driving, lhd rhd Options

[SlvrCelica09]

if in america drivers on the right side have right of way.. why do we drive on the left side?

[Nial]

Driving on the Left stems from times when people rode horses as the main form of transport....it meant that when you met someone on the road you could easily shake hands with them.

Places where "shaking hands" wasnt used as a greeting didnt need to consider this.....places like the US (& most other former UK colonies) etc drive on the right as a snub to the UK, kind of like a driving **** you . I believe France etc adopted this aswell as the UK and France have been enemies for much of History and they hated the UK.....the rest of europe followed France for ease of driving around mainland Europe.

Had the English not been such a bunch of narrow minded dictators in the past I think most of the world would drive on the left.

Maybe people in Maryland didnt hate the English as much as everyone else does.

This post has been edited by Nial: Aug 24, 2009 - 7:10 AM

[SwissFerdi]

Driving on the Left stems from times when people rode horses as the main form of transport....it meant that when you met someone on the road you could easily shake hands with them.

And because most men were right-handed, therefore they mounted said horses with their left foot leading and swung the right over the saddle, which can't be done on the right side of the road. Also, since the aforementioned men were right-handed, they carried their lances/swords in their right- meaning that oncoming duelers on horseback would pass each other to their right, or left of each other.

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Like that.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Aug 24, 2009 - 2:46 PM

[Nial]

Driving on the Left stems from times when people rode horses as the main form of transport....it meant that when you met someone on the road you could easily shake hands with them.

And because most men were right-handed, therefore they mounted said horses with their left foot leading and swung the right over the saddle, which can't be done on the right side of the road. Also, since the aforementioned men were right-handed, they carried their lances/swords in their right- meaning that oncoming duelers on horseback would pass each other to their right, or left of each other.

------>
<-----

Like that.

Also true .. the side of the road you ride on when jousting........on a completely unrelated topic it also dictates which way spiral staircases twist in castles....but thats getting way off topic

[DEATH]

Driving on the Left stems from times when people rode horses as the main form of transport....it meant that when you met someone on the road you could easily shake hands with them.

And because most men were right-handed, therefore they mounted said horses with their left foot leading and swung the right over the saddle, which can't be done on the right side of the road. Also, since the aforementioned men were right-handed, they carried their lances/swords in their right- meaning that oncoming duelers on horseback would pass each other to their right, or left of each other.

------>
<-----

Like that.

Also true .. the side of the road you ride on when jousting........on a completely unrelated topic it also dictates which way spiral staircases twist in castles....but thats getting way off topic

Very cool to know - make us a little drawing so we can understand that too
I agree Swiss

[Nial]

Driving on the Left stems from times when people rode horses as the main form of transport....it meant that when you met someone on the road you could easily shake hands with them.

And because most men were right-handed, therefore they mounted said horses with their left foot leading and swung the right over the saddle, which can't be done on the right side of the road. Also, since the aforementioned men were right-handed, they carried their lances/swords in their right- meaning that oncoming duelers on horseback would pass each other to their right, or left of each other.

------>
<-----

Like that.

Also true .. the side of the road you ride on when jousting........on a completely unrelated topic it also dictates which way spiral staircases twist in castles....but thats getting way off topic

Very cool to know - make us a little drawing so we can understand that too
I agree Swiss

I`ll try and explain....Imagine your stood at the bottom of a spiral staircase...sword in your right hand......if the spiral staircase goes up clockwise your sword hand would be towards the centre of the twist....now imagine someone coming down the stairs....it would be quite difficult to swing your sword at him.
Now imagine the spiral staircase going up anti clockwise...if someone was coming down the stairs it would be so much easier to fight them.

Castle designers used this idea......if people attacking the castle had to go up the stairs to get to the target then the spiral went clockwise up making it harder for the attacker and easier for the defender....likewise if the attacker had to go down the stairs to get to the target then the stairs would twist clockwise down.

Hope that makes sense

On this theory spiral staircases in a house should always go up clockwise making it easier to defend the upstairs......not really needed anymore as not many people will storm your house with a sword , but is nice to think that it matches with the original designers intent for spiral staircases.

Could this be possibly the most off topic thread ever from driving to spiral staircases in 5 posts

This post has been edited by Nial: Aug 24, 2009 - 4:10 PM