lefty loosey

[urbpan]

Has anyone here learned to drive on "the other" side of the street? I mean: you learned to drive on one side of the street and then went abroad and drove on the other? I'd like to hear first person accounts. Is it hard, confusing, dangerous, none of the above?

On this day in 365 urban species: Northern shoveler.



When I started this journal I was pretty strict with friends-locking every post that wasn't explicitly about urban nature. Well, I've drifted pretty far afield from that, and no one seems to mind too much. Now when I check my posts from last year I'm surprised that certain posts weren't public. So, I'm unlocking them as I encounter them, so that more people can enjoy them.

For example, Owls eat worms! video.

Also, the best xmas godawful ever!

Comments

[janetmk.livejournal.com]

I've driven rental cars during two trips to Wales. I managed OK but it was rather disconcerting. And I managed to smash a far side mirror on an early outing--I was driving a bigger car than usual and I had a hard time with the "feel" of the car boundaries. And there was this narrow twisting road and a stone wall and another car coming around the curve startling me..

What helped me in general to cope with driving from the right side of the car on the left side of the road was that I always had a native in the passenger seat to point me the right way so that I could concentrate on just driving.

Most rental cars in the UK have manual transmissions but I reserved an automatic to keep things as simple as possible.

[ndozo.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine threw up after driving a little while on the "wrong" side of the road on a trip to England. He got used to it, but I gather that it was rough at first. I know on the pedestrian crosswalks there, they often paint a warning reminding visitors to look right for approaching cars.

[teratologist.livejournal.com]

It wasn't me, but when we went to Scotland gettingshitdone managed to pick up driving a massive rental land yacht left-sided on twisty highland roads well enough in 24 hours that we didn't run over any sheep or run off the road or anything.

I can send him over here with more first-hand details when he gets back from Seattle if you'd like.

[bezigebij.livejournal.com]

No, not hard. I drove for 7 months in Australia and now again in South Africa. The main thing is to remember where you're driving and not accidently turning onto the wrong side of the road. Also, your movements to "look" are different - tht pattern of which mirrors to check etc., but you adapt to that quickly. Generally I practice in the parking lot a bit to get used to driving on the other side of the road.

[drocera.livejournal.com]

I've driven in the UK and it's not really as bad as you'd expect. It WAS rather disconcerting for the first day or so (especially when dring in London), and the worst I experienced was wanting to turn left when I intended to turn right (or vise-versa)..I don't know what that was all about.

My sister, however, wrecked within the first 20 minutes of driving the first time she attmepted it. (thankfully it was only a fender bender, but still)

[interglossa.livejournal.com]

That is a great avatar jef - we both hate driving.

[belen1974.livejournal.com]

i had to drive lefty loosey when i was in south africa. turns and rotaries were the hardest for me to deal with, but hopefully antigua won't have big streets!

i wonder if it would help you to practice driving a manual transmission car as i am sure that it's pretty rare for there to be an automatic transmission car with the steering wheel on the right side??

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

what? there are a shitload of them in the uk.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

hopefully antigua won't have big streets!

mostly they have tiny little winding streets with people driving really fast on them.

Don't know how common automatic transmissions are there.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

These people provide auto transmission cars "unless otherwise noted."

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

Are you planning to travel somewhere where you would need to drive on the other side of the street? Or do you want to move somewhere?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

We're going to Antigua in January, and I'd like to have the ability to get around on my own.

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

Ah right...makes sense...

[iainzard.livejournal.com]

I spent my first 20-something years in a country where you drive on the proper side of the road. Automatic cars are not uncommon in right-hand-drive countries but shifting with the left hand isn't difficult anyway. Remember that the turn signals may be on the other side of the steering column to what you're used to.
It can be a little weird to go back and forth between driving on the different sides of the road. If you're a careful driver and alert to your surroundings you shouldn't have problems, but I would advise not trying to drive when you're excessively tired until you've ridden as a passenger for a while, just to get used to the vehicle being in the "wrong" place on the road.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Good advice! I've been a passenger there a few times.

I actually find being a pedestrian in right-hand-drive countries to be terrifying! I almost killed my self trying to cross the street in London and Antigua.