There is a big 2-lane roundabout going in on the East end of the new College Avenue Bridge (which won't be done for another year or two at least) in Appleton, and the city engineers are already in panic mode. I suppose they have good reason: a bunch of roundabouts went up in a few nearby towns and the populace freaked out. Now it's starting here. People are writing into the paper and showing up at meetings to complain about the things. The city gave a little informational meeting about how to use the thing to all city employees who drive on public roads. We also got a PAMPHLET. It was very helpful. It explained that "the main difference between a multi-lane roundabout and a single-lane roundabout is that there is more than one lane running around the center of a multi-lane roundabout." REALLY!?!?! THIS SHATTERS ALL MY PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF THE WORLD!!!!
Anyway, as I was saying, people are starting to freak out about these things. Driving is one skill that people seem to think is just a natural thing that never changes and that you should never have to work on. Again, personal responsibility has disappeared from most parts of this world. Here is a quick stat-shot on those people who complain about roundabouts:
Avgerage Age: 68
Preferred Internet Service Provider: AOL
Preferred Car Make: Buick
Average Dinner Reservation Time: 4:45 pm
Most Popular Reminiscing Topic: The Good Ol' Days
How can you legitimately argue against roundabouts? They save huge amounts of gas and time, require less maintenance, look nicer, and people DON'T DIE IN ROUNDABOUTS. That last reason alone seems like it should convince everybody.
No comments:
Post a Comment