# Out-of-round-abouts **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812 "2017-08-04T22:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/1 "2017-08-04T22:26:01Z")
I’ve been doing some research on roundabouts and came across an unusually shaped one in [Boise](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hillside+Junior+High+School/@43.6560088,-116.2315401,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x255d64d92ad390c!8m2!3d43.6560088!4d-116.2315401). Locally, they call it a dog bone roundabout because of its shape. Also, there’s a proposal for a [similarly shaped one](http://streetwise.kittelson.com/posts/280-the-peanutabout-solving-cambridge-s-skewed-intersection) in Cambridge MA which they call a peanutabout. I don’t know if they’ve accepted this solution or not. Are irregular-shape-abouts such as these common? The Kittelson page suggests they may be common in Europe. Is that right? If not, what other irregular-shape-abouts are there? [Preemptive strike: No, don’t tell me about the Swindon Magic Roundabout. I already know about it and it’s not what I’m looking for. It’s not irregular enough. But someone always brings it up whenever we talk about roundabouts. Consider it done for this thread.] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/2 "2017-08-04T22:47:12Z")
[Here’s an oval with a dent in one side](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8401261,-77.0856424,497m/data=!3m1!1e3) and [here’s a rounded square](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8299595,-77.1133576,497m/data=!3m1!1e3). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/3 "2017-08-04T22:57:45Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Here’s an oval with a dent in one side](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8401261,-77.0856424,497m/data=!3m1!1e3) and [here’s a rounded square](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8299595,-77.1133576,497m/data=!3m1!1e3). I don’t think either of those are what are usually considered roundabouts. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/4 "2017-08-04T23:01:20Z")
nevermind, link didn’t work ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/5 "2017-08-05T00:50:12Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I don’t think either of those are what are usually considered roundabouts. they are not. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/6 "2017-08-05T01:06:32Z")
Tulsa has had this round roundabout for as long as I can remember. 1955 I remember it and it could be much older. I know, it is not:cool: out of round but it is old and in Oklahoma so that makes it special… [Old one in Tulsa, Oklahoma.](https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1602431,-95.8689023,591m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/7 "2017-08-05T01:26:08Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Here’s an oval with a dent in one side](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8401261,-77.0856424,497m/data=!3m1!1e3) and [here’s a rounded square](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8299595,-77.1133576,497m/data=!3m1!1e3). I see two freeway interchanges. The latter looks mostly like a SPUI [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-point\_urban\_interchange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-point_urban_interchange). Which, whatever else it may be, is absolutely not a roundabout. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/8 "2017-08-05T02:43:41Z")
Detroit has an interestimate loop arounD Campus Martius.It not really a roundabout because it has tons of lights. It’s kind of an artifact of the old hexgrid downtown was originally built it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/9 "2017-08-05T17:05:28Z")
You know, the words will make you out ‘n’ out. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/10 "2017-08-05T17:16:19Z")
[Here’s the one](https://goo.gl/maps/JbccnbQkQrM2) I tried to link yesterday. Looks like a maxi-pad ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/11 "2017-08-05T17:20:33Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Detroit has an interestimate loop arounD Campus Martius.It not really a roundabout because it has tons of lights. It’s kind of an artifact of the old hexgrid downtown was originally built it. I would just like to take moment to blame my phone’s tiny keyboard, and randomly applied spellcheck for that post. Interestimate? How the hell did it correct “interesting” into that? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/12 "2017-08-05T17:38:33Z")
Interestimate–I like it! An interesting estimate. Neat. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/13 "2017-08-05T18:06:42Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > You know, the words will make you out ‘n’ out. 😕 **Yes** indeed. > [@USCDiver](#): > > [Here’s the one](https://goo.gl/maps/JbccnbQkQrM2) I tried to link yesterday. Excellent. Another one from the US, though. I’m somewhat surprised no one’s produced one or more from Europe or elsewhere. > [@wolfman](#): > > I would just like to take moment to blame my phone’s tiny keyboard, and randomly applied spellcheck for that post. Interestimate? How the hell did it correct “interesting” into that? I was wondering the same thing. Shouldn’t spellcheck only substitute words that are in its wordlist? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/14 "2017-08-05T19:36:45Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Excellent. > > Another one from the US, though. I’m somewhat surprised no one’s produced one or more from Europe or elsewhere. I suspect these in the US are after-the-fact solutions to problem intersections and as such require an unusual shape. I would bet that in Europe, the areas with “traffic circles” (as their known here) are planned in advance for the more common circular shape. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/15 "2017-08-05T20:24:11Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I don’t think either of those are what are usually considered roundabouts. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I see two freeway interchanges. [They’re both.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout_interchange) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/16 "2017-08-05T20:29:58Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > … > I was wondering the same thing. Shouldn’t spellcheck only substitute words that are in its wordlist? Yes, but you forgot that phones “learn” these days. With the right combo of settings, every misspelling that you don’t immediately correct gets remembered as correct for later. Which is great if you often text jargon to coworkers and want your phone to quickly pick up on “TPSreport” or “Wojeihowicz” or whatever. But sucketh greatly if you’re just really crappy at thumb-typing ordinary English. I got a new phone that had those settings. A couple weeks later the darn thing was almost unusable; any plausible typo I might make I had already made and it had already learned. So now any random first 2 letters comes up with a dozen suggested replacements, all typos, with maybe one real word in there somewhere. Which prevous typo it would helpfully autocomplete with if I bunped the spacebar. Which I do often since I’m usually touching the screen just below where I’m aiming; the entire bottom row of letter keys maps to spacebar with that error. Which of course only reinforced the “learning” that the first typo in the list is my favorite word and totally the desirable thing to autocomplete. Argh!!! Modern “artificial intelligence” proves to be artificial stupidity instead. Again. There’s no way to directly edit the dictionary of learned words. So I’m long-pressing each learned typo as I see them then selecting “forget learned word”, “OK”, “yes I’m sure.” One after another through dozens and dozens. Eventually it’ll be cleaned out. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/17 "2017-08-05T20:41:34Z")
Cambridge seems to be planning a variant of the double roundabout. [Here’s a double mini roundabout](https://www.google.com/maps/place/51%C2%B056'38.0%22N+1%C2%B032'36.6%22W/@51.9440342,-1.5435524,197m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d51.943878!4d-1.543486). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/18 "2017-08-05T20:46:08Z")
[St. Augustine, FL, was planning a true double roundabout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVkrlaITXhM). That’s from two years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/19 "2017-08-05T20:48:27Z")
[Chelmsford MA](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5946897,-71.3518478,308m/data=!3m1!1e3) Lots of town centers have one way traffic around the town green with odd shapes. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812/20 "2017-08-05T20:50:41Z")
**LSLGuy** , you’ve got another problem: you mis-typed “bunped.” :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/out-of-round-abouts/792812.md?page=2)