing call where you grab a partner and spin in a circle.)

Do you not get taught who has the right of way at a roundabout in your driving lessons/test? If you're in a state that actually has roundabouts, then surely you should be taught how to drive on them?!

Even if you don't have them in your own state, since there are places that still have them, it certainly should be taught. But, people are allowed to drive without understanding even simpler and more common rules of the road, so I guess we shouldn't be too surprised. There'd be more demand for public transportation in this country if people were denied drivers' licenses until they had actually mastered driving correctly.

 

[BobG]

Do you not get taught who has the right of way at a roundabout in your driving lessons/test? If you're in a state that actually has roundabouts, then surely you should be taught how to drive on them?!

Surprisingly, there's no mention of roundabouts in Colorado's driving pamphlets.

Colorado drivers do have to know who has the right of way when two cars meet on a one-lane mountain road overlooking a cliff. (The vehicle going uphill has the right of way. The vehicle going downhill has to back up until a spot wide enough for two vehicles is found.)

 

[tribdog]

Surprisingly, there's no mention of roundabouts in Colorado's driving pamphlets.

Colorado drivers do have to know who has the right of way when two cars meet on a one-lane mountain road overlooking a cliff. (The vehicle going uphill has the right of way. The vehicle going downhill has to back up until a spot wide enough for two vehicles is found.)

I would have missed that one on the test. Of course, this is assuming the vehicle going downhill hasn't lost its brakes.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Are you supposed to doh-see-doh? (I have no idea how to spell that...the square dancing call where you grab a partner and spin in a circle.)

A traffic circle is not a good place for square dancing. Probably you're thinking of dosado, but with that tactic you don't grab your partner, nor any part thereof. Rather you circle around your partner while facing in the same direction all the time and passing shoulders. The call that you describe sounds like a right elbow swing. That is best described as a kind of left elbow swing, but using the right elbow. This is not to be confused with the right elbow however, a call in pro wresting. I advise you to stay away from my wife who is an excellent dancer with 15 knockouts and 3 decisions and no losses.

 

[Chi Meson]

Massachusetts loves its rotaries. We have a few in Connecticut too. They work perfectly iff...

(that's "if and only if")

every one knows what they are doing. And that's never.

 

[jtbell]

Is that a roundabout or weather map? Looks like a low pressure system and hurricane are about to hit.

Yeah, that's it! There's Fay, and Gustav, and Hanna, and Ike, and Josephine...

 

[BobG]

My heart goes out to anybody who has to deal with this roundabout.

Swindon's magic roundabout ranks as the third worst junction in the world (I still don't get what the wavy lines mean, plus, shouldn't the hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?). In fact, 4 roundabouts wind up ranked among the 10 worst junctions in the world.

At least if you get stuck in the Place Charles de Gaulle, your passengers can get lots of pictures of the Arc de Triomphe. 9 de Julio Avenida and London Circuit in Canberra look like a decent places to get stuck, as well. On the other hand, I definitely want to avoid the lane that spirals into oblivion at the A9 in Shanghai.

 

[Moonbear]

I would have missed that one on the test. Of course, this is assuming the vehicle going downhill hasn't lost its brakes.

Yeah, I'd have made the same assumption that the one going downhill could be the one without brakes. I think one-lane mountain roads with cliffs and two-way traffic are just something I'd be perfectly happy to avoid entirely. I think I'll take the helicopter tour.

 

[BobG]

I would have missed that one on the test. Of course, this is assuming the vehicle going downhill hasn't lost its brakes.

Yeah, I'd have made the same assumption that the one going downhill could be the one without brakes. I think one-lane mountain roads with cliffs and two-way traffic are just something I'd be perfectly happy to avoid entirely. I think I'll take the helicopter tour.

They'll probably die if they try driving down a mountain with no brakes. Backing up a mountain with no brakes is much safer.

 

[cristo]

(I still don't get what the wavy lines mean, plus, shouldn't the hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?).

.

Do you mean the "wavy lines" on the sides and centre of the exit roads? If so, they are road markings that signify a pedestrian crossing and thus no parking there (in fact, if you park there then it's more serious than parking on double yellow lines). The "beer mugs" I guess you're talking about say "keep clear."

At least if you get stuck in the Place Charles de Gaulle, your passengers can get lots of pictures of the Arc de Triomphe.

Now that is a scary junction. It doesn't appear to have any rules!

 

[jtbell]

shouldn't the hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?

In general, yes, but in the UK, they rotate in the opposite direction, to match driving on the opposite side of the road.

 

[Borek]

At least if you get stuck in the Place Charles de Gaulle, your passengers can get lots of pictures of the Arc de Triomphe.

Now that is a scary junction. It doesn't appear to have any rules!

Perhaps it is just God playing dice.

 

[GeorginaS]

At least if you get stuck in the Place Charles de Gaulle, your passengers can get lots of pictures of the Arc de Triomphe.

That is the single most terrifying intersection I've ever seen in my whole life.

 

[Moonbear]

That is the single most terrifying intersection I've ever seen in my whole life.

Now, THAT is a place for a traffic light. That, or just put a sign up in the circle that says, "No Left Turns."

 

[Andre]

Now, THAT is a place for a traffic light. That, or just put a sign up in the circle that says, "No Left Turns."

No right turns would even be more hilarious.

Been there, agree with Georgina, there is no way you can reach the Arc the Triumpf alive.

 

[Borek]

Been there, agree with Georgina, there is no way you can reach the Arc the Triumpf alive.

I think there is an underground passage there, so the situation doesn't look that dramatic

 

[Andre]

I think there is an underground passage there, so the situation doesn't look that dramatic

darn Borek, don't spoil it.

and also don't betray that the same solution works for getting into the Louvre

 

[GeorginaS]

Yes, there's an underground passage to the Arc. The funny part is watching tourists who either don't know about it or don't read French, who try to make an above-ground dash across. It's truly amusing.

 

[Evo]

Nothing is worse than driving through Palermo, Italy. There was a travel writer that said Palermo has the worst drivers in the world. The whole time we tried to get through the roundabout one inch at a time, people leaning out of their cars shouting curses and hitting other cars on purpose, where I screamed every time we jolted forward and my driver was a seasoned Palermitan.