Stupid Guest Tricks

bpgstudios wrote:Thanks! It's fun, and a bit of stress to keep ya on your toes. All depends on the cast you're working with ;)

In response to the comment about Americans and roundabouts, I don't think its so much they dont KNOW what it is, they are just to lazy to walk all the way around. To quote a SG I had not too long ago: What's the shortest distance between two points? A line- Not at Disney!.

We have roundabouts all over Denver! When we first got here, we got caught on one street that had a gazillion of them. My dad was driving (he helped us move out to Denver) and was cursing the whole way! Picture a guy in his 80's driving a 27 ft RV down a street with roundabout after roundabout when he has NEVER in his life seen one. It was hilarious. The words that came out of his mouth!!!! He finally just went all the way around one and turned back the other direction and we found the street we were looking for. They can be tough when busy. This was early in the morning when there were no cars around, so he just said "F it!" and zipped around the circle and went back the other way! It could have been ugly if there were cars coming, but he was so quick and pissed. Oh and it WAS snowing the first day we got to Denver back on October 2, 2000! Bad omen!!!! :twisted: Hell, roundabouts are an attraction in and of themselves!LOL!
Susi*NO MORE SNOW*slicker

I like roundabouts, if they're properly designed. For instance, they're on a road with many of them, they're designed so you don't spend half a day waiting to get onto them, people cooperate and let you in...

Okay, after that last one, maybe they're not so great for here. Especially bad for Orlando!

Big Wallaby wrote:I like roundabouts, if they're properly designed. For instance, they're on a road with many of them, they're designed so you don't spend half a day waiting to get onto them, people cooperate and let you in...

Okay, after that last one, maybe they're not so great for here. Especially bad for Orlando!

I think New England is the rotary (our name for roundabouts) capital of the country. If you know the laws of how to drive through them (i.e. if someone is *in* the rotary, they always have the right of way), you're fine. The problem is when you get someone who doesn't really want to enter the rotary, they just want to scoot over to the next street over, and they don't yield.

I actually read recently that rotaries are actually safer than your typical intersection in terms of accidents. Accidents in 4-way intersections typically are dangerous broadside collisions that often involve serious injury. Accidents at rotaries are usually more of a fender-bender with glancing side-swipes that cause damage to the car, but not the occupants.

Then you get traffic designers with good intentions who re-design rotaries that worked fine before, but then can't design good signs showing what you're supposed to be doing. Here in Worcester, they're in the middle of redoing a large rotary in front of the train station. It's two lanes all the way around, with two lanes at each approach into it. It took me a few drives through it to realize that the signs they posted are trying to say that you use the right-hand lane if you're heading for the first or second exit out of the rotary, and the laft-hand lane if you're heading for the second or third exit out of the rotary... But you glance at the sign the first time, and it's just a jumble of circles, lines and arrows...

-Rob

Driving a rental car around the Arc d'Triumph in Paris is fun. If traffic is light you can power the car up and get it into oversteer. Hanging the rear end out on cobblestones is a real experience.

When I was there, there would be no cobblestone powerslides.
Woulda been interesting, though.

Reminds me of the scene in European Vacation!!!! LOL! :hysteria:
sooze

Rob562 wrote:I think New England is the rotary (our name for roundabouts) capital of the country. If you know the laws of how to drive through them (i.e. if someone is *in* the rotary, they always have the right of way), you're fine. The problem is when you get someone who doesn't really want to enter the rotary, they just want to scoot over to the next street over, and they don't yield.

I actually read recently that rotaries are actually safer than your typical intersection in terms of accidents. Accidents in 4-way intersections typically are dangerous broadside collisions that often involve serious injury. Accidents at rotaries are usually more of a fender-bender with glancing side-swipes that cause damage to the car, but not the occupants.

Then you get traffic designers with good intentions who re-design rotaries that worked fine before, but then can't design good signs showing what you're supposed to be doing. Here in Worcester, they're in the middle of redoing a large rotary in front of the train station. It's two lanes all the way around, with two lanes at each approach into it. It took me a few drives through it to realize that the signs they posted are trying to say that you use the right-hand lane if you're heading for the first or second exit out of the rotary, and the laft-hand lane if you're heading for the second or third exit out of the rotary... But you glance at the sign the first time, and it's just a jumble of circles, lines and arrows...

-Rob

Aaah, rotaries. The Massachusetts way to end a 4 lane divided highway!

I don't miss those at all.

Cranbiz wrote:Aaah, rotaries. The Massachusetts way to end a 4 lane divided highway!

I don't miss those at all.

First experience on those was when I went with DW to Boston! Now I know why Clark couldnt get left!!! Those are crazy..AND now they are putting some in here in San Diego...might as well put in a police sub-station to take all the accident reports that you KNOW are going to happen! "Officer, I was clearly talking on my cell phone, so I had the right of way!!"