Street-Sign Statism ... Mark Steyn

Steyn Online ^ | 31 July 2012 | MArk Steyn

[Rummyfan]

I've spent the last few weeks tootling round various parts of Britain and Europe, and, as always, it takes me a couple of days to acclimatize to local driving norms. I quickly appreciate being on a country lane and able to see the country, as opposed to admiring rural America's unending procession of bend signs, pedestrian-approaching signs, stop signs, stop-sign-ahead signs, stop-sign-ahead-signs-ahead signs, pedestrian-approaching-a-stop-sign signs, designated-scenic-view-ahead signs, parking-restrictions-at-the-designated-scenic-view signs, etc. It takes me a little longer to get used to the idea that I'm free to pass other cars pretty much whenever I want to, as opposed to settling in behind Granny for the rest of the day as the unbroken yellow lines stretch lazily down broad, straight, empty rural blacktop, across the horizon and into infinity. Want to pass on a blind bend in beautiful County Down or the Dordogne? Hey, it's your call. Your judgment. Fancy that.

[Slings and Arrows]

Ping!

[ExCTCitizen]

Mark is funny and I like this.

[driftless2]

If Mark's been tooling around Britain, he's certainly run into that bane of driving in Britain and Ireland, the roundabout. While on a recent trip to England's green and pleasant land, and another one into Scotland, when on the two-lane roads, we must have passed through what seem like an endless stream of roundabouts. Now I actually enjoy driving through roundabouts (in Ireland), but they're no less irritating than stop signs. In fact, my wife (who grew up in England) prefers four-way stops to roundabouts.

And if you're driving in the American west, as I have frequently in the last ten years, stop signs are pretty infrequent on many western two lane roads. But I also drive the two-lane roads around western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota, and I don't find the infrequent stop signs or other road signs that irritating. Maybe New England is different.

[CPOSharky]

Maybe New England is different.

Of course they are different. It's the only place I have seen with STOP signs on the exit of the roundabout.

[lwd]

Part of Obammy’s stimulus was to put mile marker signs every 1/10th of a mile on I-85. Mile 52.1, 52.2, 52.3, 52.4, 52.5 etc. Total waste....

[driftless2]

I’ve never driven in New England. Of course, there’s plenty of stop and other traffic signs around where I live (western Wisconsin), but I don’t feel unduly put out. I’ll have to take drive a through New England some time to see what bugs Steyn so unduly. I take it from your comment you are unduly bugged by NE traffic signs as well.

[CPOSharky]

Trffic on the roundabout has to stop to allow traffic to enter the roundabout.

Does that make sense?

[Little Ray]

My wife prefers roundabouts. She just plunges right in. They make me nervous as heck, but I can see her point.

[morphing libertarian]

I have seen these on every interstate I’ve driven on in the last 40 years. Usually starts at he state line and goes up until the next state line and starts over.

[driftless2]

No it does not. Never heard of that. And I’ve had plenty of experience with British and Irish roundabouts. My next question would be to ask about the sanity and political affiliation of the people who establish those sorts of traffic laws.

[Little Ray]

Stop in a roundabout and somebody will drive right over you.

Traffic ENTERING the roundabout must yield to traffic IN the roundabout.

[zeugma]

For the record, I'm consistent in these matters — I want it all: assault weapons and unpasteurized Camembert, guns and butter. Certainly, cheese makes a poor attitudinal rallying cry: "I'm proud to be a Frenchman, where at least I know my Brie!" But, in the pit of national decline, the cheese will still be there. To invest your national identity in ideas about liberty and government is far more perilous, especially as the gap between those ideas and the daily lives of increasing numbers of Americans grows ever wider.

Amen Mark

[lwd]

I have seen them every mile but they put them up every 1/10th of a mile also. I hadn’t seen that anywhere until after 0bama stimulus. I could of course be wrong as I have only traveled around the southeast for most of my life.

[Brian Allen]

.... my wife (who grew up in England) prefers four-way stops to roundabouts ....

I’ve never really grown up but - an immigrant and therefore a hyphenated (AMERICAN-) American - was born in New Zealand — have lived in twenty other rapidly-spiralling-into-the-third-world former nations and/or states, England included — and am firmly with your wife!

Roundabouts are the bane of my life and I do a Mark Steyn every time I encounter one!

And, like Mr Steyn, am also waiting to hear any traffic engineer or any other roads scholar, who considers himself to be qualified for and/or up to the task, ever rationalize and/or justify one of the wretched abominations!

Brian Richard Allen

[driftless2]

When we took a trip to Ireland six years ago, my wife warned me about roundabouts. She thought I'd have a terrible time with them, not only because of the nature of roundabouts but also from having to drive on the left side of the road.

I actually enjoyed going through the roundabouts of which Ireland has plenty. Not quite as much traffic as in Britain though, but good training if I ever drive there. It did help to have my wife navigate.

By the way, Ireland has a lot of narrow, twisty roads with stone hedgerows on a lot of them. They scared me more than the roundabouts. One good thing...Irish drivers were very good drivers and very courteous.

[Mears]

Stone hedgerows??????????

That makes no sense.

.

[driftless2]

"makes no sense"

Tell me about it. Practically no shoulders on those roads either.

[Brian Allen]

.... In fact, my wife (who grew up in England) prefers four-way stops to roundabouts .....

Your wife presents with a Very Superior Intelligence.