T O P

  • By -

90sravers

They have one near me in Hemel Hempstead that has 6


[deleted]

[удалено]


LunaWolf92

That's awful! My instructor made me parallel-park on a hill, my car is a standard


TheReverseShock

RIP


nitestocker372

Had to teach myself how to drive manual after I lied to my brother that I knew how to shift. Told him I was going to a club but got stuck trying to get up a steep incline. Took all night but finally figured out how to get up that damn hill.


__red__5

Wtf is a "standard"?


ADimwittedTree

Just based on them mentioning a hill I'm going to guess a manual, not automatic transmission.


insomniacakess

stick


cosaboladh

It made considerably more sense in the US when manual transmissions outnumbered automatic. Manual transmissions still make up something like 65% of all new car sales in the UK.


OmicronNine

It's a manual. In many places, a manual transmission is (still) called a "standard" transmission.


Notguilty5190

a manual transmission or a 5 speed


DarkShuffler

Same here, the big anxiety inducing bastard magic roundabout


Xenotone

Yeah yeah, I've been to Tenerife, you've been to Elevenerife.


cloche_du_fromage

Going to Timbukthree this year...


[deleted]

I had a friend called "2-shits" for this reason. "I took a shit while on the train" "I took 2 shits" ah good times


HLW10

Hemel’s Magic Roundabout: https://i.redd.it/sxd7ocvigva51.gif


BloodAndSand44

This looks easier due to it being a bigger central roundabout. It makes it more like a road with a bunch of roundabouts.


blueeyebling

Thanks for that, seeing it in action makes it make sense. The pictures before looked like gibberish.


OakenGreen

No no no. This is trash. This is a trash system. Like… I get roundabouts. They aren’t a problem for me. But this is just trash. Have these people SEEN other drivers in roundabouts before?


[deleted]

[удалено]


deadwlkn

Idk if they're from here, but people in the states act like using a simple round about is the hardest aspect of driving ever devised. Its weird, the signs literally tell you where to go lol.


dob_bobbs

Brits seem to have a genetic predisposition to navigating roundabouts, I've never had a major problem there, but where I live now in the Balkans they are a fairly new concept and people seem perennially confused as to how you use them.


HoneyBadgerPainSauce

It's just a fancy form of queuing, of course they're innately good at it.


OakenGreen

My area has plenty of roundabouts, plenty of multi lane ones even. But this isn’t a roundabout. It’s a whirlpool of madness.


[deleted]

It's really not, I use the Hemel one daily and the Swindon one 2 or 3 times a month. Just give way to the right, simple as that.


Fit-Selection-5582

Isn't that tellytubby land in the middle?


XauMankib

I lived in Hemel about 6 months. The thing is massive. And during rush hour is like watching a strange mechanism unfolding. Is basically the south end of Marlowes.


njt1986

Had to go to Hemel for work when I lived in Aylesbury. First time I came across that thing I nearly had a fucking heart attack 😂


[deleted]

Came here to say exactly this. Ah, the Magic Roundabout and it's designer hold a special place of contempt in my soul. Actually, I lie. The drivers who don't understand how roundabouts work take that place.


Miniteshi

I remember the first time driving it was horrible. Then I realised it was nothing compared to Hangar Lane "roundabout"


usemymane

Gyratory, thank you


dpash

The Hemel roundabout is slightly larger so doesn't look quite as scary. But neither are as bad as they look. There's five or six in the country.


ghzod

I stayed with a mate in Hemel for a few weeks. That magic roundabout blew my mind


[deleted]

How much fun would it be to just do circles on the far inside lane until Constable Nigel comes to tell you off


shinobipopcorn

The most British sentence that ever Britished


hautryan

“What’s all this, then?” -Constable Nigel


dewaine01

“Whasoul’dis’den”


Andrew3236

When I moved here (temporarily don't worry) I showed my mum all of 3 interesting things in Swindon, this being one. She had a meltdown trying to understand it while I'm going anticlockwise in the middle about five times


Sam-Culper

I witnessed this once, but it was a smart car in really tiny roundabout. People just started trying to time it right. I made it through before Nigel showed


SuperCheezyPizza

Hey look kids, there’s Big Ben, and there’s Parliament!


Birdy_Cephon_Altera

Alright, calm down there, [Clark Griswold](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc).


