For the first time today
For the first time today
I drove a left hand drive car. I have driven on the continent and been in left hand drive cars on the continent but for the first time today . Weird, really awkward changing gear with the right hand but I suppose if you are used to it ---
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Oscar Namechange
- Posts: 31840
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:26 am
For the first time today
It's rather disconcerting when one spots a left hand drive on British roads where a dog Is sitting In the front passenger seat. I've done many a WTF over the years.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
For the first time today
It does feel a bit odd the first time you get in a car with the controls on "the wrong side" for you.
My first time in the UK, I got to the rental agency at Heathrow, walked to the car, and ever-so-naturally got in to the car...
on the left side. Looked around to see if anyone had noticed. The clerks at the agency managed to turn around and look natural, but I could see one snickering.
I got out, went around to the right, and got back in. There was the steering wheel, and all the controls.
Fortunately, I think. The gas and clutch are placed for the same feet, no matter which side you are sitting. I am not sure I could have retrained myself THAT much.
I figured out where everything is, and carefully pulled out on the Ring Road. I think I made three or four laps around Heathrow before I dared venture out into "real traffic."
Our company office was at Marlowe, then, and my Hotel was off the M40, near High Wycombe. I had studied the map before ever retrieving my car. I ventured onto the A4 and followed it all the way to Maidenhead, and headed North. Finally found the hotel, and got checked in. It was still early and I had the whole day to myself, so I went exploring. I managed to survive (thanks mostly to the lightning reflexes of other drivers) several poorly thought out right-hand turns, and a few roundabouts, and finally worked up the nerve for the next step - the motorway.
Off on the M40, to Oxford, and the south to find Stonehenge. By now, I am feeling rather confident.
The one thing that I never did quite get the hang of was really knowing how close I was to parked cars on the left side. Being so used to being over on that side, my depth perception never quite settled in. By the time my trip was over, I felt fairly good with the set up. I made several more trips to the UK, and can say with some pride that after a couple thousand miles driving in the UK, I never caused an accident or injury.
The closest I came to doing so was on a subsequent trip that started in Frankfort. I drove the car I rented in Germany over to the UK, and was now driving on the wrong side of the car. It was a frightening experience, and I had to fight some very natural habits.
We almost met head-on with a Lorry when I resorted to natural (for me) method of making a right-hand turn.
My first time in the UK, I got to the rental agency at Heathrow, walked to the car, and ever-so-naturally got in to the car...
on the left side. Looked around to see if anyone had noticed. The clerks at the agency managed to turn around and look natural, but I could see one snickering.
I got out, went around to the right, and got back in. There was the steering wheel, and all the controls.
Fortunately, I think. The gas and clutch are placed for the same feet, no matter which side you are sitting. I am not sure I could have retrained myself THAT much.
I figured out where everything is, and carefully pulled out on the Ring Road. I think I made three or four laps around Heathrow before I dared venture out into "real traffic."
Our company office was at Marlowe, then, and my Hotel was off the M40, near High Wycombe. I had studied the map before ever retrieving my car. I ventured onto the A4 and followed it all the way to Maidenhead, and headed North. Finally found the hotel, and got checked in. It was still early and I had the whole day to myself, so I went exploring. I managed to survive (thanks mostly to the lightning reflexes of other drivers) several poorly thought out right-hand turns, and a few roundabouts, and finally worked up the nerve for the next step - the motorway.
Off on the M40, to Oxford, and the south to find Stonehenge. By now, I am feeling rather confident.
The one thing that I never did quite get the hang of was really knowing how close I was to parked cars on the left side. Being so used to being over on that side, my depth perception never quite settled in. By the time my trip was over, I felt fairly good with the set up. I made several more trips to the UK, and can say with some pride that after a couple thousand miles driving in the UK, I never caused an accident or injury.
The closest I came to doing so was on a subsequent trip that started in Frankfort. I drove the car I rented in Germany over to the UK, and was now driving on the wrong side of the car. It was a frightening experience, and I had to fight some very natural habits.
