micromort: a unit of risk equal to a one-in-a-million chance of dying

— Collins Dictionary

I’ve heard it said that rotaries

reduce accidents — not sure if it’s true.

Perhaps what they mean is that

circling about like that costs

you fewer micromorts — fewer of your

impossible array of future selves die

in that intersection.

After all, things merging in the same

direction, while they might swipe

a glancing blow, rarely t-bone

one another to extinction.

An improbable truth, perhaps.

Personally, I find them confusing.

Especially in the dark, so many roads

weaving together into a

half-hearted circle of paint and tar.

Is it one lane? Two? Most drivers

don’t seem to care. Most GPS can’t

keep up with the rotation. I find myself

counting exits while keeping my eyes

on the road while trying to stay in

what I think is my lane.

My hometown installed rotaries

near an offramp recently, but

they miscalculated the radius, and now

the huge trailers that trundle by can’t

make the turn. They look pretty, though,

a bed of wildflowers carefully curated

in the center. I wonder how long

before they’re remade. I wonder

if the circles will disappear when they do.

I wonder if the reduced possibility of

death plays into it, or if they’re chosen purely

for traffic flow optimization. In a

roundabout sort of way, I like the idea of them —

the aesthetic and philosophical appeal, plus —

I like minimizing my micromorts. But rotaries

are inconvenient. How much do I care?

How many of those future women, my

hypothetical, probabilistic selves will I

sacrifice? How much chance of death

am I willing to entertain, just so I can

drive straight through?

By Sarah Bricault

From: United States

Website: http://sarahbricault.com/

Twitter: SarahBricault

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.bricault/