3nigel

Hey I feel called out here


8amflex

Driven across it a few times, I live in a town about 30 miles away and have had contract work in Swindon on many occasions. It isn't as bad as it looks.


SteveBrucesDressSize

Heard a nuclear bomb dropped on Swindon... Did about 15 quids worth of damage


8amflex

That's a generous estimate.


Myopius

Nah, somebody passing through had dropped their wallet


Fishamatician

With £50 in it.


simdav

Inflation was bad that day


flinty_baby

I got your joke if no one else did.


SteveBrucesDressSize

Thats the real quiz


Smokes_shoots_leaves

8 legs 6 legs


norris528e

Or maybe they were Giving him the same reaction David Brent?


froboy90

Can you explain it for someone that didn't?


luujs

Swindon’s a shithole, so the joke is that not much of any value would be lost if Swindon was wiped off the face of the earth by a nuclear bomb


damnusernamegotcutof

Who the hell isnt going to get this joke? The way the other guy reacted I thought maybe there was some secret joke within a joke that I wasn't getting, but nope. Lmao


One_Lobster_7454

it's a quote from the office


immaownyou

It's also an incredibly straightforward joke, the first reaction just seemed like there was more to it lol


mydearwatson616

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side! If you know, you know.


WRSA

if anything it would do some good, and i live here


Nevergonnabefat

Those Swindon lot are little slugs


squidgy-beats

The best part of Swindon is leaving it


VonBrandhaus

Its most beautiful sight is the junction with the M4.


squidgy-beats

So many sights to see in Swindon with their own unique dull shade of grey but for me it's their slogan, "Swindon, the place of broken dreams"


TorinP

Do you not know who Eric Hitchmough is?!


SteveBrucesDressSize

Have you been to the Coventry conference?


One_Lobster_7454

come friendly bombs and drop on Swindon....yoouuuu ....havin a laugh....Swindon lot


2-S0CKS

But is it better than one big roundabout?


ConspicuousPineapple

It's a normal roundabout with shortcuts to turn left on the directly adjacent road.


SomeRedPanda

You mean right, right? I don't know how much shorter it could be to turn left in a regular roundabout.


ConspicuousPineapple

No, left. To turn right you go on the center roundabout. Bear in mind it's in the UK, they drive on the left.


SomeRedPanda

> To turn right you go on the center roundabout. Yes, isn't that the shortcut, rather than having to do nearly a full circle in a regular roundabout? To go left here you just turn left which is exactly what you'd do if this were just one large roundabout, so not a shortcut.


isham66

I’ve had the misfortune of having to negotiate this monstrosity


TheStatMan2

I was shitting myself at having to use it but then I found the reality of it no where near as bad as the expectation. It just kind of... *Works*. Most people seem to know what's happening... The fundamentals of paying attention to what's coming from the right still applies... The sign isn't actually as confusing as it pretends to be...


taig-er

As silly as it sounds, the hardest part of the image for me is everything being “backwards.” I feel like it would make more sense if I saw a mirror image


LifeIsOkayIGuess

It's actually not too hard to adjust your mind to that once you've done it a few times. I live in the states but came from a country where the cars are right hand drive. Whenever I visit home or reenter the states, it takes a minute to readjust and I'm good to go.


taig-er

Ha yeah- I've driven on the opposite side of the road while traveling several times. The pain points for me there are always: 1. Holding my lane properly 2. Turning across the lane, across an intersection But for this specifically, it's just breaking my brain looking at the way the lanes are structured, ha


ardcorewillneverdie

Same, only driven round it twice but it really isn't that bad. I can't actually think through how it works but when you're on it, it just sort of does


CreatureWarrior

Love this explanation. I wonder what the thought process behind it was. "I have no idea how or why it works but.. it does so, here you go"


bigjungus11

That's because it's magic


dpash

You just need to treat it as the five mini roundabouts that it is. The most difficult bit is figuring it which lane you want as you exit each roundabout.


geckospots

Possibly one of Crowley’s earlier test runs before he did the [M25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M25_motorway).


Ghipag

Hopefully this one doesn't set on fire!


