We have a round about that has just been completed near me and it has caused confusion to some people despite the signs.

One driver who wanted to turn left did exactly that and went the wrong way around to do it. Some people should not be on the road.

It cost a cool million, what the road costs were approaching it that were realigned was not mentioned. I'm sure that the municipality thought the idiot tax payers would be satisfied with that cost.

Toronto is set to raise the tow rates for tow trucks. Their reasoning is that the fees are lower than the surrounding areas and the new rates will put them in line with these areas. Now get this, 'they will still be lower than the 905 areas'.

Political BS, in line but lower? The rates are going up 100% in some cases.

How much are the tow operators paying them?

Before you ever use a tow truck;

1, use a flat bed truck only and switch off the hoist alarm. Do not let a cop decide who gets to tow the car, the cop may be getting a pay off. I have lost my faith in cops due to the actions of a few, the G20* was the last straw, and heads should roll there but they won't, so F*** 'em all.

2, get the cost written down before they touch the car.

3, get it towed to a dealer or a body shop of your choice NOT theirs and get it written down as well. If it ends up in a storage yard you will pay through the nose. Look at them all as crooks.

* Remember Officer Bubbles?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP_LB...eature=related

 

Hey....my wifes a tow truck driver....


j/k when she's mad at me she talks like one.

 

We always ask if the person has a particular towing service they want to use, if not, we have tow truck companies in rotation...never use the same one in a row...keeps it fair that way. Our county has embraced round-abouts...they are now everywhere. We have the S shaped ones going into and out of the round about...good for rim and tire repair shops...lol... I just watched officer bubbles.... I wouldn't like soap blown into my face either...sorry...

 

Then move out the way, simple.
This will surely wreck his chances of promotion hopefully and must have made him a laughing stock in the force. The female officer beside him was stunned and rightfully so.

 

Hey 100, what happened when you found you were going the wrong way in that 'roundy', how many circles did you make before the 'head on'; did you then need a tow???
Just askin'?

 

No problem for me, I came from England and there are lots there, some really big ones with three and four lanes on them.
That would really confuse them here with some people stuck on them for days and reported as missing. LOL
Not having been on them for years they might confuse me now.

 

The first one that I ever came upon in my life was in Halifax on a holiday back in '74. I was driving a 1971 Econoline Van that I had converted into a *******' Wagon! No windows on the sides or the rear doors. I had only limited driving experience in that van, the vast majority of it going in a straight line forward.

It was rush hour when got into this mess. I thought that I was going to have to drive around until the gas ran out! That is when I learned to depend on my West Coast mirrors! It was a good lesson that has paid dividends for many years. But man ... what a wake up call! Gives you a whole different perspective on what an 18+ wheeler must contend with.

Since then, one of my favourite ever driving experiences was throughout Ireland where there are as many roundabouts as there are shades of green. My daughter gave directions to me as we approached the RA, trying to let me know which exit to take. We settled on 9, 12, 2 or 3 o'clock for directions. I focused on avoiding collision and trying to interpret Gaelic names! I see there are a couple of new ones in Collingwood Ontario now. I was in Goderich the other day and the town is centred around their roundabout!

 

We have had round-a-bouts in the US for many years now. I don't understand the big deal here. You are just now getting them in Canada? Hell there's one in Ottumwa IA and ...one right here in Wentzville MO two blocks frommy factory.

New England has them everywhere. Boston area is littered with them and Boston drivers are not exactly "tame."

What is amazing is the number of road signs they stack on a pole at each intersection. Ihave seen as manas eight routes on apole going by as you spin around dodging other cars. For a visitor unfamiliar with the route, or round-a bouts, it can be confusing. And fun. At least for the locals who seem to Zero in and tease the out-of-state plated car.

I've seen tourist go around half a dozen times trying to pick which 2A, 2AA or 2BB route to get on. Sometimes actually going back on the road in which they came.

Funny.

Don't worry old man, after a few tries you'll get it. Or be more dizzy than normal.

I wonder how the Garmin works in these things.

"recalculating........."

 

In my hometown, Baie Comeau, QC, there was a round about in early 1960's. However, they converted it into a 4 way trafic light in the mid 90's. The trafic was way more fluid with the round about.

