Magic Roundabouts and Geese
Growing up as children we would watch The Magic Roundabout on the BBC.
It was a five minute children's program with a carousel, Zebedee, Dougal the dog and Dylan the rabbit.
Each episode ended with Zebedee saying, "Time for bed", before springing off, literally.
As we got older we might watch a bit of the news that followed.
Roundabouts around the world
Around the world, traffic rules vary quite a bit. Here are some examples.
France
In France roundabouts used to be much less common than in the UK.
The early traffic rule was essentially, "priorite a la droite". This rule dated back to horses and carriages and mostly they could see each other coming for a good way, it was simple to slow down and give way to those from one side.
Another key rule, is which side of the road to drive on. The French, like most of continental Europe, drive on the right.
Looked at from above, the French go anti-clockwise around roundabouts.
So, when they arrive at one, those already on the roundabout give way to new arrivals, coming from the right.
This works well with light traffic. With heavy draffic, things can fall apart: once the roundabout is full of cars nobody can go anywhere, although if you are just taking the first right then you'll probably be ok.
Arc de Triomphe
Now this is more like The Magic Roundabout. I have no idea what the rules are. Rumour has it that insurance companies exclude any accident that happens here.
British Isles
Here they drive on the left and go clockwise round roundabouts.
You give way to those already on the roundabout. Those already on can keep going, those arriving have to wait for it to be safe to enter.
So, like the French you are giving way to those on the right.
Again, it can work well it depends on the traffic volume and pattern.
Swindon
Swindon actually has a Magic Roundabout.
It is a crazy construction of five roundabouts with another roundabout inside them all.
UK rules apply, so once you get on the thing it is like a roller-coaster, just go with the flow.
When the accidents happen, people are usually moving pretty slowly.
North America
Roundabouts used to be far less common in North America. Four-way stops are the order of the day.
You arrive at the junction and stop. If no-one else is there then you can proceed, others arriving after you should give way.
Now this can lead to the Canadian stand-off. You arrive at a roundabout just as someone else arrives. There then follows an elaborate dance where you both just sit there waiting for the other to go first, often accompanied by hand-gestures. Dead-lock is not uncommon.
Ottawa
There is a roundabout near the Experimental Farm that itself seems to be a wonderful experiment in mixing British and French roundabout rules.
Back in the day it was probably a four way stop, a simple cross-roads.
Let's pretend there is a north-south (NS) road crossing east-west (EW) and the NS is the bigger road.
If you are travelling NS or SN, you can pretent your are French and drive straight on to the roundabout. Those coming from an EW direction will give way to you.
If you are turning left, then you will have to give way to traffic entering on the NS road.
Now if you arrive on the EW road you have to give way to traffic already on the roundabout.
So this is a complicated mixture of giving way to the left or right depending on where you are on the roundabout.
Going backwards round the magic roundabout
* please don't try this *
Traffic arriving from east (or west) could do a Pierre Trudeau, behind the Queen pirouette, turning 180 degrees to enter the roundabout backwards.
In this way, the give way to traffic on your right rule ensures the traffic that you need to giver way to is always coming from your right.
Once on the roundabout another pirouette should be done, having done this, again give way to traffic entering from the North/South road, which is again on your right.
This also ensures if you exit on this route you are facing the right way.
If continuing around the roundabout, another pirouette should be performed after passing the north/south road. Hence, you will again be going backwards on the magic roundabout. With your right side to the centre of the roundabout there is no need to give way.
When I was much younger my mother one night announced she felt a little typsy. As a curious child I asked what that was like. She said, "it is like I am going backwards on the magic roundabout".
Like I said, don't try this on the road.
Johnny Barnes
In Hamilton, Bermuda there are several roundabouts.
But there is one special one. It is known as The Johnny Barnes roundabout and has its own magic.
It is indeed magic. Every weekday, between 5am and 10am you will see Johnny Barnes. He has been waving to traffic and dispensing love at the roundabout since retiring from the Bus company. He is now in his 90's.
Bermuda has its own road rules. Mostly following the British. But the horn only really gets used to say hi to friends and cousins.
If you see a friend trying to get out of a small side road you might well follow the "priorite a la droite" rule and wave for them to go ahead of you, even though you have right of way. The roads are narrow, the speed limit is 20 mph and a little give and take makes it a better place for everyone.
But if you are new to the island, watch out for vehicles stopping to let people out of tiny driveways and side roads.
What about the geese?
Last week the Mighty Blades played Swindon. Those brave fans that made the journey down to Swindon went there knowing they would have to negotiate the Magic Roundabout.
Being Blades fans, they were probably expecting the worst and a heavy defeat. I believe all the fans got through the roundabout unscathed.
As for the game, well the new manager, Nigel Adkins, played a motivational video before the game. Google "geese sufc" and you should find it.
It explains how geese are able to travel 70% further by flying in a V formation. How one goose will lead and when tired drop back into the formation and let another take the lead.d
If a goose is tiring and struggling, two other strong geese will drop down to the ocean with the struggler and stay with it until it either dies or makes a recovery. They will then fly together to rejoin the flock, or tag onto another flock following behind.
Magic Roundabouts and Mother Geese
When I was younger, my mum was my Magic Roundabout. She would watch the world circling around her and find ways to change the paths of those that needed to be on a different path, or gently put together those that would benefit from each other.
I now have another Magic Roundabout in my life. Mum's are magic.