Americans get nailed by passing traffic in the UK far too frequently. We just don’t grasp how deeply ingrained looking left, then right is until the traffic is reversed. But, the sheer mayhem and borderline terror of encountering and navigating a large roundabout while driving a right-hand drive car for the first time, well, that’s crossing a street with backwards traffic times ten, with no lines. Seems like sheer mayhem. We’re accustomed to rules and marked lanes, there it’s a free for all, fit your car into whatever space there is and jockey for position. Country lanes lined by hedges are another thrill, you never know when you’ll run up on a herd of livestock, or a speed demon barrelling down the lane in the opposite direction toward you, and the hedges block visibility, it can be almost like a tunnel at times.
RC, hi! Yes, we humans are so ingrained in our cultural habits, aren’t we? Fortunately for my heroine, she doesn’t have to drive anything. At least not yet. She has to ride a bike in France, though, and I suppose that could be interesting for the reasons you suggest. The bit about the hedges on country lanes feeling like a tunnel is very interesting. And sometimes being a novice passenger in a scary driving situation can be fun too. Thanks for the tips!
Peace,
SR