Guess which roundabout spun us into the wrong direction. Yeah, I don't know either.
Our destination was the white building in the lower left-hand corner of the picture. We got there safely, negotiating the twists and turns with full visibility of the area. Coming home in the dark in the rain via the pitifully signed mess seen above we were able to turn a thirty-minute drive into an hour of frustration. Imagine that.
Charlie took his car keys, left his home for an outing
A little country drive, never for a moment doubting
That he'd have a good time, or failing that
He'd surely have a productive time so he didn't take his hat.
Well, Charlie entered a roundabout, a traffic circle don't you see
And the next thing he knew he was headed out to Tennessee
Not a destination he had in mind but he was soon spun
Into another traffic circle and now he's on the run.
But to where?
Charlie doesn't know but soon
If you should have occasion to visit Fishers-Carmel
Be sure to hire a navigator: a GPS won't tell.
Charlie's car is twisting, turning
Charlie's heart and head are slowly burning
If you should see Charlie on the roads of HC
Please give him a shout out, "Charlie: follow me!"*
*With apologies to Jacqueline Steiner and Beth Lomax Hawes and to the Kingston Trio.
Image: Google Earth. This mess occurs at the intersection of I-69, 146th St. and 136th. St and a few others for good measure. Oh, yes; Hamilton was able to figure out how to make two parallel roads intersect. And that was all productive farm land a few years ago.
7 comments:
Have to wonder why traffic planners design highways that are based on their worst nightmares.
I've been there. It is confusing. Fortunately, the driver (Pastor Mark) had been there before.
Vee, and they proliferate. Tipton County is prepping to break ground for a pair of these monstrosities at 28 and 31.
Chuck, I guess the lack of proper signage is intentional-- don't want to spoil the ambiance of their lovely county with ugly signs. Maybe they figure that if you live here you will soon memorize these routes; if you are an alien, go away.
Roundabouts and traffic circles are two different things. We actually have roundabouts in our residential neighborhood. George got used to them when we lived in the Bahamas - along with driving on the left. It was fun watching tourists trying to negotiate the roads. I think clover-leafs are the worst - we have a busy area that has one and it's a nightmare especially now since they have turned so many lanes into toll roads.
Grace, on heavily traveled highways any intersection is bad no matter the design. Traffic circles, roundabouts, whatever. They all make me dizzy. I understand these are frequently installed for the purpose of "traffic calming" and to the extent that they are successful in that, good for them.
I love the roundabouts. Full stop.
I worked in Hamilton County before they came. I deliberately shifted my work day to 7:30a-4:30p so I could avoid the miles-long backups at all the four way stops.
When the first roundabout I remember opened, it was like unclogging a drain. That intersection flowed smoothly, with short waits. It was a revelation. As more roundabouts opened, rush-hour traffic became no problem.
It takes a little time to get used to the roundabout flow, but quickly you can become quite adept.
By the way, when our British friends visit Indiana, they are flummoxed by our four-way stops.
Jim, so the "traffic calming" effect is working for you? Happy to hear it. Sixty years ago I observed that in St. Louis the signs at four-way "stops" meant "Slow down to fifteen, look all directions, and keep rolling." Or get rear-ended. Sort of a precursor to today's roundabouts.
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