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My first exposure to roundabouts was in 1968 in Texas. I attended a large high school (over 3,000 students), and there was a roundabout at the intersection of two four-lane roads next to the school. Landscaping of the center island was the responsibility of the current graduating class, and always looked beautiful as each graduating class tried to outdo the preceding class. 

After home football games (and we had great teams) we would fill the circulating lane with celebrating student drivers. Soon the approaching queues got very long; no one could enter the roundabout because no was exiting the roundabout. When blue flashing lights approached we would exit in four directions and the roundabout flushed out quickly. By the end of our third home game, we rallied to the roundabout, only to find a police car waiting in the roundabout. Our fun was spoiled. Oh well.

Although my reason for interest in roundabouts has changed since my days as a high school senior, designing roundabouts and teaching classes at Reid Middleton has been exciting. We are able to slow vehicles, get more vehicles through an intersection, and eliminate all the life threatening conflicts. Life is good!