Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Drivers?

Here in Melbourne [ Inner suburbs] We have small Victorian streets which run off larger roads that often have tram tracks down the middle of them. This set up means that there are some driving habits peculiar to this town. Luckily most of the antiquated ones like give way to the right have long gone. A more recent addition to the road-scape has been the mini roundabout.

Having grown up in the U.K. I am familiar with roundabout etiquette and can usually predict the approach and exit with out much difficulty. Now here comes the crunch about 50% of the Melbourne drivers just don’t get it. They approach a mini roundabout as if they are entering a super highway. Some almost stop, when they see the roundabout approaching a hundred yards away. They then creep, their way up to the edge, and peer into the abyss. If there is any possibility that a car, bike, truck, house, block of flats, you name it, is coming their way they remain seated on the edge of the intersection. Only when all is clear as far as the eye can see do they venture forth.

But if there is a traffic jam, and they can’t get through the intersection, they still motor ahead and then block the middle of the roundabout.

To say they don’t have a clue is an understatement.

Woof.

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