Chaos, horror, mayhem in my neighborhood

[lisab]

How did I know you were going to say that? The 118 St traffic circle with stoplights is absurd.

Georgina, are you Canadian?

 

[NeoDevin]

AHHH That 118 Avenue monstrosity! God I hate that thing. I am from a farm, we don't even have stop signs where I am from and when I first moved up I found myself in that damn thing! I am fine with it now but that first time I was terrified. I was just going to bring that circle up but you beat me to it.

How did I know you were going to say that? The 118 Ave. traffic circle with stoplights is absurd.

I think we need to raise this issue during the next municipal election (when is that, btw?)

 

[NeoDevin]

For anyone who has not had the pleasure of witnessing this stupidity first hand, tune your google Earth to 53°34'13.00"N 113°32'57.88"W You can barely make out the traffic lights.

And since we are already looking at the idiocy in my city in google earth, the proper way to create an intersection of more than 2 streets is with a traffic circle, like at 53°31'29.88"N 113°27'27.08"W never with traffic lights like at 53°32'43.08"N 113°28'43.62"W

 

[GeorginaS]

Georgina, are you Canadian?

I am so.

I think we need to raise this issue during the next municipal election (when is that, btw?)

I thought we'd elected Mandel Mayor For Life. But, can we get through the federal one first, please?

 

[cristo]

I kid you not, in my city there is (at least) one traffic circle (roundabout for you brits) with traffic lights. I'm not sure who came up with this idea, but it must be one of the stupidest ideas I have ever seen. All the drawbacks of a traffic circle (stupid people unsure when they should go) combined with delays waiting for lights to change.

Roundabouts with traffic lights on are quite common around here, especially on the big ones that have motorway slip lanes as one of the exits. Sometimes they are only active during the busiest times of the day, but I think it makes sense to have roundabouts with traffic lights as opposed to a normal crossroads with traffic lights in these big cases because, more often than not, there are way more than four exits, and also you don't have to turn right across lanes of traffic.

 

[Borek]

Plenty of those (roundabouts with lights) in Warsaw as well. Some are monstrous (especially the one at 52°15'17.14"N 20°58'57.15"E is my favorite, with tramways, lots of pedestrians and a huge shopping mall NE of the roundabout), but many (like this one: 52°13'47.48"N 21°00'42.04"E) make wonders to traffic. Sure, they get clogged during peak hours, but you can't do anything about it. Unless you close city center for cars

 

[porums]

Plenty of those (roundabouts with lights) in Warsaw as well. Some are monstrous (especially the one at 52°15'17.14"N 20°58'57.15"E is my favorite, with tramways, lots of pedestrians and a huge shopping mall NE of the roundabout), but many (like this one: 52°13'47.48"N 21°00'42.04"E) make wonders to traffic. Sure, they get clogged during peak hours, but you can't do anything about it. Unless you close city center for cars

In my country, people tend to go by bus, but some taxi companies predict the future of transporter is taxi, they are adding several more. But its ok, taxi is not the only business they are doing; there are agriculture related stuff, farming, raising cattles...etc. They have a big farm for pigs near my grandmom's house.
They also have a banking system, which is what I am most scared, believe me! Their other sons and sons inlaw are into computer chips, tools, programming and book businesses. I am not mentioning the online hooking systems they were/are building around the web just yet!

 

[jtbell]

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

 

[cristo]

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

Haha.. that looks amazing! Imagine seeing this roadsign for the first time as you approach the "magic roundabout"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Magic_Roundabout_Schild_db.jpg

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Imagine seeing this roadsign for the first time as you approach the "magic roundabout"

Fructose. Sweet.

 

[Borek]

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

I have no problems with roundabouts, but this one bites me. It is not only convoluted, but it also goes CW instead of CCW, which makes it completely indigestible.

 

[cristo]

I have no problems with roundabouts, but this one bites me. It is not only convoluted, but it also goes CW instead of CCW, which makes it completely indigestible.

Roundabouts in the UK are meant to go clockwise, but I get what you mean. The mini roundabouts on the outside are correct, but the internal roundabout goes the wrong way!

 

[Borek]

Roundabouts in the UK are meant to go clockwise

And that's what is wrong with this funny island of yours

 

[jtbell]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Magic_Roundabout_Schild_db.jpg

If I saw a sign like that, I'd make a U-turn and go home.

 

[BobG]

Coming back from the gym this morning, I was behind a Lexus sedan. When it was about 100 meters from the traffic circle, it slowed waaaaay down. Came up to the circle and stopped.

Ten full seconds went by. Then, he turned on his left blinker.

I was cracking up and yelling (he couldn't hear me), "No! Don't do it! You can't turn left...go AROUND the circle!" I was dying with laughter!

The driver sat and watched traffic...finally realized he couldn't go left, so he slooooowly entered the circle. I followed him in and took the next exit, but watched him in my rearview mirror. He circled around and exited...on the same road he came in on !

I imagine as he drove away from the circle he asked himself, "Whoa...what just happened?!?"

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:Angola-indiana-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.

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

Why are so many of the lines wavy? And what are those things next to the mini-circles; beer mugs? Is that roundabout some kind of college drinking game?

 

[tribdog]

Why are so many of the lines wavy? And what are those things next to the mini-circles; beer mugs? Is that roundabout some kind of college drinking game?

You have to roll a six to exit.

 

[GeorginaS]

Roundabouts with traffic lights on are quite common around here, especially on the big ones that have motorway slip lanes as one of the exits. Sometimes they are only active during the busiest times of the day, but I think it makes sense to have roundabouts with traffic lights as opposed to a normal crossroads with traffic lights in these big cases because, more often than not, there are way more than four exits, and also you don't have to turn right across lanes of traffic.

And that makes the world of sense, cristo, when you have a huge roundabout and lots of exits. The one we're talking about is a plain old four-way intersection. Nothing fancy, nothing confusing, no multi-exit stuff. It's seriously goofy. The other roundabouts work perfectly well without lights.

 

[NeoDevin]

The other roundabouts work perfectly well without lights.

Or they would if people knew how to use them, this morning I got caught behind six cars on the 107th ave one who all decided to stop. Two of them tried to treat it as a 4-way stop, and seemed to think they had the right of way over the traffic coming around the circle.

 

[cristo]

Or they would if people knew how to use them, this morning I got caught behind six cars on the 107th ave one who all decided to stop. Two of them tried to treat it as a 4-way stop, and seemed to think they had the right of way over the traffic coming around the 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?!

 

[NeoDevin]

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?!

I was taught during my driving lessons, but not on my test. Depending where you take your lessons/test, you may or may not be anywhere near a traffic circle.

PS. Canada has provinces, not states.

 

[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.