As I made my way home along the Rockcliffe Parkway yesterday, the traffic was it's usual density for that time of the day. We slowly made our way to the new roundabout which the NCC (Ottawa's National Capital Commission) had recently installed outside the Governor General's residence. The reasoning why this particular 'landmark' was built where it is escapes me, however if it was designed to slow traffic on the Rockcliffe Parkway, then it certainly succeeds in it's intended mission. My better half rails at this "waste of taxpayers' money", everytime we drive past it.
One might think that as North Americans of largely British/UK ancestry, that we might have somewhat of an idea about negotiating a roundabout. One might think that, but of course one would be dead wrong. I was following a middle-aged woman in a copper coloured Hyundai, who was weaving all over the road like some drunken tart. She was deeply engaged in conversation with her passenger at the time, completely oblivious to the fact that she was also supposedly steering a fair-sized metallic object along a public motorway.
Upon arriving at said roundabout, she stopped dead in her tracks. True, there was a yield sign at our entrance, but again as mentioned in earlier posts, the art of yielding and merging here has never really caught on. You might as well try to teach chimpanzees to split atoms. I'd have to say that you'd have a far better success rate...
When faced with a yield sign, it means just that. If there is a vehicle on the roundabout, which is approaching you... then yes, you must yield the right of way to it and then proceed when it's clear to do so. If however there is no vehicle to yield the right of way to, you enter the roundabout. You do not sit there and wait for a vehicle to materialize, so that you can then yield to it. The sign is a cautionary, it is not a directive. It means "yield", not "give up" or "surrender".
I yelled this last explanation at the offending car in front of me, rather than let my discontent simmer. The driver, possibly having been snapped out of her snooze or momentary coma, then proceeded to negotiate the rotary. Fortunately, she was not long in front of me, before I had the chance to leave her behind. Lest anyone think me to be sexist in any way, believe me when I say that I employ the same scathing invective when addressing males who have no business behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. And of them, there are a-plenty...
One might think that as North Americans of largely British/UK ancestry, that we might have somewhat of an idea about negotiating a roundabout. One might think that, but of course one would be dead wrong. I was following a middle-aged woman in a copper coloured Hyundai, who was weaving all over the road like some drunken tart. She was deeply engaged in conversation with her passenger at the time, completely oblivious to the fact that she was also supposedly steering a fair-sized metallic object along a public motorway.
Upon arriving at said roundabout, she stopped dead in her tracks. True, there was a yield sign at our entrance, but again as mentioned in earlier posts, the art of yielding and merging here has never really caught on. You might as well try to teach chimpanzees to split atoms. I'd have to say that you'd have a far better success rate...
When faced with a yield sign, it means just that. If there is a vehicle on the roundabout, which is approaching you... then yes, you must yield the right of way to it and then proceed when it's clear to do so. If however there is no vehicle to yield the right of way to, you enter the roundabout. You do not sit there and wait for a vehicle to materialize, so that you can then yield to it. The sign is a cautionary, it is not a directive. It means "yield", not "give up" or "surrender".
I yelled this last explanation at the offending car in front of me, rather than let my discontent simmer. The driver, possibly having been snapped out of her snooze or momentary coma, then proceeded to negotiate the rotary. Fortunately, she was not long in front of me, before I had the chance to leave her behind. Lest anyone think me to be sexist in any way, believe me when I say that I employ the same scathing invective when addressing males who have no business behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. And of them, there are a-plenty...
No comments:
Post a Comment