Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions

On Thu, 22 Mar 2001, Andrew D Chaney wrote:

>On Thursday, March 22, 2001, at 06:17 AM, Steg Belsky wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 22 Mar 2001 00:15:54 -0000 Fabian <lajzar@...> writes:
>> > A roundabout is a junction between 3 or more roads, where teh cars
>> > must
>> > drive around a circle (normally with a grass verge in the centre),
>> > before
>> > taking the exit of their choice. All traffic goes clockwise, and
>> > cars
>> > entering *seem* to have priority over cars leaving. You can get
>> > quite dizzy if you miss your exit.
>> > --
>> > Fabian
>> -
>>
>> Us USAians call roundabouts "traffic circles", and here in the USA they
>> go counter-clockwise.
>
>I didn't know they existed in the US.
Yes, and they are a pain in the dairy aire. The local government, in a
not at all unusual fit of Bureucratic Wisdom, decided to install
roundabouts (I don't call em traffic circles, usually) at several busy
intersections. We are waiting for someone to be tragically killed, as
there seem to be two schools of thought with resepct to entering the
whirling circle of death: 1) the sign says "YIELD", and that's what
I'm gonna do; and 2) there ain't no traffic light, so those bastards
can jolly well get out of my way. Technically, you're supposed to cede
to cars in the circle; but since no one really knows how to behave in
one, this is often a source of trouble.

They are common in the District, but it was designed by a Foreigner,
so that probably explains why roundabouts aren't popular in the US.
I'm not entirely certain who has right of way, but then again, things
like "right of way" are optional extras to driving in the District.
As are, for example, red lights, lane markers, stop signs, speed
limits, sidewalks, etc.

Padraic.

>Andy