--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > <snip> > > > > Look, dude...I *get it* that with all your OCD > > > > and attachments and inability to change that it > > > > was HARD for you to learn to drive in England. > > > > I feel for you. But it really wasn't that hard > > > > for most people who've done it. They're more > > > > normal, and can learn many different things at > > > > once. It would seem that you can't. > > > > > > FWIW, my sister, who is an excellent and experienced > > > driver, nearly went nuts trying to learn to drive > > > on the other side of the road on a recent trip to > > > England. When my family visited England many years > > > ago, my father, also an excellent and experienced > > > driver, nearly got us into an accident several > > > times by instinctively turning into the wrong side > > > of the road. > > > > Sounds as if your family is as intellectually > > impaired as Sparaig is. My condolences. > > Nope, sorry, not intellectually impaired. > > It's notoriously difficult for many, if not most, > people. I've heard many stories from folks complaining > about how tough it is. In fact, I can't recall anyone > claiming it was easy when the subject came up. >
It is relatively simple to keep things straight as long as you NEVER EVER drive the wrong- drive car. You just change everything from a handed orientation to a driver's side orientation. Passengers go to the "correct" side of the road. Swerve away from the driver's side in a collision, etc. It takes a while to adjust but isn't that big a deal *in the long run*. The problem really happens when you switch driver's side vehicles while in the UK and have to constantly change your reflexes or don't switch your car (bring your own car to the UK as many airmen do) and have to relearn UK reflexes using the same car you've been driving Stateside. Barry was claiming that one can bounce back and forth without any problems at all, which was not my experience when I came back stateside for my Father's funeral. It takes some time to adjust and some time to adjust back. Eventually, I'm sure that one could get used to changing back and forth constantly, even using a wrong-drive car, but I wouldn't want to go through the learning curve while driving on public roads. The USAF wanted me to drive a military pickup (think smaller, modern version of the troop-carrier trucks you see in the WWII movies) while in the UIK, but I managed to avoid that. The damn things were so hard to drive anyway AND they were American drive trucks. Learning to keep my foot on both the gas and brake pedals as I put the thing in gear AND compensate for being in a wrong-side vehicle WAS too much for my ADHD/OCD brain. Worry about which foot to use for gas/brake as opposed to clutch AND worrying which side of the road when my visibility is poor and my reflexes say to go to the wrong side of the road to put the driver towards the middle? No thanks! Too many conflicting clues as to what is the "correct" thing to do. BTW: We say: drive on the right side. The Brits say: drive on the correct side. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