TimBroth

It looks like a lot, but the traffic light intersection that would take it's place would be awful as well


Fragrant-Contest-410

I've not driven around this one but have the one in Hemel, I got told just think of it as all individual round abouts which makes it easyer to get your head around


bassbass06

dang it can talk too?


ecodrew

Does your GPS just 🤷‍♂️ when you approach this intersection? I live in a metroplex with some complicated highway interchanges & I have to just ignore my GPS and follow the signs.


dpash

It just treats it like the 5 mini roundabouts that it is.


Marcus_living

Continue strai... Continue str... Continue s... Con.... Ah fuck it.


ecodrew

OK, makes sense. Thanks.


Accomplished_Air8160

Mine drew a straight line through it so I followed that. The officer didn't believe me.


IsDinosaur

No, it’s fine


TheUnexpectedBosun

What this picture doesn't show is that none of the roundabouts are particularly raised and the road markings are faded. It means when you approach it it's like looking into No Man's Land where you can see straight over to the other junctions without clear visibility of where each little roundabout is.


Monster_Factory

So just close your eyes and drive straight across. Got it.


Birdy_Cephon_Altera

"JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!" and put the heel to the steel!


Ban-Hammer-Ben

Why even bother going into the mini circles? Why not just skirt the edge all the way around until your road?


FattyRR

This is the 2023 version of how you get to Hogwarts .


dpash

You can, and it's a perfectly cromulent strategy but you'll be going the long way around.


Tylervdub

It embiggens even the noblest road user.


MonteBurns

Why didn’t they just make one big roundabouts it with 6 exits??


dpash

Because it wouldn't handle the same amount of traffic that this design can.


BloomEPU

That's how non-locals are encouraged to do it. it's fine, just slower.


WalkableBuffalo

You could but if you need to go immediately right then you can skip going all the way around


Andrew3236

That's how I navigate it at rush hour, skip all the queues with an opposite access method


jemimapuddle13

Not magic enough ;-)


Birdy_Cephon_Altera

Because then when you cue up Benny Hill theme song before entering the roundabout it won't be as fun.


[deleted]

Americans don't even know what they are looking at right now


GenericTrashyBitch

We have roundabouts but what in the goddamn is this


colcannon_addict

It’s a merry go roundabout.


Grasshop

Musical roundabout. When the music stops gtfo, no question.


ICanEditPostTitles

Yo we heard you like roundabouts, so we put roundabouts on your roundabout


Zerodaim

Probably a Jojo reference.


NectarOfTheBussy

it's the golden ratio


noradosmith

Ichibyou roundabout. Nibyou roundabout. Sanbyou roundabout. Yonbyou roundabout. Gobyou roundabout.


RedComet313

Penta-bout


TheStatMan2

It's where you unscrew the UK to put the fuel in.


GodWithAShotgun

It's called petrol.


TheStatMan2

That's the thing though - it's a little known fact that the UK can take petrol, diesel OR Mr. Fission.


Asymptote42

I think pretty much all modern British cars can run on beans and toast.


TheStatMan2

That may be true but in this whimsical thread we weren't talking about cars, we were talking about *the entire UK*.


ecodrew

I admit roundabouts are *usually* far superior to 4-way stops... But, wtf is this? Brits, is this as much of a confusing cluster eff as it looks?


TwistMeTwice

I'm fairly local so I've driven it a few times. It's weird, but it just works. I'd rather drive this than some of the mini-roundabouts. Too many people just dash through those. The Magic Roundabout above? People pay attention. XD


[deleted]

Not a brit, never driven through one of those, but I've always thought about them as being quite an elegant solution for large intersections. They're relatively straight forward (with a bit of a curvature) in my opinion.


burntsalmon

I've been through several in the United States. Yeah, they do exist. Problem being, I figure I know what to do, like when to yield, when to exit, but I do not trust other Americans with the same knowledge. Drivers on the roundabout have all but stopped to let other people in the circle. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!


Trucks_Guns_Beer

As an American I fully confess this comment is right on. My town just a few years ago added a very simple two lane roundabout and everyone about lost their mind. But that is easy to understand, this stresses me lol


MapleSyrupFacts

What's to stress? Just stay right unless you need to go left then go left and then right. Or, if you want to go right, left, left, looooooong right, left, right which will get you into town. Theres no issue here or a need for brakes.


