"Circle The Wagons!"

  We found something on our trip to
New England that we had not seen
for years. Not since the old 'Black
Hose Pike' in New Jersey!
 Maybe it's because this area is
so steeped in tradition.
 Or maybe it's because they knew
drivers from Pennsylvania would
be coming.
 Whatever the reason you will
still find a lot of "Traffic
Circles" in places like New
Hampshire and Maine!
 For those who might not know
a traffic circle is a place where
two highways, one east to west,
the second north to south, come
together in one spot.
 In most places we would call it
an intersection.
 At an intersection one either
drives through to the other side
or turns left or right to change
direction.
  But at an intersection there is usually
some sort of traffic control.
 At best the flow is controlled
by traffic signals.
 At worst it's a usually accepted
tradition to let the person to
your right go through first.
 (Admittedly that gets a little
hairy when 4 cars all stop at
their separate corners at the
same time and everybody is on
some body's right!)
 But even that seems far more
sane than the system that feeds
each of those directions into a
common circle!
 All traffic in the circle goes in
the same direction...then tries
to spin off onto the highway that
fits the driver's need.
 By the way even Penelope, my
faithful GPS guide, had me going
in circles when she described
the impending mad merger of cars
and trucks as a .."Roundabout!"
 And, in Massachusetts, the circles
are called  'Rotarys."
 Once in the circle you must
negotiate your vehicle to the
escape...excuse me...the exit
that will take you the way you
want to go.
 The drivers we've come across
on our recent trip seem intent
on keeping drivers 'new' to the
circle system on the inside
lane.
 That, of course, can result in
what you might call  'The Merry
Go Round Effect.'
 Just imagine trying that for
the first time in a British
"Roundabout" when you're on
the wrong side of the road to
begin with!
  I have seen the opposing drivers,
eyes glaring,speeding up to make sure they
got into the lane I needed. I suspect
they might have even glanced at my
license plate.
 Perhaps, at some time in the past,
they've been in traffic jams on
Interstate 81 or gotten up close and
personal with a Pennsylvania pot hole.
  Maybe it's their way of  trying to
' get even'  with any driver from the
'Keystone State.'
 Anyhow New England is a really
great area and it's a nice place
to visit.
 If I ever get out of the circle
I intend to see a lot more.
 Hope you're not dizzy by now and that
all your NEWS is good.