Roundabout Etiquette

So we have a lovely roundabout here in Duvall. For the most part, it works great and from what I have heard from residence that lived out here before it was put it, it has helped greatly with the traffic. Before there was just the main highway and the poor people coming from the side street had to wait and wait and wait and then say a little prayer and gun it into traffic, playing a real life game of Frogger.

So overall, the roundabout is a good thing. However, people don't know the rules of proper roundabout etiquette. But in hopes of backing up my believes I pulled up info from Washington State and I really don't have anything to back up my argument.

According to WSDOT, the traffic in the roundabout has the right of way. Okay, that is all fine and dandy and makes sense, but what about the car coming up behind that one already in the roundabout that isn't slowing down and I know would plow right over me if I even thought to inch out into the traffic. They aren't already in the roundabout! It's my turn!

So here is my thought (and what I thought was the golden rule). You should treat it as you do a four way stop. No, no...no stopping! That will just make drivers around you angry and they will start honking their horns and calling you foul names out of their window. But at a four way stop the person to your left (or is it your right?) has the right away. And isn't that only if you both get there at the same time?

So here are my rules for how to handle a roundabout.

1) Slow your ass down! There is a freakin' around about ahead and just because you may be on the busier of the roads that use the round about, it doesn't mean you have the freakin' right of way!

2) Were you there first? NO! I didn't think so! So let the person who was there first go through!

3) Did you reach the roundabout at the same time as a car did coming from the other direction? When use the rules of a four way stop. Are they to your right (or is it left?) then they get to go

4) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go in the outside lane of a roundabout as I go in the inside lane so that you can speed around me and cut me off as we hit the straight of way. I was driving the f'n speed limit you f'n idiot! Slow your ass down!

5) Have some balls when you approach the roundabout. Coming to a complete stop and not going is just as annoying as the people that speed through the roundabouts

6) If you see a blue Acura approaching the roundabout, with a (gorgeous, young looking) mama behind the wheel, get the hell out of my way!!

And there you have. Stephanie's Rules of Proper Roundabout Etiquette.

Drive Safely!

Back from good ol' Meen-a-sew-ta

So I recently got to go to Minnesota (pronounced Meen-a-sew-ta, ya sure, ya betcha!) for work. Two of our Honeywell sites are there and I wanted to actually meet the people I work with on a daily basis. What a gorgeous state! And I was able to dry out for a bit as the weather was a warm 80 degrees the whole time I was there!

So let's just say that traveling allows those of us that enjoy the sport of people watching to have a hayday! Oh the stories I could tell....and will tell!

So let's begin with the people that purchased an airline ticket for their marble duck. Yes you heard me correctly, a marble duck! Then I watched as several people went in and out of one of the bathrooms but I saw no one go in or come out of the other for quite some time. Let's just say I am SO glad I didn't have to go potty and didn't have to venture into that bathroom after that dude was done!

My flight was long enough that they actually showed a show on the little video screens. I opted for not getting out my headphones because I had my People magazine to read, which was probably good because the show that was on was New Girl. I have only caught the show once or twice and wouldn't you know it...the episode that was on, was one of the two I had seen!

My HW counterparts in MN are great people! My one coworker took me to the Mall of America (A mall on steroids), then she and several other coworkers took me to dinner Thursday and showed me some of the sites. Just makes me realize I am a terrible tour guide when people come to Seattle!

So it wasn't until I was at the Minneapolis airport heading home that I encountered "real" Minnesotans. You know, the ones who's daily dialogue includes a lot of ya sure, ya betcha!

It was a successful business trip and I would love to go back some day but I am glad to be back home too :)