Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2020 16:01:53 -0500
From: “N.A. Booko”
Subject: About Round-a-bouts around the area . .
For decades, the round-a-bout in Pittsboro and Carthage were the only ones in this area I knew about. To me, the one in Carthage was more aggravating than the one in Pittsboro. Seems I would sit and wait at the Pittsboro round-a-bout while some driver ahead of me didn’t have the foggiest notion what he was supposed to do. Legend has it that at one time, Pittsboro youths for fun would form an almost bumper to bumper automobile circle around the courthouse. Driving round and round making it impossible for anyone else to get in the circle. The only fun part I can see about it, is it didn’t happen when I was around. Those ‘teens’ are now probably Grandpas- telling there grand kids what fun it was.
A few months ago, the news got out that D.O.T. was going to redo the Pittsboro traffic circle- Make it SMALLER! Ye gads! Smaller? I was astounded too. I thought how in the world will that ever work? I soon would find out. I hadn’t been to Carrboro in maybe 25 years until a month ago. There were several ‘new to me’ round-a-bouts and I found them very easy to negotiate- They seem considerably smaller than the present Pittsboro courthouse one.
Round-a-bouts seem to be the rage now. Sometimes they are helpful and sometimes they are a nuisance. The round=a-bout on 15-501 north Sanford, was years in the making and aggravating to many people in the process. It is now finished. I passed there last week and it looked finished and well maintained. Shocking tho was the shiny greenness of the grass- It was Astro-turf. I only hope it is temporary and not the wave of the future.
N.A. Booko
Pushing the petal around Chatham since 1972.
I once wrote a funny little piece for the Chathlist entitled “Fast Food On a Roll”- It involved the Pittsboro Traffic Circle. I can’t seem to find it right now, but if you know how to recall old posts, you might like it . . .