start a victory garden and ration your IRRATIONALLY ANGRY feelings, part 3

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Roundabouts are starting to appear in the U.S. and I am always doubtful that I'm doing a roundabout the correct way.

Not sure if I'm angry about this, but this seemed like the right time and place to complain about roundabouts.

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:49 (six years ago) link

http://foleyoakes.com/storage/circle1.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1342563726692

This image suggests that I've been doing them wrong EVERY time, and EVERYBODY ELSE is too.

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:52 (six years ago) link

People (including me) usually take the left on the lower right of the circle.

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:52 (six years ago) link

That picture gives no information whatsoever relevant to circumnavigating a roundabout.

May o God help us (darraghmac), Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:55 (six years ago) link

Otm. No trouble with roundabouts, though in Spain I've noticed most of them have two lanes; the lead up is two lanes as well. Stick to the inside until one exit before the exit you want to take took me two or three times, which probably ticked of some rationally angry Spaniards iirc.

Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:57 (six years ago) link

Wait, so that picture is wrong about how to take a roundabout? IDGI

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 19:59 (six years ago) link

(disregard my Spain remarks Jesse, didn't want to confuse you, but) deems otm, that picture doesn't really say or explain anything apart from the direction to take a roundabout iirc.

Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:00 (six years ago) link

that image looks USian

croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:06 (six years ago) link

https://image.ibb.co/eAxnNk/Capture.jpg

This is how it's done in the U.S.A.

xp!

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:08 (six years ago) link

jesse if you are saying that you/others turn left without going around the roundabout then yeah you are doing them very badly. i have seen this only once around here (MA), ppl seem to have the hang of the basic principles, but signalling and lane discipline is out the window.

Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:09 (six years ago) link

What??? I've never done it that way.

Jeff, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:09 (six years ago) link

I have done it the other way, but it made me nervous. Either way makes me nervous.

From what I've seen*, that's how other drivers are doing it, too.

*I have been paying close attention to a traffic circle in NC and sometimes a couple in Chicago

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:11 (six years ago) link

Sorry, I should have been more specific: I get confused making a LEFT TURN at a roundabout.

Je55e, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:13 (six years ago) link

Yeah to make a left you go three-quarters around.

The circles in my hood sometimes say "trucks permitted to turn left of circle," meaning that OTHER VEHICLES AREN'T

croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:14 (six years ago) link

this recent section of the irrationally angry thread is also making me irrationally happy

mark s, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:16 (six years ago) link

For some reason they got rid of all the main roundabouts in Galway a couple of years ago. Replaced them with junctions.
Not sure what the story there was, it had the nearly immediate effect of making the bus journey home 1/2 an hour longer. This because a road out of the centre of town now gets jammed when it used to flow more freely.

So odd to hear that roundabouts are only just coming in somewhere if they're being phased out here. Not that that phasing out makes much sense to me. I don't know how it effects driving since i don't drive.

Stevolende, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:21 (six years ago) link

If you can just turn left on a roundabout instead of going three-quarters around then it isn't a roundabout, it's just an intersection without any stop signs or lights

silverfish, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 20:37 (six years ago) link

I dont think Jesse was seriously advocating going against the flow of the roundabout

LBI, watch out..there are European countries where the slipping into lane just before your exit isn't the correct approach, and the right of way isn't necessarily what you'd expect.

Galway traffic is a law unto itself. I seen a Clio full of nuns get physical with two young bucks at the monstrosity that flings you out towards the N84 before.

May o God help us (darraghmac), Wednesday, 14 June 2017 22:36 (six years ago) link

but.. it's even called a roundabout...

brimstead, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 23:47 (six years ago) link

Yes.

nickn, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 23:48 (six years ago) link

Galway nuns don't give a fuck man.

quet inn tarnation (darraghmac), Wednesday, 14 June 2017 23:49 (six years ago) link

i guess that's not actually very helpful

brimstead, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 23:50 (six years ago) link

Galway nuns don't give a fuck man.

― quet inn tarnation (darraghmac), Thursday, 15 June 2017 09:49 (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

can't even build a mental picture of this. i live near like a billion lubavitcher jews and i've never seen one get even distantly annoyed.

early morning reverse rumplestiltskin rage (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 15 June 2017 00:04 (six years ago) link

anytime I go to a convenience store and the person in front of me is buying cigarettes, cos it always goes like this...

dude in front of me: can I get a pack of (OBSCURE CIGARETTES THAT NOBODY SMOKES)?
cashier who obviously doesn't smoke: this one? (points)
dude: no the row below that
cashier: here?
dude: no it's the next row
cashier: this one?
dude: no no the next row, three over

20 minutes later they figure it out

Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Thursday, 15 June 2017 02:26 (six years ago) link

Only thing worse is

CASHIER: This one?
DUDE: No, over to the left.
CASHIER: This one.
DUDE: No, not the $10 one! The $5 one with the moneybags on the front!

pplains, Thursday, 15 June 2017 02:56 (six years ago) link

I was at the dollar store the other morning, and there was a person in front of me with a cart full of shit.

"How much is this?"
"A dollar."
"Oh. How much is this?"
"It's a dollar."
"Wow. Is this a dollar, too?"
"Yes."
"OK!'

