I regularly take my car to France and beyond and have got used to driving on the appropriate side of the road (Between 1999 and 2002 I worked in Netherlands, Germany and Italy and had my own car while I was there). However, when I rented a car in Spain and in Sweden, there were two things that I had to get used to - using my right hand to change gear and positioning myself on the road.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Carleton MacDonald Sent: 10 March 2009 04:18 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:43622] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish sales in the UK. I remember the first time I rented a car in the UK. October 1982, Edinburgh, Scotland, British Rail Waverley Station. Left my wife Susan at the bed and breakfast, took a bus downtown, went to the station, to the Godfrey Davis office. A kind, pretty young woman (I was young then too) had me fill out the paperwork then gave me the keys. I thanked her, opened the door, got in, and sat down. On the left side. Where's the steering wheel? Oh, right. Got out, closed the door, glanced at the booth: she was inside, hand on her mouth, suppressing a laugh. Walked round the back of the car, got in the right side, sat down, felt the shift with my left hand, started the car, said a very significant Anglican prayer, put the car in gear, and headed out, saying to myself, "Drive on the left. Drive on the left. Drive on the left. Drive on the left ..." Headed back to the bed and breakfast, scared to death. Picked up Susan, headed out of town toward the bridge over the Firth of Forth. Stopped, took picture of the famous railway bridge. Started up again, found myself making a left turn to the right side of the intersecting road, corrected quickly, too quickly, hit a stone kerb, blew out the left front tire, stopped to change it. Somehow we got through the three days without hitting anything, and it even included a distillery tour, a steam train ride, and a night in Glencoe, where my ancestors got massacred in 1692. Carleton P.S. When we got back to San Francisco we went to the store and Susan bought soup; I told her to put the Campbell's soup back on the shelf! -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 21:02 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:43620] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish sales in the UK. Ah, but the rule of the road is in the eye of the beholder. Left-siders must think the rest of the world has it backwards. Quoting Brian J White <[email protected]>: > > I think you brits should also fix your cars and > roads so you drive on the correct side of the road. But that's just me. :) > > > At 15:54 2009-03-09, Stephen Humphreys wrote: > >Sorry  - I think you might have the wrong person. > >I'm not anti-metric - I'm a pro-choicer. > > > >The most 'extreme' views I hold on the subject regards safety. > > > >I have always said and always been firm that: > > > >1) Road signs should stay imperial > >2) Medicines and chemist goods should always be metric > > > >Both of these relate to safety concerns. > > > >For most other things (in fact prob all) I > >prefer the dual route or a flexible degree of choice. > > > >This may put me at odds with many on this list > >but I'm always truthful and up front about it > >and as many many have said it is healthy to have > >a contrary view here for purposes of debate. > > > >With regards to the USA - I actually believe it > >should be more metric than it is. > > > -- Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 US +1(432)528-7724 mailto:[email protected]
