Things you thought you'd hate but then ended up liking

[Max Rockatansky]

Nowadays I would prefer a four lane roundabout over a traditional traffic signal.

I, uh, can't say I'm familiar with those.  And a quick Google search only turned up this monstrosity.

Nowadays I would prefer a four lane roundabout over a traditional traffic signal.

I, uh, can't say I'm familiar with those.  And a quick Google search only turned up this monstrosity.

As if I needed any further convincing that Reddit is a cesspool of bad ideas.

[Roadgeekteen]

I thought I hated freeway revolts until I got a more nuanced view on urban areas and their relationships with freeways.

[Max Rockatansky]

Depends on the revolt.  San Francisco made sense, the revolts in metro Sacramento not so much.

[webny99]

Another one for me:
road diets

Every instance I've personally seen of reducing two lanes in one direction with a single lane plus either a TWLTL, bike lane, or parallel parking has been a success in my opinion.  I expected to hate them, but now I welcome them.

You know what? I actually agree with this, and I didn't think I'd ever say it either. To the point where I think I'd actually prefer one lane per direction + TWLTL than two per direction with no turn lanes or shoulders in most cases. I've even found myself wishing that more four lane roads would be converted to three if they're lacking sidewalks and/or shoulders.

There's still some exceptions, though. This section of NY 104, for example, used to be 4.5 lanes. It was converted to three with an extra-wide TWLTL and extra-wide shoulders. That seemed wasteful to me. It's a busy stretch that carries quite a bit of medium- to long-distance traffic, and not being able to pass for miles while the super-TWLTL hardly gets used is annoying. They would have barely had to widen the road to get five lanes here and still get the benefit of the TWLTL while allowing two through lanes per direction.

[webny99]

Spending several hours a day doing yard work while partially inebriated.

That sounds to me more like something you thought you'd like but ended up hating. 

[kphoger]

Spending several hours a day doing yard work while partially inebriated.

That sounds to me more like something you thought you'd like but ended up hating. 

Or...  I hate yard work, but it's a lot more fun when yer drunk, amirite!!

[PNWRoadgeek]

This website.

I don't know why I thought I was gonna hate it, it's fun.

[thspfc]

Another one for me:
road diets

Every instance I've personally seen of reducing two lanes in one direction with a single lane plus either a TWLTL, bike lane, or parallel parking has been a success in my opinion.  I expected to hate them, but now I welcome them.

+1. Minneapolis has done plenty and I have yet to dislike one. I consider myself a very pro-freeway but also very anti-stroad person.

[Scott5114]

Spending several hours a day doing yard work while partially inebriated.

That sounds to me more like something you thought you'd like but ended up hating. 

Or...  I hate yard work, but it's a lot more fun when yer drunk, amirite!!

I never tried doing yard work while under the influence of a substance (too much risk of injury for me to be comfortable for that) but it does really help make doing the dishes more tolerable.

[Max Rockatansky]

I mowed the lawn one time at 2 AM while I was tripped out on Percocet.  It certainly gave me a shit ton of energy and motivation to keep up with chores despite only have use my of right arm (my left was broken).  I called my doctor the next day and asked to be put on another type of pain killer.

[webny99]

I mowed the lawn one time at 2 AM while I was tripped out on Percocet.  It certainly gave me a shit ton of energy and motivation to keep up with chores despite only have use my of right arm (my left was broken).  I called my doctor the next day and asked to be put on another type of pain killer.

I'll bet the neighbors loved that. 

[Max Rockatansky]

I mowed the lawn one time at 2 AM while I was tripped out on Percocet.  It certainly gave me a shit ton of energy and motivation to keep up with chores despite only have use my of right arm (my left was broken).  I called my doctor the next day and asked to be put on another type of pain killer.

I'll bet the neighbors loved that. 

I had a corner lot that backed up to a cinder block sound barrier.  If they had complaints they didn't voice them.  But then again it was probably super apparent to the eye that I was recently in a car accident and was acting weird because of some sort of drug reaction.

[TheCatalyst31]

Spending several hours a day doing yard work while partially inebriated.

Your username checks out.

[hobsini2]

As mentioned before, the roundabouts kick that Wisconsin was on for the last 2 decades especially in Oshkosh and Appleton interchanges on 41.

And I was skeptical of the DDI at 88 & 59 but it is so much better now.

Still not a fan of HOT Toll lanes.

[kphoger]

I never tried doing yard work while under the influence of a substance (too much risk of injury for me to be comfortable for that) but it does really help make doing the dishes more tolerable.

I once had an afternoon cocktail forgetting that I had to mow the lawn that day.  And rain was coming, so I couldn't put it off.  And, when I make a cocktail, I always make it a double, because otherwise what's the point.

So take it from my experience:  it wasn't the risk of injury that makes me recommend not doing so.  It's that I felt like total crap and could barely finish the job.  Alcohol and physical exertion do not go well together.  I think it might be a hydration thing, but I'm sure there are other factors involved too.

[ElishaGOtis]

Speed limits above 70mph
I had grown up in the east coast generally, and rarely traveled west of the Mississippi River except for the 2 years I'd lived in California. Additionally, there was FIERCE opposition to the bill that would have allowed 75 in Florida in 2014. Tbh I was a bit skeptical of any limit above 55 for quite a bit of my childhood lmao (this ladies and gentlemen is why kids can't, and shouldn't be able to, vote). I had a good experience seeing my first 75 in Texas, and after extensive travels within the state I can gladly say I'm comfortable at that speed. Same thing for 85, except this time I was still under the impression that if you post one speed, then "everyone" would go 5-10 over said speed (after all, I'm in the club of holding 3-8 over most speed limits I see, usually 3-5 unless I know the road's enforcement patterns). I'm still flabbergasted that no one passed me at 89mph the three times I've used SH-130. Same thing again for speed limits higher than 60 on 2-lane roads.

Clearview
If used appropriately, I'm now a massive fan. I've been so used to seeing it used inappropriately that I rarely got a good impression of it (my first impression was in Louisiana on I-10...). Seeing how FDOT has been verrrrrry slowly trying to phase in Clearview (even if it's completely unofficial) has given me a better picture, and has even opened me up to being accepting of the font in non-road settings (such as the building signs in the FL Turnpike Service Plazas).

Road Diets
While I'm still not a huge fan of them, I no longer oppose some transportation tool blanketly in the possible event that it could work in some places if done correctly. For a road that is 4 lanes and only sees 500 vehicles per day, does it need to be 4 lanes? The only thing that excess capacity does is cause speeding...