Freeways and cars have two of the most evloved, iterated, and consistant design patterns around; far more so than computers, or even telephones nowadays. It can be funny how wrong it feels to break the rules.

A long time ago I realized, in the abstract, that a cloverleaf intersection of two highways is basically four line segment connectors and a single clover ribbon (hence the name, of course). I always knew that you could stay on the cloverleaf forever, but only as fiction.

Living in LA, I coined a term (probably only used by me, ever) called the 'Rollo', slang for a freeway U-turn, it stood for "Right, Off, Left, Left, On," and applied when you missed your offramp at a regular freeway exit (as opposed to a cloverleaf), and needed to get off at the next exit and turn around.

A couple years ago I was on Highway 92 East going over 880 (in Hayward) having missed the turn I neded to make, and I wanted to turn around. Using the cloverleaf to go from 92 West to 880 South, and staying to the right in the merge, exited 880 South to emerge on 92 West. Basically half a cloverleaf.

Just under a year ago, I was lucky enough to miss the turnoff from 80 East to 780 South, and in a flash I thought 'now's my chance.' I instead took the right-hand 270-degree onramp to 780 North, stayed in the right lane to come on to 80 West, and exited again to emerge on 780 South. If a 'right' is 90 degrees clockwise, then this was a case of nine rights making a right.

So my challenge, to those who choose to accept it, is to ride the cloverleaf the next time you have the chance. Get on anywhere, and take the ride for a spin once or twice. Don't be surprised if it feels somehow 'wrong,' like driving with contacts after years with glasses, or (second example omitted because this is (more or less) a family show).

Intermediate class: Try riding the clover for 5 minutes. Just don't use a cellphone at the time.

Advanced class: Do it with someone else in the car, like a parent, without explaining what's going on. watch them get inexplicably nervous.