As some who regularly drives both LHD and RHD cars, I don’t find it any different which hand I use to change gear. I also regularly switch between manual and automatic (my car automatic, wife’s manual). I have many times in the past also driven a LHD car on the left (in the Bahamas on a number of occasions, and when I took my car from Canada to South Africa), and driven a RHD car on the right (all the times when I visit the continent from the UK, even if it is only a day trip to stock up on cheap wine). I find American (and Canadian) befuddlement at switching sides (of the road or the car) rather amusing.
From: Paul Trusten Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 5:24 AM To: Peter Goodyear Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA 229] Re: From Queen Elizabeth Peter, who is to say which is "wrong?" I would think that, to the drivers on the left, the rest of the world has it wrong (grin). Concerning metric Australia, I enjoyed two splendid weeks in 2007 visiting there, in a country where your measurement is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I use Australia as my model for a formerly inch-pound nation that successfully changed over completely to metric. The only reference to the legacy units was on a clearance sign at a building carpark entrance in Melbourne. It gave the clearance in both millimeters and feet. It's been a'flirtin' with 40ºC here in Texas, USA! On Jul 11, 2016, at 16:50, Peter Goodyear <[email protected]> wrote: In Australia we also drive on the wrong side of the road in cars with manual gearboxes and negotiate roundabouts clockwise in speeds measured in kilometres per hour. It’s a miracle we’re not all dead from traffic accidents. It’s going to be a cold 10º today in Melbourne Best wishes, Peter Goodyear On 12 Jul 2016, at 07:39, Mark Henschel <[email protected]> wrote: Interesting thing about the British and their roundabouts, and driving on the left side of the road. I was in a car being driven around England a few years back. The driver sits on the right, but the gear shift is in the left, in the middle of the car. So since they travel on the opposite side of the road, their roundabouts turn clockwise, not counter clockwise as ours do. So here we are with the driver on the right, her left hand on the gear shift, right hand on the steering wheel, left foot on the clutch and right foot on the accelerator, and attempting to go counterclockwise into a roundabout. All the time looking right and turning left. At least in the USA we can use our best hand for most of us (right handers) on the gear shift and just hold the steering wheel with the left hand, look left and turn right, but I imagine it is a challenge to constantly use your left hand to shift gears if you are right handed. Few European cars have automatic transmissions. Even when I rented cars in Germany, they were usually stick shift but diesel engines. Hmmm. wonder if I got one of the cars VW cheated on the emissions with? Mark On Mon, Jul 11, 2016 at 4:15 PM, John Dunlop <[email protected]> wrote: I just received a note from Queen Elizabeth. She has declared that we are flubbing democracy, and therefore, effectively immediately, our independence is revoked. Among the changes she will implement in the country formerly known as the USA: 6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. John John Dunlop [email protected] personal email 612-374-2181 home phone _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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