Anyone like traffic circles-roundabouts?

[bcp]

That reminded me of this one. Change the lyrics to someone stuck on a roundabout.

Bruce

 

[the old grind]

IMO convenience/ease of getting through a roundabout is proportional to its diameter and inversely so to the amount of traffic it gets at a given time. Some of us are acclimated to diphtheria, polio, tetanus, and shingles shots, driving in the right lane, wearing a shirt into a restaurant, never being out of reach of our phones, etc. IMO we'll get used to roundabouts too, tho' some of us may not do so right away.

Bet you don't listen till the end. Music so often seems to go around in circles. (I'll be back soon)

 

[Jstpssng]

That reminded me of this one. Change the lyrics to someone stuck on a roundabout.

Bruce

That WOULD be a good one. “He’ll ride forever on the roundabouts of Boston he’s the man who never returned”

 

[Buggs67]

I learned to drive in NYS and there were traffic circles in the area. One at Bear Mountain Bridge is from a 4 lane divided hiway to a bridge and other roads. I'm sure it confounds those not familiar with them.

When moved to NJ they had them on a particular State hiway and it was a nightmare; they were all removed.

Now I'm in South Central PA and they are starting to put them in. Great except for the idiots who are clueless, about 40% of the drivers. Just as bad are 4 way (or even stupider 3-way) stops. Between the people who don't know who has ROW, yield their ROW and those who seize ROW it's awful.

A new circle is being installed in town and right now it only open to traffic on the main road and right turns-only off the side roads. On the day it opens I think I'll bring a lawn chair and snacks and watch he accidents.

 

[Buggs67]

And as for the "I'm doing the speed limit so I'm not moving over" crowd I believe they are little people who enjoy having a little power over other drivers. And F'ing up the flow of traffic. I always enjoyed writing them a ticket for Failure to Keep Right after flashing-to-pass several times.

Same for those who park themselves in the middle lane and cruise. 18 wheelers and people towing trailers HATE you because that is THEIR passing lane, as they are prohibited from the left lane.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not knowing when to yield... the light to access an onramp to the interstate which I use frequently used to allow just 3 cars before changing... if all drivers were paying attention. There was also a yield on that onramp for traffic coming from the other direction.
I was third in line, when the bozo in front stopped, to allow the person at the yield sign to go through... when the lights changed I was crossways in two lanes and thought I was going to get T-boned-front and back. On another occasion a bozo yielded as my pickup was just shifting gears when I had to slam on the brakes; it confused the computer, sticking the tranny in 2nd so I had to pull over, shut the truck off and restart it.

 

[ponytug]

I remember vividly being in Massachusetts when they changed the right of way for roundabouts from being those entering (old) to those in the rotary (new). Chaos doesn't begin to describe it, especially when you layer in Boston drivers. I still find myself looking both ways when crossing a one way street.

Interesting to hear that from multiple members. I don't think I have ever had a vehicle whose odometer was not calibrated to show a faster speed than actual. I usually budget 3mph.

Curious-- have you ever compared it to a hand held gps?

Yes, when I first bought one and many times since. Every vehicle, almost every time, has been within 1mph, except when the GPS has a location hiccup. I have a Garman designed for semis/RVs (with height/weight restrictions programmed in, and routing that avoids left or U turns) that I use routinely when driving large vehicles; whenever you exceed the local speed limit, the speed numbers change to red, which I find very easy to see out of my peripheral vision. At least where I drive now, there are more than a few speed limit signs hiding behind strategically located bushes or untrimmed trees.

I heard the 3-5mph story when I was learning to drive, but I haven't ever experienced it. Perhaps it arose when tire inflation wasn't as stable as it is now? Tubed tires, low quality rubber?

YMMV...(couldn't resist.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[ruffdog]

Go round and round....

 

[MossRoad]

You'll have to explain that one. A red light is a red light. I don't see this happening.

I have seen where if I come up to a 4 way intersection and there is no other traffic, I get a green light within ~30 seconds. They just need time to turn the other lights yellow then red before I get the green.

Because the same people that drive the same set of traffic lights every day expect the same behavior. They don't pay attention to only their light. They pay attention to traffic flow. Then one day the light doesn't do what it's been doing the last 5 days, and since they were expecting something to occur, and they aren't only watching their light (totally their fault), they pull out and boom.

 

[MossRoad]

What really gets me are the people that think they have the right to break the law. If I am at the speed limit I am not going to move over so that you can speed. Honk your horn and flash your lights will result in nothing from me. I will drive the speed limit until the lane beside me turns or slows or whatever. I am not obligated to brake or break the law so that you can speed.

You'd get a ticket in Indiana for that. On multi-lane roads, you are required to move over as soon as safely possible to let faster traffic pass, regardless of the speed limit.

New Hampshire driver's manual says you should move over for tailgaters, too. Page 16.

https://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/forms/documents/nhdm.pdf