Driving in Ireland
I did some driving here today, having managed to get myself added temporarily to my father’s car insurance policy. This meant dealing with the whole “other side of the road” thing.
So you drive on the opposite side of the road; the gear shift is on the other side; the hand brake is on the other side; the indicator and windscreen-wiper controls are swapped. But the pedals are all in the same orientation (clutch on far left, then brake, then accelerator).
I had a lot less trouble with this than I thought I would. And I didn’t think that it would be that hard for me, given that my first driving experiences did occur in Ireland, not the US. None of the control orientation stuff has bothered me at all so far, which is nice. The opposite-side stuff hasn’t troubled me so far, but that’s the kind of thing where it wouldn’t, until you forget for a moment in some spot where there are no cues, and then next thing you know you’re driving towards oncoming traffic.
So that’s one of those things I just need to keep in mind, essentially. I thought about some quick way of orientation that wasn’t dependent on telling left from right, or on remembering what side you should be driving on, and came up with: the center line should be near you. That might not sound like it makes much sense, but: if you’re driving on the left, the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car. So the center line of the street you’re on is going to be close by. If you’re driving on the right, the driver’s seat is on the left side of the car, and again the center line will be close by. But if the center line of a two-way (two-lane) street is not close by, but rather on the opposite side of the car, then you are on the wrong side.
I think it’s more complicated to explain that than to keep note of it. I haven’t had to try out that reminder yet, and maybe it’s just ingrained and I won’t have to. Basically, though, I don’t anticipate any problems with driving here, and am rather happy that I am now able to do it. Nice to get to drive stick for a while, too.
18 Aug 2006 at 01:31
Sounds sensible. How does that help you figure out where the controls are, though? :)
18 Aug 2006 at 06:13
Just out of interest do you scan/censor, moderate? comments?
If so freedom of speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech dude.
Anyway when it comes to driving in the land of saints scholars and sodomisers ( will that word be moderated ?) I find it all goes much more smoothly if you put on some pastel sports casual clothing and listen to jan hammers greatest hits on a nice set of headphones. having done that steal your neighbours gardening gloves and wearing them interfere with the nearest dog in sexual handjob way. Place the glooves carefully back in your neighbours house so they look like they were never gone and then wowee, watch him/her work in the garden. This is helping you to focus more when in the car.
Get in to the automoblie and sit there, do not put the key in the egnition, big no no! Roll down all the windows and start to argue very loudly with yourself about anything but you must use the the following words,
-Bladder
-tomcat
-tomahawk missle system
-bloodless castrator
-gene pool
-wank-claw
-frond
Having done this then you can get ready to drive, but only then.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN AN INSECT DIES ON YOUR WINDSCREEN YOU MUST STOP AT ONCE GET OUT OF THE CAR AND SELF FLAGULATE
YOURSELF WITH SOME ROAD KILL TAHT YOU HAVE STORED IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT.
more driving tips soon unless I am moderated.
18 Aug 2006 at 06:20
Eoin:
I haven’t had trouble with the controls, so I don’t really need a reminder of where they are!
Garret (sorry to blow your cover there, “G-Sizzle”): I moderate comments by unknown email addresses because of the evil that is spam. If I didn’t have any controls, the blog would be covered in spam, mostly in German about online poker sites.
I don’t really moderate for non-spam purposes, and your comment is presented above unmolested. Thanks for the driving tips! (Although I will probably not use them, and instead try to pass them on to some unsuspecting tourist.)