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Basically the title but when we do a "U" turn we actually make a small n not a U.

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[-] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 76 points 1 year ago

Capital 'N' is written differently; 'U' and 'u' are unambiguous.

[-] CAPSLOCKFTW@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago

But what about T-junction/t-junction?

[-] Klear@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Good point. I'm calling it coffee junction from now on.

[-] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 year ago

There's already a road sign resembling a capital 'N', but there isn't an equivalent possible confusion for T/t.

[-] Rooki@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Or on different fonts the T and I is indistinguishable

[-] 4am@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I think you mean tndtsitngutshable

[-] Rooki@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago
[-] ThunderTenTronckh@lemmy.world 58 points 1 year ago

Because ultimately, U are the one who must make the turn.

[-] DarienGS@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

I'd kinda feel uncomfortable calling it an "n-turn".

[-] Ambiorickx@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Sounds kinda racist, honestly

[-] Rhaedas@kbin.social 23 points 1 year ago

Just call it an intersection turn and use ∩

[-] the_empty_bottle@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

It's Unicode U+2229. So I guess we all can formally agree to call it U+2229 turn ? Or in short U turn ? No ?

[-] db2@lemmy.one 5 points 1 year ago

How do you pronounce it though? 🤔

[-] radix@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

"backslash cap" :P

[-] Caststarman@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

"intersection"

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[-] 4am@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

To make an n-turn, you’d need to star from the other side of the street, drive forward, and then back up while steering around the bend.

When creating traffic laws and regulations, this was deemed too dangerous, so they went with “u”.

(You should have seen the options when they were using a serif font…)

[-] sik0fewl@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago
[-] 4am@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Biang a U-ey is something we have here too.

I’ll Xiè myself out

[-] Cybermass@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Capitalization, I guess. "u-turn" and "U-turn" boil down to the same movement, while "n-turn" and "N-turn" don't work so well together.

[-] Skua@kbin.social 11 points 1 year ago

An N turn is presumably parallel parking

[-] Lemmylefty@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Does it count as a turn if you remain pointed in the same direction?

[-] Skua@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

I feel like it has to, otherwise turning 360 degrees isn't a turn

[-] 4am@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago
[-] Fortychops@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

Think it just depends on what perspective the spectator takes.

[-] nyar@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I think it's based on two things: where you are and how the letters start when written.

When writing letters n and U, both are started at their leftmost position (for most people) and their topmost position (for most people).

In the UK, or other places where you drive on the left, a u-turn would make a little n. While you aren't starting the turn from the topmost position of the letter, you are starting on the left of the letter.

In the US and other countries where you drive on the right, you make a U-turn because viewed from above you are making a U that starts from the top and left of the letter. While from your immediate perspective while driving your making a lowercase n but starting from the right, from above it's the classic U movement that occurs.

Just a guess though.

[-] lack@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

Maybe it was named by someone watching it from the other side of the road, and not the one doing it?

[-] sentient_loom@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

Why would it be an n-turn? The n shape suggests you back up before turning. The capital U asserts that you simply turn. That's how I've always done it.

[-] CAPSLOCKFTW@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

For any mathematician a n-turn would be a turn segmented into n directional changes. /s

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[-] Funkymatt@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

How come there isn't a dedicated u turn blinker?

[-] curiosityLynx@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

@Funkymatt You want something that tells people that doing a U-Turn is a normal thing to do with a car?

@Moeaverage

[-] Stovetop@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

U-turns are expected behavior when the road has a middle divider. There will often be dedicated U-turn lanes to accommodate that, too.

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[-] darcy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

because it was originally called a You-Turn, because driving instructors said "Now you turn", and people heard it as "Now you-turn", and then abbreviated it as "u-turn"

[-] s6original@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

An n turn would have to be a U-turn with other vehicles entering. Add any more entrances and you'd have a roundabout.

[-] DarkThoughts@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Have you ever wrote the letter? An "n" would make you go the same direction but in the opposite lane.

[-] Awhiskeydrunker@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

As humans we are biased towards action and forward thinking. From the perspective of where you are heading after completing the turn, it was a U shaped turn

[-] Obstinatrician@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Also, technical drawings?

[-] TheInsane42@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Maybe it's an US thing?

I guess it's because the U is drawn in 1 fluent motion, a u and an n have the extra line, compared to the U.

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

My U has the same extra line, just on the right.

*A US thing, by the way, as U begins with /j/ (the 'y' sound in you).

[-] TheInsane42@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

In most fonts the uppercase U has no extra line, most don't write one in upper case as well when handwriting.

Must be thought off in the US, as they have space on the road for U turns though. Most other countries are stuck with 3 point turns. (Or in my case, a lot more, my car has a turningcircle of a battleship)

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This is why I say I'm gonna "flip a bitch" instead of "make a U turn/make a U-y"

[-] Caststarman@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Maybe it depends on your vehicle? I definitely do more U than "n" turns

[-] exscape@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

I believe OPs point has to do with the direction. From a top-down perspective driving forwards would look like driving upwards, then turning and driving downwards, like an n. U flipped/rotated 180 degrees.

[-] Caststarman@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Ahh that makes more sense. I was thinking about the nub of the "n" being included as part of the motion

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[-] Rhaedas@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Vehicles vary greatly in turn radius, and it's not just size. I've had big vehicles that could do a U turn just about anywhere, but that damn Saturn...how could a small sedan be so bad at tight turns?

[-] norgur@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 year ago

To deepen that: does a U-turn become a n turn when you have to reverse briefly because the curve was too small and thus give your path a little uptick? n

[-] Joejimbobjones@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

We call them shithooks.

[-] Joejimbobjones@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

We call them shithooks.

[-] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Personally I call ti C turn.

[-] Countmacula@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Because it doesn’t need any experience or training.

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this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2023
105 points (92.0% liked)

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