ADS-L Digest - 18 Sep 2005 to 19 Sep 2005 (#2005-263)

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated Tue, 20 Sep 2005 23:40:18 -0400, Michael McKernan
_mckernan at LOCALNET.COM_ (mailto:mckernan at LOCALNET.COM)  quotes and  writes:



>> >> Driving Tips for our 2006 Superbowl   Guests:

>
>[snip]
>
>> >> 17.  The  left turn is simple. If you want to turn left, go a 1/4 of
>> a   mile
>> >> past your turn, get to the left, then make a left,  then make a  rig=
ht.
>> >> NOW you have gone  left.
>> >>
>And, on a serious note, this kind of turn is  referred to as a 'Michigan
>Left'.  I believe the term is unique to  MI, but I don't have the time th=
is
>afternoon to do the  research.  I just read a claim in the Free Press tha=
t
>the  institution was invented in Michigan in the fifties in response to  s=
ome
>bad fatalities after ordinary left turns.

I'm told  that this turn originated in New Jersey (no authority given),
where it is  called a 'jug handle turn'
Many of the first Google hits do appear to be  from NJ (some are MA, perha=
ps
elsewhere too)   However,  whether 'jug handle turn' means the same thing =
as
the 'Michigan Left'  described above remains to be determined.



I do not think "jug handle" and "Michigan left" are synonyms.
In New Jersey a "jug handle" is an exit that leads to the right at a  shallow
angle and then swings left until it is perpendicular to the road.   They are
quite common in New Jersey, and the name is obviously  descriptive.
Caveat:  a lot of New Jerseyans also use "jug handle" to mean a  cloverleaf
exit, one in which you pass the road you wish to take a left turn  onto and
then take an exit that turns 270 degrees to the right.   Unfortunately the term
"cloverleaf" is not used except for grade separations,  and I have been misled
(twice in one night, once) by being told to "take the  jughandle" and
expecting the exit to be  before the traffic light instead  of after it.

     - Jim Landau