Posted on 06/06/2013 7:22:11 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
3rd September 1967:
Traffic in Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right
“Dagen H (H day) was the day on which traffic in Sweden switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. The change was widely unpopular, The campaign included displaying the Dagen H logo on various commemorative items, including milk cartons, men’s shorts and women’s underwear. Swedish television held a contest for songs about the change; the winning entry was Håll dig till höger, Svensson (‘Keep to the right, Svensson’) by Rock-Boris.”
(Excerpt) Read more at retronaut.com ...
China does not.
I think I read here on FR that we drive on the Right because the Brits drove on the Left.
It started with Horse Drawn Wagons in the Cities after the Revolutionary War.
I cannot imagine driving a Stick and shifting with my Left Hand. As far as I’m concerned, it’s against Nature. LOL
I lived in England for about a year in my mid thirties, and had to learn to drive on the left. Only had a couple of scares, but when I came home and got into my American car, the first thing I did was --- you guessed it --- I pulled right into oncoming traffic.
Thank goodness the opposing traffic was stuck behind a red light about a block away!
And then, of course, there are those countries where people drive anywhere and anyway they feel like. And those are scary, scary places...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz5uxAsrbwI
First time I ever drove a right driver car on the left hand side of the road was in England. It was an old Toyota stick shift sedan. Man, it was completely weird shifting with my left hand. Thank goodness the pedals were in the standard configuration.
If there'd been the slightest bit of traffic that night, I don't think I would have made it.
As dumb as this sounds, I could never live where they drive on the Left side of the road.
Then again, I wouldn’t live where I was unable to own Firearms either.
Rules out a whole bunch of places. Next stop Wyoming.
I get ya, but you get used to it if you live in such a place long enough. Just conditioning, I guess.
A word of advice... If you're ever visiting a country where they drive on the left, look BOTH ways before stepping off the curb. I once got hit by a passing car in London because I instinctively looked to the left as I was stepping into an intersection. I never saw the car coming from the right.
If you want to test your driving nerve, try driving an English country road at night time. They wind, they are lined with hedges so you can't see what's coming around the bend, and English drivers are impatient. They are right up your ass if you don't drive fast enough. Oh, least I forget you drive on the wrong side of the road. And to add to the challenge, English roads are about 60 percent the width of American roads.
I was in London exactly eight hours on a layover back in 1990.
Went to Piccadilly, took a Bus Tour, hit a Pub and then back to the Airport. Come to think of it, I had a bite at a Taco Bell, couldn’t stomach the English Food they served at the Pub. I’m a real Anthony Bourdain, NOT.
I will heed your advice should I ever return there, which isn’t likely with the Muzzie takeover of the Once Great Britian.
Vacation destination choices are getting very slim nowadays.
India drives on the left. China drives on the right.
After driving in India for 3 years now, shifting with my left hand is not as bad as I thought. Many English drivers point out that, at least for those who are right-handed, shifting with your non-dominant hand means you can control the vehicle better, and I have found there to be some truth in that.
I still get the occasional “this is completely wrong” feeling when driving though.
“Assho*%@le!!!!!!”
I remember hearing from a guy years ago, probably in the 80s or late 70s, that he was in Sweden that day, and it was crazy.
In fact I didn’t remember it was Sweden, just that it was some Scandinavian country.
In the US we tend to stay to the right when going down a supermarket isle or walking on the sidewalk... it's just the opposite somewhere like Britain."
When I push my cart down the left side of the aisle I often get a very annoyed glare from the greatly inconvenienced person coming the other way.
Got it.
Apparently misremembered.
It's not really that big of a deal.
It helps that you are sitting on the right side. You just need to remember that you, as the driver, need to be closest to the middle of the road. As for shifting, it's a relatively low-resolution problem. Your left hand will do fine.
Over the course of a few hours, I once went from driving an automatic compact in Boston to driving a four-speed diesel 17-passenger van in the UK. Picked up the rental at Heathrow and drove it west to Wales and all around. No problem. And I'm a total schlub at such things.
Gallons to liters and GBP to USD did have an interesting effect on the AX card, however.
You forgot to mention that English country roads undulate in width, never quite making it to a full two lanes and often narrowing to a car’s breadth.
Protip: never play chicken with farm vehicles. They will pitilessly mow you down....
This list belongs to Charles Henrickson. Write to him. In the mean time, I’ll put you on my copy.
I think that is perfectly natural, a convention.
In the Navy: “General Quarters, General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations. Up and forward to starboard, down and aft to port...”
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