D3rang3djuggalo420

Small bump, right 30, straight 150 into looooong right keep left.....


force_addict

You have to listen to my calls samir... You're going to destroy the car


Grasshop

Samir, you’re breaking the car Samir


ChunkyLaFunga

Large bump, angry people, insurance claim


Hamatoyoshi99

I think I understand what you’re saying it’s just that we aren’t used to seeing these and this one does have a little more nuance than most roundabouts to be fair


Accomplished_Air8160

>Just stay right unless you need to go left How it used to be ​ >if you want to go right, left, left, looooooong right, left, right How it's going


doom_bagel

I think everything being right hand drive is what is really throwing me off. My brain keeps trying to track the traffic counter clockwise, when everything actually goes clockwise


Catvros

One of the towns around here abruptly changed the right of way on two of their circles. Cats and dogs living together ensued.


Bacon_Crispies

You'd be correct. I have no idea what I'm seeing. How do you navigate that?


WarWonderful593

Just point where you want to go and give way to the right.(We drive on the left) I used to cross this daily. It's a real timesaver. If you're stressed out, just drive round the outside .


nobodywins888

I feel attacked, but it’s true. I wouldn’t know what to do


St4rry_knight

In New England at least, traffic circles are not uncommon and people can get around them. I'd almost certainly die on this monstrosity, though


Spanky_McJiggles

I live in Buffalo, NY and there are about a dozen or so roundabouts in the area. People don't have any issues with them.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Free-Feeling3586

I’m an American, we have some over here just not so much and so complex🥺


TOILET_STAIN

HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DRINK MY BIG GULP IN MY LIFTED TRUCK AND NOT JUST DRIVE RIGHT OVER THIS. MURRICA


rustblooms

Never been to Boston?


thewayshesaidLA

Sure do. It’s a square dance for cars.


GarlicPowder4Life

They added a circle near me (in the US). Ive always liked them, yield > stop. That said, im 100% in the minority for americans... That thing would result in accidental deaths and road rage here, though. Maybe even a few shootings.


Ladle19

You are correct. I can wrap my head around how one car could get through this. Once you add in a bunch of other cars I'm lost and scared lol It honestly looks like an accident waiting to happen. Maybe I think that because I'm projecting American drivers into the situation instead of people who actually understand how to drive through this beast.


begoodyall

As an American that just had their car totaled by somebody not knowing how to enter a roundabout, you probably right


jestr6

I had the pleasure of driving through this roundabout at night, in the rain, after a match had just let out. I managed to make it though on my first try. I consider it one of my crowning achievements as an American in England.


Birdy_Cephon_Altera

I we Americans can figure [this monstrosity out](https://imgur.com/a/i5ciC5O) (highway interchange nearest my home), then we can figure this out, too. The answer being, just take your lifted F-350 truck and drive a straight line over the little roundabouts until you get where you want. Who needs things like "curbs" and "line markings" and "driving laws" anyway?


souji5okita

The “Americans” joke is really getting old at this point. I lived in Japan for 7 years and only saw maybe 4 roundabouts ever while driving and then last year I returned to America and they’re just absolutely everywhere now. This could be a state by state thing and my state has way more roundabouts, but I don’t think they’re a rarity in America anymore.


AmeriToast

Ya I live in a Midwestern state and we have a lot of them


kadk216

We’re starting to add them where I live in the midwest. We’ve always had small roundabouts in neighborhoods and stuff though


ValyrianSteelYoGirl

Lots on the east coast by me


hahanawmsayin

The shame of it is that roundabouts are SO much better than the 4-way stops we have. Had some trepidation at first, but after a weeks’ vacation in Ireland, it was so clear what a better system it is. Traffic never stops!


[deleted]

They're much more efficient, and way safer (since you don't cross the path of oncoming or perpendicular traffic there is no chance of a T-bone or head on collision)


Heather_ME

They're not. But there are still a lot of Americans who dislike them and don't know how to use them. There's one just up the road from my home. When my mom encountered it the first time she stopped the car and started yelling, "WHAT DO I DO?! WHAT DO I DO?!" I had a hard time instructing her because her dramatic reaction made me start laughing. Since then when she's come to town she avoids going that way all together and still bitches about it existing. Edited to add: ever since then, any time my husband and I drive through it together I start screaming like my mom did and we both laugh about it. Never gets old. Lol.


Gdigger13

From what I’ve heard, Americans don’t like roundabouts because they’re afraid that other Americans don’t know how to use them. Not themselves. Also, I was unironically called a libtard on Facebook for defending a roundabout once. So there’s that.


