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Somebody please explain to me wtf this rotary thing you people have on the East Coast. It sounds like a fantastic way to die.

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I think it's what I've always called a "roundabout" or "traffic circle" or, when I want to be rude about it a "traffic circle jerk" (inspired by the "before and after" category on "Wheel of Fortune"). Several streets feed into a big circle. You are supposed to yield to traffic in the circle, enter it, and exit to the street you want, assuming your sense of direction hasn't been completely scrambled by driving around in circles. Why anybody ever thought this is a good idea is beyond me. They seem to be catching on in mountain towns in Colorado, unfortunately.