And so on.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:02 (six years ago) link

"do you want to sign up for a WINN DIXIE CARD?"
'oh tell me about that, how does it work'

*get out of line, opt to just shoplift items*

Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:05 (six years ago) link

"do you want a membership card?"
"no"
"are you sure?"
"uh yes"
"why not?"
"<leaves>"

early morning reverse rumplestiltskin rage (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:12 (six years ago) link

Jesse I dont get it - if you did what you note (turn left from the right lane in US drive mode) wouldnt you crash into a car coming out of the roundabout going the correct way round??

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:14 (six years ago) link

BTW that smokes things happens a lot here because the law means all smoke packets LOOK EXACTLY THE DAMN SAME (sort of army khaki coloured, with ugly pics of rotting feet and dead guys and babies on them). You just have to know your brand and whats worse the law also says the shopkeep isnt allowed to recommend brands or alternatives. You know it, or you dont.

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:16 (six years ago) link

In many stores hereabouts, lottery scratchythings are numbered. "Gimme one 8 and three of them 14s."

Cigarettes should be as well.

croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:43 (six years ago) link

Gimme a pack of Dead Baby 100s, please.

nickn, Thursday, 15 June 2017 04:27 (six years ago) link

Its like some morbid pokemon.

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 15 June 2017 04:31 (six years ago) link

otherwise it's like, OK, I have to step out into the road to make traffic stop, but if I step out into the road and traffic doesn't stop, I might die. thanks, good choice!

Yeah, if you wait on the corner no one will stop or even slow down and if you step into the street cars will barrel at you and swerve around you at the last second or come screeching to a stop an inch away from you and some middle-aged wannabe cop will try to shame you for being an unsafe person.

One time I was crossing a crosswalk in front of a hospital that was as clearly marked as possible (flashing lights, signs reading "Cars Must Stop for Pedestrians" etc.) and a car swerved around me, nearly tipping over. The guy rolled down his window and started yelling that at me that if I wanted to cross the street I need to use a crosswalk. I just pointed at the blinking lights.

President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 12:38 (six years ago) link

Jesse I dont get it - if you did what you note (turn left from the right lane in US drive mode) wouldnt you crash into a car coming out of the roundabout going the correct way round??

― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, June 14, 2017 10:14 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No more likely than if I were doing a left turn without the roundabout there. Or even if I did it the (apparently) right way.

Je55e, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:12 (six years ago) link

god help all you americans if this comes to pass on US soil

http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/74300baa4e6ce880999abd4ac17a96d155dfb9eb.jpg

Right column Leftist (sunny successor), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:35 (six years ago) link

No more likely than if I were doing a left turn without the roundabout there. Or even if I did it the (apparently) right way.

Uh??? That is basically saying that the risk crashing with another car in a one-way street is the same whether you are going the wrong way or the right way.

anatol_merklich, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:38 (six years ago) link

Je55e is the most perplexing American ever.

Jeff, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:50 (six years ago) link

I understand big circles with lanes. DC is full of them and I am fine with those. They have guidance and everything is clear. But the little ones on 2-lane roads are the problem.

Like I said, I learned my method of navigating them BY WATCHING OTHER DRIVERS. I didn't know how, so over time I watched and followed others' examples.

Je55e, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:53 (six years ago) link

As noted, a big circle (like Dupont) will have an inner lane for going most of the way around, and outer lanes for turning onto individual minor roads branching off of the circle.

I looked at the picture and, while it looks daunting at first from above, I'm pretty sure I could figure out what I'm supposed to do based on the plentiful pavement arrows and (one presumes) signage. Basically, if you're about to turn, go to the outside of the circle. If you have a ways to go yet, stay on the inside. That way, fewer cars are merging into and out of your path. Complex but not incomprehensible.

croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:06 (six years ago) link

Anyway I came here to bitch about DOCUMENTS WITHOUT DATES. So many fucking lawyers send out discovery requests and responses with no date on them anywhere.

And right now I'm dealing with a huge file full of signed stipulations and contracts where every signer left the date lines blank. It's fucking important!

Je55e, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:07 (six years ago) link

I empathize and I acknowledge that the conversation is moving on. Still, for sunny:

http://dcparking.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dupont-circle-parking.jpg

croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link

oh shit i just noticed the tunnel going under it. love it!

Right column Leftist (sunny successor), Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:27 (six years ago) link

Is it possible Jesse is talking about turning left when there's NO OTHER TRAFFIC? I don't see how else a left turn into a right-hand roundabout could not result in tragedy and the soft crunch of tortured plastic body panels.

Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:37 (six years ago) link

No other traffic or just everyone waiting their turn, which you'd have to do no matter how you take a roundabout, or even if it was just a normal intersection.

Je55e, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:33 (six years ago) link

Yeah, but the person to the left of you turning right into the roundabout wouldn't be expected someone to be coming at them the wrong way.

President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:41 (six years ago) link

I think I had someone do that to me and I pray for their death each night

President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:42 (six years ago) link

no offense jesse but i'd be v reluctant getting into a car with you. just cannot understand your logic here (and i know this: i have things i think about illogically the world does not agree with, but i recognize it as a shortcoming and take it in stride tbh)

Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link

I can no longer defend my now-former way of doing roundabouts.

But I would reiterate that I learned from OTHER AMERICANS.

Je55e, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link

That's how I ended up voting for Trump

President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:45 (six years ago) link


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