If you get real bored

[TB Roye]

Yesterday while watching the NASCAR race, yea Tony, and watching the Shell commercial with Kevin Harvick and only turning to the left. I started thinking where I could go only turning left. It is .6 of a mile to the local store. I made it only making left 90 deg turns, it took 5.1 miles. I figured it would be at least a 15 mile trip if I tried it making only right turns. I coluld make it to church going left but would doulble the mileage. I am trying to figure if I could make from Sacramento to Meridian Idaho to pick up my grandson next week only making left turns, I think I could but it would be a 1500 mile trip instead of 550 miles, would need off ramps exiting from the fast lane for the normal trip to do it. See what happens when you get bored and you are retired. Good mind exercise.

Tom

[crokett]

I could get to work fairly easily and it would only add about 2 miles to my trip.

[Uncle Cracker]

You do realize that three left turns in one spot equals one right turn, don't you? No need to go miles out of your way.

[TheRic]

My 15 mile trip to work would add less than 1/2 mile either way.

Find it hard to believe that a 550 mile trip would turn into a 1500 mile trip. Has to be other left hand turns you can take. Even NASCAR drivers turn right on road courses.

[TB Roye]

If you don't count freeway off ramps as right turns, the I could do it. I have to get off I-80 in Winnemucca Nevada to turn left onto Hway 95 to go North in to Idaho. Other wise I go north on I-5 from Sacramento in Oregon and Washington to do it. Not many way to get into Idaho from Sacramento.

Tom

[Russianwolf]

UPS has started having their drivers make only right hand turns when at all possible. This actually saves them time and money as they avoid sitting at lights waiting to make a left hand turn.

[radhak]

My work is 4 miles away from home, and I make only left turns. 4 of them, actually.

If I were to make only right turns, I could do it in (rough estimate) 10-14 miles.

It's not just a matter of geometry - real roads have to deal with actual geography. Some roads end abruptly (say, a lake in the way, or a housing complex that does not welcome stragglers), or become one-way, etc.

But if it's long distance, I'd say the most work would be to the main interstate and at the end, from it. Can't imagine 500 miles ballooning to 1500 : must be a very complex combination of roads/exits/intersections.

Of course, many interstates only have exits on the right side of the road. If you were to consider that a 'right turn', then you'd never be able to exit (if you were on a 'left turn routine') .