Bryn Posted 5 July 2015 Posted 5 July 2015 they drive on the other side of the road. Can't escape the feeling that you two conspired on this thread just to set up this joke
Bryn Posted 5 July 2015 Posted 5 July 2015 America is about the easiest place to drive in the world, they let 15 year old kids drive there. Try Sweden. Miles of immaculately maintained roads, population density of an iceberg.
Captain... Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Try Sweden. Miles of immaculately maintained roads, population density of an iceberg. Beware of moose though. Nearly lost my license in Sweden, it was a hire car and I had so much to concentrate on I decided to just sort of match the car in front, made roundabouts a lot easier but also speed control. You miss a lot of signs as you have so much to think about and seeing the speedometer in km/h is also harder to judge. So I just matched the speed of the guy in front. Unfortunately he was speeding and got pulled over by a cop with a radar gun. He called me in as well and burbled something in Swedish at me. Of course he also spoke perfect English and explained the guy in front was going to lose his license and the only reason I wasn't going to lose mine was he didn't have time to record my speed on the radar. I also nearly died that trip, hired a car from the airport and was coming out on a single lane slip road into a busy road, so I had no cars alongside me and no concept of being on the wrong side so when the sat nav said turn left instinct kicked in I looked right nothing was coming so moved off to turn left when a truck barrelled in front of me. I was only inches/seconds away from a very nasty encounter. This was minutes after hiring the car, after that, and negotiating my first roundabout I was fine. So get switched on as soon as you are on the wrong side, one mistake could be fatal. Also plan out your route as much as possible before hand, even with a sat nav if you are familiar with the roads your taking and what you are doing it will be easier.
Buce Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 A tip from me is to stick a note on the dashboard saying 'drive right'; first thing in the morning, or re-joining traffic after a break, are the times when you are more likely to instinctively pull-off driving on the left, and this acts as a reminder. Enjoy your trip.
cambridgefox Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 A tip from me is to stick a note on the dashboard saying 'drive right'; first thing in the morning, or re-joining traffic after a break, are the times when you are more likely to instinctively pull-off driving on the left, and this acts as a reminder. Enjoy your trip. many years ago in France I had been to a supermarket that had a single lane for exit only,this went on to a roundabout,I totally forgot as it was a single lane and turned left on it.Cacked myself,I was so so lucky that no one was on it and quickly took the first exit.Stopped the car 10 mins to calm down and had a few burners.That is the only time due to being one lane ive been stupid.Still makes me nervous thinking about what could have happened all these years later,it wasn't as if it was my first time driving abroad,I had been 10 or so times.
Merging Cultures Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 I've driven all sorts of roads. I still don't get the roundabout thing in France. Surely if you are already in the roundabout you have right of way? To drive into a roundabout and stop seems so stupid.
Carl the Llama Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 I've driven all sorts of roads. I still don't get the roundabout thing in France. Surely if you are already in the roundabout you have right of way? To drive into a roundabout and stop seems so stupid. You do... Roundabouts trump priority to the right, it's effectively a priority road.
Kinowe Soorie Posted 13 July 2015 Author Posted 13 July 2015 Thanks for the advice to all who contributed. Fantastic trip across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Stayed in Kraków, and what a beautiful place!! Not too sure about driving on the Autobahn in Monday morning rush hour traffic though!? Some proper crazy speeds!!
Alexikokopops Posted 14 July 2015 Posted 14 July 2015 I imagine the sight of so many clear middle lanes might be perturbing to the average motorway-using Englishman, so be prepared, and resist the urge to fill that space. A friend and I drove to Germnay and back from Calais last weekend and spent most of it marvelling at how much better people are on the continent at driving on motorways
Kinowe Soorie Posted 14 July 2015 Author Posted 14 July 2015 Can you relate? Ha!! Yes! More so though when we got back home.
Rob1742 Posted 14 July 2015 Posted 14 July 2015 I couldn't get to grips with it. Don't take it for granted it will be easy. I tried it in Tenerife and just couldn't get my head around where to go at junctions etc. At the time I tried it I was driving 40,0000 miles a year in the UK as a rep, but still couldn't adjust to driving on the other side of the road etc. A mate of mine just come back and he said he struggled too. Don't take it for granted and even if you do get to grips with it, take your time. My mate took over the driving from me in Tenerife and I can still see this bus heading straight at us as my mate had strayed to the wrong side of the road. Be careful I couldn't get to grips with it. Don't take it for granted it will be easy. I tried it in Tenerife and just couldn't get my head around where to go at junctions etc. At the time I tried it I was driving 40,0000 miles a year in the UK as a rep, but still couldn't adjust to driving on the other side of the road etc. A mate of mine just come back and he said he struggled too. Don't take it for granted and even if you do get to grips with it, take your time. My mate took over the driving from me in Tenerife and I can still see this bus heading straight at us as my mate had strayed to the wrong side of the road. Be careful
Soar Fox Posted 14 July 2015 Posted 14 July 2015 Don't take it for granted Gents, I don't think Rob1845 could get to grips with it.
Carl the Llama Posted 14 July 2015 Posted 14 July 2015 A friend and I drove to Germnay and back from Calais last weekend and spent most of it marvelling at how much better people are on the continent at driving on motorways It's unbelievable isn't it? All my illusions about the Brits being the most civilised, respectable people in Europe were shattered over the course of one journey from Dover to Bristol. I even had a white van man chase me into a motorway services because he took affront to my driving. Clearly he saw my plates and thought he was going to get some stupid foreigner to abuse, but when he got confronted with a perfectly accented Englishman telling him why the fvck he was actually in the wrong (the whole thing stemmed from him taking offence at me pulling into the overtaking lane when he was at least 30m behind me so he accelerated until he was just a few centimetres off my bumper. I did the only logical thing: I slapped the brakes to make it clear he was too close before finishing my overtake and pulling back into the correct lane - he then did that thing where they hold speed alongside you to try intimidating you through the window, only problem is I'm an argumentative cvnt and I'll never back down if I'm 100% certifiably in the right - this is where I started antagonising him back, resulting in a ridiculously dangerous motorway chase as Mr Van man clearly wasn't used to people not meekly accepting his road bullying techniques like trying to pull over into the front of you, so I decided to pull off to calm down and let the idiot go off on his merry way which he elected not to do) he got confused and gave up attempting a racist tirade, kicked my car and fvcked off. I still have a slight dent where his mongoloid boot made its impact. I'd never experience such aggressive behaviour on the road so it didn't even occur to me to make note of his number plate which is something I'll always regret.
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