As you said here, it is what you are used to, as a Brit living in the US I
know exactly what you went through, I could drive on the wrong side of the
road with no problems as I had driven in Europe many times, but I had very
little experience in a left hand drive car and sitting on the wrong side of
the car and changing gears with the wrong hand took a long time to get used
to, the first few times were absolute nightmares!!
One thing that surprised me was that I could jump straight into an MGB and
have absolutely no problems at all but a modern car felt very different and
I was constantly trying to shift with the door handle! I guess it was
because my daily driver in the UK was an MGB and my brain was so familiar
with the car it made the switch for me.
After 3 1/2 years the shifting is now automatic, I don't even think about
it, however, every now and then I will still walk to the wrong side of the
car to get in!
MikeB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Smith" <ksmith40@earthlink.net>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 8:35 PM
Subject: RHD, no thanks.
> My ol' Toyota truck needed a starter and my mother was on vacation, so I
> borrowed her Jeep Cherokee with Right Hand Drive (she's rural route mail
> carrier). What a pain! I always thought a RHD car would be great, but it
> isn't. I couldn't get used to shifting with my left hand while steering
> with my right. Plus, I'm used to driving with my left arm resting on the
> door. It didn't feel right with my right arm. Also, I found myself
> driving too close to the shoulder so I didn't get too close to the yellow
> line.
>
> For what it's worth, I got a lot of double-takes and a bus load of kids
> went nuts when they saw me on the wrong side, so if being noticed is your
> gig, get a RHD. Myself, I'm sticking to what I'm used to, LHD.
>
> Kevin
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