Seriously?!

[PepperElf]

I hate to say it, but the OP's story doesn't surprise me. I've heard of people stopping and backing up on the freaking INTERSTATE because they missed an exit. No, not on the shoulder of the road, either--ON THE ROAD. People are morons with death wishes sometimes!

I actually had to do this once. Not because I'd missed my exit but because the traffic was so backed up, I said "fuck it" and turned back around on the shoulder and went back out the on-ramp.

And I wasn't the only one doing it. I was pretty careful though cos yeah it wasn't fun.

[Chanlin]

Wouldn't it be no longer a round about once its not... ya know.... round?

Yeah I've heard roundabout and traffic circle here but never rotary. Heck there is a series of videos for the TomTom GPS system with Darth Vader recording his voice and he keeps calling it a round abound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ljFfL-mL70

Likewise, people here have no idea what to do with it, of course its the only one in town and its not particularly difficult to navigate but I've seen people come to a complete stop entering it when there is no traffic in it and I've seen them come to a complete stop before exiting it. Makes me every time.

[Nyoibo]

Britannia Roundabout, one of the more interesting roundabouts near me.

[Pagan]

Well, if you like roundabouts, you'll just love this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

That is just wrong....

[Dips]

We call them rotaries here and I assure you that traffic IN the circle has the right of way. I think the terms rotary vs. roundabout is more of a local preference than any difference in meaning.

[EricKei]

The Arc de Triomphe is, technically a "rotary" - where traffic coming on has priority over traffic already on. A complete recipe for disaster.

Let me get this straight...They WANT the AdT area to be full of cars that are not moving as often as possible? o_O

Excuse me for a moment, please...I need to reboot my brain; I've just had a Divide By Stupid Error...

[Chromatix]

The Arc de Triomphe is, technically a "rotary" - where traffic coming on has priority over traffic already on. A complete recipe for disaster.

By contrast, a "roundabout" gives priority to traffic already on, so traffic arriving has to wait. This means that once you're on, you can go straight to your exit - in the prevailing direction of travel, of course.

[EricKei]

Ay...The closest thing we have to that here is Lee Circle -- aside from the nice big statue in the center that blocks the view of the other side, its only oddity is that it serves as a traffic circle for both cars and for the streetcar (trolley...kinda). The latter has rails in the inner lane; its own dedicated traffic lights; and, as elsewhere in the city, absolutely unquestioned right-of-way. ...Well, it's unquestioned by anyone who wants to live, anyway ~_~

[Pezzle]

The Magic Roundabout looks epic and insane. You know, I was watching people zip around the roundabout like devices near major landmarks in Rome and Paris... now THAT is a free for all. Near the Arc de Triomphe... oh my lord. So many people in business attire on vespas zipping around each other!

I can't find a picture online of the small circle near my house. Nobody has any respect or courtesy in them tho

[Kogarashi]

one of our traffic circles on the way to school similar to the one i was almost hit on

That...actually doesn't look too bad, Pezzle. Which makes it even sadder when people can't figure out what's what on them.

The Magic Roundabout has no excuse, though. (Whenever roundabouts get mentioned on here, somebody invariably posts a picture or link of it. )

[Beki710]

Well, if you like roundabouts, you'll just love this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

I'm never going to Swindon! (Actually there's a strong posibility I may have to go there in the next year if my theatre company keeps going. I will set the sat nav to avoid that!) Imagine learning to drive there!

[Pezzle]

one of our traffic circles on the way to school similar to the one i was almost hit on

[Midnight_Angel]

Well, if you like roundabouts, you'll just love this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

[pitmonkey]

Roundabouts are sprouting up around here all over the place. There are yield signs going in but some treat them as a stop sign. Then there are the ones that change lanes in the middle crossing the solid white line. Then there are drivers that try to make a left into the roundabout, that will give you pause.

[BrenDAnn]

I hate to say it, but the OP's story doesn't surprise me. I've heard of people stopping and backing up on the freaking INTERSTATE because they missed an exit. No, not on the shoulder of the road, either--ON THE ROAD. People are morons with death wishes sometimes!