Stern lectures for the logically-challenged. Others have opinions, I have convictions.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
There's More to Right and Left Than Politics
Ireland is thinking of shifting traffic to right-hand driving to avoid accidents. Personally, I think more accidents would be avoided if everyone switched to left-hand driving. When we look at something, we naturally scan it from left to right. I think if we drove on the left, instead of people drifting into oncoming lanes if they fall asleep or their attention wavers, they would drive into the ditch, avoiding head-on collisions.
I lived in Japan for four years and it is quite an adjustment. There is the ceremony at the gas station, where you fill up, get into the car and find no steering wheel in front of you. That is accompanied by everyone else applauding as you slink around to the right side of the car. Then, there is the more dangerous habit of looking to your left before stepping off the curb and having someone pull you back onto the sidewalk to avoid being hit by the bus coming from your right. And, adjustment to right-hand driving is just as difficult when you come back to the states. I was sleeping while my ex drove on one trip and awoke to find her driving off the interstate to a nearby town to gas up -- at twice the speed limit and on the wrong side of the road. Making a turn would always mix her up.
End of pointless post.
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3 comments:
My favorite was shifting. I would push in the clutch and find the shift handle with my right hand and proceed to roll down the window.
Coming back to the states was more difficult and dangerous. Over in England I would concentrate more and didn't have much of a problem. But back here I wouldn't think about it enough and would end up turning into on coming traffic.
Wow, a country willing to cater to us?? Then the only problem will be getting them to speak the Spanglish we have to speak here.
Spanglish with an Irish brogue...shudder.
Yeah, that reminds me of the closest I ever came to death. In London, looking left, about to jaywalk into the street, as a bus whizzed passed me from the right, inches from my face, at about 40 MPH. Another split second. . .
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