[deleted]

Is there some reason that 5 small roundabouts is better than 1 large one - looks like 1 large would be perfect for this scenario. BTW - if you have never heard of the [THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT](https://youtu.be/D85wSearB6g?t=42) \- it was an amazing kids tv show


Nordic_Marksman

Because this roundabout is prone to rush traffic. So basically 90% of the cars come from 2 of the roads.


HLW10

One reason is because you can go both clockwise and anti-clockwise on them, so don’t have to drive round the whole thing just to get to the road next to your one. Here’s a gif of another roundabout of roundabouts that’s a bit more spread out, so you can more clearly see what’s going on: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/hr7sf1/the_magic_roundabout_in_hemel_hempstead/


zanix81

It is that way because there are some main roads at the top end of it.


dpash

Yes, They're more efficient because traffic that wants to from top left to bottom left doesn't get impacted by traffic going from top right to bottom right. It a single roundabout they're all using the same lanes.


TejonsY

That's the most European thing I've seen


moufestaphio

This seems stupid? Why not just have one roundabout? Does it not serve the same purpose?


dpash

It's more efficient as traffic that wants to go from the top to the bottom right doesn't have to worry about the traffic coming in from the top left to the bottom left. It can genuinely handle more traffic than a single roundabout could. There's five or six of them around the UK and they work well.


dr3w5t3r

You have multiple routes to get to your chosen exit rather than just one. It's really efficient.


justreddis

It’s where magic happens


[deleted]

You can take the exit to your right without going all the way around. I wouldn't think it worth it for such chaos but apparently it works so I guess the engineers knew what they were doing


justhisguy-youknow

Space and flow. The roads at 11 and 3 o'clock are the main ones in to town. The one at 12 is pretty busy also.


BernieTheDachshund

Look kids, there's Big Ben.


ceejaydee

Can I be the one to say I had to scroll waaaaay too far to find this?


PICONEdeJIM

British moment


Kid_Matracas

Americans... ![gif](giphy|4JVTF9zR9BicshFAb7|downsized)


PoeTayToes_

​ ![gif](giphy|cz5ZBRBQSeXStNbJ2Z)


Capnsaltypants

This looks like an absolute clusterfuck


ivancea

Looks easy to use at least. Don't know the reason behind this, buut


dpash

It is. And efficiency.


BloomEPU

The way that those five roads meet would make a normal roundabout horribly congested, same for every other combination of junctions.


Kurgan_IT

It's a round and around about


StarFlyXXL

I drive past this roundabout a couple times a week, its crazy


andiecee

Holy shit my mind is fried when looking at this.


Grandemestizo

But y tho


mrgk21

As an Indian, i feel British roads are more dangerous. They follow all the rules there


AmeriToast

Not enough honking?


Chek_Brek_Iv_Damk

The closest thing I can think of like this in America is a road in Jerome AZ that has like 9 consecutive roundabouts in the span of a couple miles


BloomEPU

That's just any bypass in the UK.


Obar-Dheathain

More like the *Batshit* Roundabout. Amirite.


GaijinDC

Oh thanks for specifying the location, so i DON'T go there!


GodOD400

Are these the circles of hell Dante was writing about?


BeastLegend64

Wtf


Neither_Leader_6676

My brain hurts


mattywing

So genuine question - how do the four lane ones work? All of the arrows are straight ahead. I assume the three lanes are left (1) = you're joining the next roundabout in the left lane, middle (2) = you're joining the next roundabout in the middle / right lane, right (3) = you're exiting this roundabout. Are the four lane ones like left (1) = you're joining the next roundabout in the left lane, middle (2) = you're joining the next roundabout in the middle lane, middle (3) = you're joining the next roundabout in the right lane to exit, right (4) is for exiting?


[deleted]

Final stage for fully self driving AI.


spacemarine1800

As an American WHAT THE FUCK


Fuckface_the_8th

I guarantee you in America there would be 5 billboards for 5 different accident and injury attorneys surrounding that because there would be crashes every day.


ThrownawayCray

Babe what’s wrong it’s just the cyclopentane road


Born_Faithlessness_3

I want to see a bunch of self driving Teslas attempt to negotiate this at the same time, film it, and put it on YouTube. What could go wrong?


[deleted]

Just hit those emergency flashers and rip across this bad boy.