We almost met head-on with a Lorry when I resorted to natural (for me) method of making a right-hand turn.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
- DH Lawrence
For the first time today
:driving:
Lars, you have more guts than me.
Lars, you have more guts than me.
What happened to Kamala Harris' campaign?
She had the black vote all locked up.
She had the black vote all locked up.
For the first time today
There's quite a lot of accidents up north on single track roads where continental drivers (in left hand drive cars) forget where they are and start drving on the wrong side of the road, Mostly not too serious though occasionally there is a bad one when a lorrydriver does it. Closest I came was in france (chamonix as it happens) when this rather abusive british driver sat in front of me blasting his horn and shouting abuse because I was blocking his path on the wrong side of the road. His expression as the penny dropped is one I still cherish.
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Accountable
- Posts: 24818
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 8:33 am
For the first time today
My experience was much like Lars', except that I was in Japan and stayed several years before returning. That's where the real danger was for me. I thought I could relax since I was home, but by relaxing I continued trying to drive on the left side of the road! The worst situation is pulling out of a parking lot (car park) and onto an empty street. I would sweat no matter which side of the road I picked until I saw another car.
For the first time today
gmc;1432005 wrote: I drove a left hand drive car. I have driven on the continent and been in left hand drive cars on the continent but for the first time today . Weird, really awkward changing gear with the right hand but I suppose if you are used to it ---
DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU ARE AMBIDEXTROUS!
DISASTER AWAITS!!!
DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU ARE AMBIDEXTROUS!
DISASTER AWAITS!!!
For the first time today
Accountable;1432182 wrote: My experience was much like Lars', except that I was in Japan and stayed several years before returning. That's where the real danger was for me. I thought I could relax since I was home, but by relaxing I continued trying to drive on the left side of the road! The worst situation is pulling out of a parking lot (car park) and onto an empty street. I would sweat no matter which side of the road I picked until I saw another car.
Though I was 19 when we left Japan,
I never drove.
I walked, hitchhiked and took taxi's,
but I'm talking about the '70's +AND-2.
I have the same prob, but for different reasons;
I don't "know" my left from my right,
though I've been a professional driver ~
OTR, AND for the Austin, TX Transit Authority, Capital Metro.
Talk about your embarrassing moments ...
turning LEFT, into a Wendy's Drive-Thru, in a 40 foot bus,
instead of RIGHT, down some actual street.
Though I was 19 when we left Japan,
I never drove.
I walked, hitchhiked and took taxi's,
but I'm talking about the '70's +AND-2.
I have the same prob, but for different reasons;
I don't "know" my left from my right,
though I've been a professional driver ~
OTR, AND for the Austin, TX Transit Authority, Capital Metro.
Talk about your embarrassing moments ...
turning LEFT, into a Wendy's Drive-Thru, in a 40 foot bus,
instead of RIGHT, down some actual street.
For the first time today
Fyrenza;1432191 wrote: Though I was 19 when we left Japan,
I never drove.
I walked, hitchhiked and took taxi's,
but I'm talking about the '70's +AND-2.
I have the same prob, but for different reasons;
I don't "know" my left from my right,
though I've been a professional driver ~
OTR, AND for the Austin, TX Transit Authority, Capital Metro.
Talk about your embarrassing moments ...
turning LEFT, into a Wendy's Drive-Thru, in a 40 foot bus,
instead of RIGHT, down some actual street.
Look on the bright side, I bet every passenger on that bus smiles at the memory every time they drive in to a wendy's.
I never drove.
I walked, hitchhiked and took taxi's,
but I'm talking about the '70's +AND-2.
I have the same prob, but for different reasons;
I don't "know" my left from my right,
though I've been a professional driver ~
OTR, AND for the Austin, TX Transit Authority, Capital Metro.
Talk about your embarrassing moments ...
turning LEFT, into a Wendy's Drive-Thru, in a 40 foot bus,
instead of RIGHT, down some actual street.
Look on the bright side, I bet every passenger on that bus smiles at the memory every time they drive in to a wendy's.
For the first time today
I sure hope so! lol