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Why Do The British Drive On The Left Side Of The Road?

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arwalden Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:40 PM
Original message
Why Do The British Drive On The Left Side Of The Road?
Or why don't Americans also drive on the left side of the road? Who decided that this is the way it should be? And why did they decide it?

Were they just trying to be DIFFERENT? Or are we the ones who are rebelling and wanted to try something "new". ("Hey Joe... ya know what might be fun? Now that we've won our independence, let's everyone drive on the OTHER side of the road from now on! Whaddya say?")
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enlightenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. A hold over from the days when armed men rode horses
since most folks (not me) are right handed, riding on the left side of the road put their weapon arm at the ready -- in case someone riding the other way was expressing a little pointy-steel road rage.

Haven't a clue why America switched -- though we were past the whole armed men on horses stage.
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Dave Sund Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:49 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. Also the origin of the term "shotgun," right?
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MuseRider Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:45 PM
Response to Original message
2. I wonder
did they drive their buggies that way too or did we just change when we got automated?
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enlightenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:49 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. okay, curiousity got the better of me -- try this site
http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm#history
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MuseRider Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:53 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. Wow, thanks!
That answered it perfectly!
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enlightenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 11:01 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Thank you! It's always fun to learn something new --
sometimes, though, I need a little push!
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hickman1937 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Apr-29-05 02:53 AM
Response to Reply #5
10. I do believe that, that is the most facinating article I've read
in a long time. Thank you.
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arwalden Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Apr-29-05 06:21 AM
Response to Reply #5
12. You Are A Google-god. That Was Very Interesting.
Thanks!!
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hickman1937 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:46 PM
Response to Original message
3. A long time ago I read something, I think in Uncle John's
Bathroom Reader, that it has to do with what side of the bench wagon drivers used to sit on driving the horse, and or something like that. Don't ask me why.:shrug:
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CanuckAmok Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:47 PM
Response to Original message
4. Not only that, but why did they abolish the statute dictating...
that all motorcar operators must ensure that their vehicle is preceeded twenty feet by a footman waving a 4' x 4' red flag, alerting pedestrians that a motorcar is approacing?

That's just good sense.
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norml Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-28-05 10:54 PM
Response to Original message
8. Because Napoleon was left handed. Because drivers on seated wagons
Edited on Thu Apr-28-05 10:55 PM by norml
held the whip in their right hand, and watched for clearance on the right. Because in America wagon drivers sat on the left rear horse, in order to whip with his right hand, and watched for wagon wheel clearance on the left.
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elperromagico Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Apr-29-05 03:06 AM
Response to Original message
11. Because they hate America.
Duh.
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