Today, round abouts are the new neighborhood trend, in eastern Ontario anyways

 

This year, my hometown held the international summit for round abouts, and no, I am not kidding. We have more in our area than anywhere else on the planet, or so they say.

It is interesting that people who travel on them 10+ times a day still do not know the proper traffic paths, but here is one that will be less than a mile from my office that is sure to confuse more than a few locals, there will be no chance for the out of towners LOL

I just like them because it is like a race course on the way to work...

 

I recognize Carmel! I've been through that neighbourhood many times on my way to one of my favourite cities anywhere - "Indianoplace" - as the locals call it.

I love Indianapolis. Great restaurants, warm people. Basically, it's a big city trying its damndest to be a small town! And now a new reason to love that area! Roundabouts are not limited to the downtown monument circle on Meridian!

I think that we should begin a new award section. Annually, we should organize to give awards to the best photos of Crossfires as they take over roundabouts in every location - a bevvy of SRT-6s, N/As, roadsters and coupes taking over and circling local roundabouts. Local GTGs and cruises could make a roundabout photo part of their day's activity. Photo submissions to the forum could have the forum sponsors select the winning entries. Even submit the winning photo to the calendar!

We can call these annual awards - The 180s in honour of the OP.

Warning. This is the kind of thinking that develops when the long Canadian winter is looming!

 

That's a great idea John. Now, we just have to wait till spring!

btw, do you still have the video of me passing you on the way to Wasaga beach? I'd love to see it...

 

Where I lived in the UK it was a mile from South Mimms and just down the road from there was Bignells Corner which later had a huge three level roundabout constructed there. There was a smaller one when I lived there. It is one of the largest in the UK.
On a visit there in the 1980's I remember trying to get to Watford and this roundabout and the construction in the area always frustrated my efforts to get to this town. My wife swore that you could not get to Watford from my parents house.
We did eventually get there but had a hard time getting back. Not knowing the area anymore I lost all sense of direction and the signs only added to my confusion as I thought I knew how to get there the old way. This roundabout is so large you have time to read a map when you are on it, but who needs a map?
http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/i...ignells_Corner

 

I just looked at that link, Dave. That is awesome! It brings a whole new meaning to what a Roundabout can be.

Too, it strikes me that the British were prescient enough to have seen early on, the difficulty that we in North America now suffer - the indignity of parking in a driveway and of driving on a parkway....

What are the odds that we could start a movement to adopt words like motorway and carriageway? It solves the above mentioned irony rather well.

Speaking of irony, it seems strange to me that on a multi-level roundabout, the Brits have adopted the notion of an off-slip and completely avoided what might have been - more appropriately to us anyway - an off-ramp! Does that mean there is an on-slip?

 

I grew up in that neighborhood, lived there for nearly 25 years, a nice area.

You hit the nail on the head about Indianapolis, and I hope people like its charms this year for the superbowl, we have been doing a lot as a city to prepare. Next time you are heading down, let us know, we have a few members around town...

 

Well John, we winter in Florida at a place called the Villages. this is a community of about 80000 people, and covers about 5 sq miles. There are approximately 23000 (repeat 23000) golf carts that use the streets and cart paths there. On the main roads there are 20 roundabouts, or so, that cars pass thru and around. There are specific entering and exiting "rules" for use of the roundabouts, and in the 5 years I have been going down there, it has become an interesting evening just sitting close to some of these, and watch the antics of drivers using them. Accidents do happen when newbie drivers use these, and many people get confused and get lost. Defensive driving is a must, and sometimes a challenge. I kind of have fun doing it. This is the most concentrated area of roundabouts I have ever been in. Just sayin ....

 

Well we should have driven through Carmel while you were in town

Just to put it in perspective, there are over 60 roundabouts within a 5 mile radius here, and that does not include any neighborhood ones...

Carmel's Ragin' Roundabouts | Indianapolis Business Journal | IBJ.com

Siiting in front of one and having a cocktail would be very amusing until I started thinking about being on the road with all those idiots everyday...

 

OK ... I give.... you win .... HaHa

 

LOL they are crazy around here, but the decrease in accidents proves they are doing something right...

I just like them because some of the larger ones are incredibly fun to drive around, especially when one interconnects to another in a figure 8, great way to test drive a car

 

a perfect place to practice drifting at 3am