the flight over was good. Not much to talk about if you’ve flown on a plane before. Although it was my first time on a 777. I had a night flight so I landed at Heathrow at 11am and caught about 3 – 4 hours of sleep on the plane, after a full day of Easter Sunday activities. Surprisingly, I wasn't too tired. My mind must be running off of excitement of being overseas for the first time and reading the Harlan Coben book, “The Innocent” (very good book, almost done!).
I get my passport stamped and grab my bag off of the carousel. Which, by incredible luck, was there on the carousel after waiting there for 10 seconds; that’s never happened before.
I ended up getting a new wallet for this trip, one that is slimmer, holds less and goes in my front pocket (to avoid being pick-pocketed). The width of the billfold works just barely for dollars, but of course, was not designed for the pound which is a full half inch taller than a dollar. The lady at the exchange counter suggested I get a new wallet, thanks but…
Aaaah, now onto the rental car. I get on the shuttle bus to go to the rental agency and try to enter the bus on the wrong side. See, if you didn’t realize, in
I finish up at the rental agency and get situated in my Vauxhall Vectra with a 6 speed manual transmission and GPS. I take extra care in ensuring that the mirrors are adjusted correctly, I know where the turn signals are located, the wipers, my maps; all this extra effort to ensure that my brain is able to focus more attention on driving on the left hand side of the roa
I pull out with the rental car and end up stalling it three times before realizing that I’m trying to take off in 3rd gear. Blast! The gear shift locations are in the same locations on vehicles on either side of the pond; my only problem was my left hand's inability to know how to put it into 1st gear. I was afraid I would end up putting it into reverse, but finding reverse will be another adventure to tell you about later.
The GPS was a godsend. I would have gone crazy trying to get out of Heathrow with out it.
So once I was trundling merrily along headed to my hotel, this is what my vantage point was driving:
The devil is in the details when it comes to driving on the left. This means that nearly everything is opposite, stuff you wouldn’t even think about (at least I didn’t): - The exits are primarily on the left
- Faster traffic travels on the right
- Your blindspot is now on the right
- Looking in your rearview mirror requires you to look to the left (that’s a tricky one!)
- The wipers go from left to right, not right to left
- When I drive, I have a tendency to slouch to the right…I can’t do that now. Well, I have to slouch to the left instead.
- The guy inside the round-a-bout has the right of way
- Parking the car is difficult
- The seatbelt is on the left
Once I was settled in my room I took a walk and here are some pictures.
Danger! Speed cameras!
A road like this, is called a dual carriageway. Look out for buggys!
This whole left hand side driving hoses me up in another category: crossing the road. I don’t know if you are like me, but when I’m in America and I cross the street I have a tendency to first look left as I proceed across the road, then when I reach the median I look to the right to ensure I’m not going to be Froggered. This is a problem in the
Once I got across it took a few minutes before I stopped laughing at myself.
For dinner I walked to a restaurant across from the hotel. When I ordered the 7oz fillet, the waitress confirmed my order by saying ‘the phil-ett’? Yes, the phil-ett, with a Stella Artois to wash it down.
Baked potatoes are referred to as jacket potatoes.
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