[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.