Hi Club Members.

As someone who's only been on a honeymoon cruise to Cozumel Mexico many years ago, I have never left the county of USA!
Most of the time was spent on the boat getting there and getting back and spent only a few hours at the actual destination-
didn't get to see much but details of what I saw to come.

I've always been fascinated about how people live, what it's like, and for the sake of keeping on topic of Car Chat- WHAT THEY DRIVE.

>> Tell a story in as much detail as you like or just a quick post if that's all ya have.
PS- not expecting much interest in this topic but thought I'd post it up and see what's up!

 

You definitely need to travel outside the USA...

In terms of cars, I always love seeing all the different models that they drive outside the US that we don't get here. I also like seeing the little differences in models we do have, and the differences in signage and road markings.

Strangest place in terms of driving, in the US Virgin Islands their cars have the steering wheel on the left, like ours, but they drive on the right, like in the UK. Driving on the right in a right hand drive car is a very weird experience, especially parallel parking. Most rental cars in the UK have stickers on the windshields that say DRIVE RIGHT! to remind you lol

I've spent a lot of time in the Caribbean, one thing I find funny is that they are so close to the equator their headlights turn yellow like almost immediately. You see all these guts in parking lots just waxing their headlights all the time trying to keep them clear. You also see a lot of old dilapidated cars that clearly were shipped from places like here and were totaled that have been put back on the road.

 

I've driven in Canada, which is not really a big deal. Niagara and in Quebec City.

Years ago, we rented a car in Spain on our honeymoon. Back then, you definitely needed to know how to drive a manual transmission. It's so weird to me to think back how we did that, with no GPS and not being fluent in the language. In the small town we stayed in outside of Seville, one of the streets was so narrow, the sides of the buildings fronting the street flipped my side view mirrors in at one point.

I don't think I'd want to do it in a country where they drive on the left hand side of the road - I'd be too paranoid that I'd just forget.

 

One of my friends in moving to England, I was talking about this with her and her rental when she was just there was a manual. Thats another thing, lots of manuals still around...where would you be able to rent a manual in the US?

 

i doubt you can find a manual rental in the u.s., maybe turo.

yes, in uk, you still have to take a driving test in a manual, although if you do take one in an auto, your license then only 'allows' you to drive auto cars.

 

I need to travel west of the Mississipi River first.
Hanging my head in shame... lol

Me too, I find it fascinating.

I imagine all the tourists that get there and say, "what the hell, I can't drive a stick shift". Tisk, Tisk...
FUNNY!

Didn't see that coming, so you're saying you need a "Manual shift" endorsement- kinda like a CDL or motorcycle endorsement here.
Craziness.

 

Honestly? No you don't lol. America is largely America. Traveling abroad gives you a lot of perspective, traveling around the US does too but nowhere near the same amount because like I said, America is America. Life in Nevada or CA is a lot like life in FL or Maryland.

And even if you can, you have to shift it with your left hand!

 

49 states, 3 provinces, 42 countries. Haven't driven every one of those countries, but lived in Greece for 3 years (well, on the island of Crete really), and spent a few months in England driving a manual right hand drive military vehicle daily during Desert Shield/Storm (which until very recently disqualified me from donating blood because of potential Mad Cow exposure). When I lived in Ireland as a 13 year old, my step dad had a left hand drive MB 250 he picked up in Germany. I got to play "is it safe to pass" with him a lot, but honestly, in Ireland if two cars are approaching and someone wants to pass, the drivers (in 1973) will just move a little and make room for the passing car instead of honking horns and being jerks. The attitude "Tisn't goin' anywhere, we're on an island" included driving.

When I got back from Desert Storm, I was in a parking lot in California, and my brain was confused about where I was. At the time I spent 200 days a year literally flying all over the globe so location confusion happened more than I would have liked. I once woke up in my own bed at home and had to figure out where I was because I couldn't remember. So, there I am in the parking lot at Sears in Sacramento and asking myself "What side of the road am I supposed to be driving on?" Then I remembered the advice I got from one of my troops who shared my experience - look out the driver's side window and you should see the dividing line. If you don't you are probably on the wrong side of the road. It saved me in that moment.

BTW, I am nominally left handed so shifting with the left hand was stupid easy.

All that said, I've never seen anything remotely like Seoul in 1981. Cars packed so close if someone's vehicle caught fire, they wouldn't be able to open the doors and escape. Mind blowing for a westerner.

 

Only country I've driven in outside of the US is Canada, Mexico and Dubai in 2017 (rented a Huracan for two days). When I've travelled to other countries I've taken train, bus, taxis and Uber. As you know I was in the Middle East, it's scary driving there, people don't stop, ride your bumper, give you the right of way (you have to force your way in) or yield. Luckily there is a pattern to all the madness, it's like a video game, once you learn it, it all makes sense

 

Most people take their test in a manual. As Bit says can take your test in an auto but then you’re only allowed to drive an auto. It’s usually a last resort by people who struggle with their coordination and just can’t pass the usual test. It’s not something you’d admit to in company for fear of ridicule.

I’ve driven in the US, Australia, France, Greece, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Holland, Malta &Antigua, Swopping from left to right hand drive isn’t really a problem but I have driven my RHD UK car down to Spain, driving on the right and you do have to keep your wits about you when starting off after a break to make sure you rejoin the correct carriageway because you automatically drive on the left.

 

Most recently in Johannesburg, in a manual, driving on the left side of road, at night with frequent power outages (called load shedding in South Africa to conserve /balance electrical grid), and alot of people on the street/side of the road. Not too bad once you get used to it. There is no fiddling with your radio, your cell phone, GPS, etc. Eyes on the road at all times !

Once in Athens, Greece, was driving on freeway entering the city core. 8 "lanes" (use the term lane loosely as lanes don't really exist here) of traffic trying merge into a narrow street to enter downtown core. Absolute chaos. Every man for himself. LOL. Motorcycles/mopeds/scooters whizzing in between all the cars honking and swearing at everyone. All in a manual of course. They laugh at you if you ask for an automatic at the car rental agency. It's actually quite fun driving in Athens during heavy volume traffic periods. Just got to keep on your toes and stay alert. But not that bad once you get used to it all.

I think the easiest place on earth to drive in is the USA and Canada.

 

You'd be surprised how quickly you adapt. Took me only a couple of days and I was fine. You adjust to the traffic flow and follow the crowd sort of speak. When you sometimes get caught
is when you're on a backroad with no other vehicles around, and then you "forget" and veer off to the wrong side.

 

This probably goes without saying, but, for most Americans, perhaps the most difficult thing to get used to in Britain, Japan, and Australia would be simply sitting on the right side of the front seat behind the wheel, shifting with one's left hand, and driving on the left side of the road. When you get used to left-hand drive, which most other countries have, it can be difficult to adjust to a totally different perspective because your eyes and brain are so used to doing it that way for years.

The first right-hand drive car I ever sampled was an old English-spec 1957 Rolls-Royce, which belonged to a limo-company that my ex-flight-instructor worked/drove for after he retired from flying. I found the sensation and visual-acuity to be weird at first, so I kept it slow and easy until I got used to the sensation.

I found that to be the case, not only in vehicles but in airplanes as well, because I learned to fly sitting in the left seat, with the instructor on the right....the days of fore/aft tandem-seat trainers were long-gone when I learned to fly in the 1980s. The first time I tried to fly (and especially to land) from the right seat, it was something I was not used to, and I managed to do it, but it was visually more difficult.

 

epic post. you've lived quite a life!

haha, i never met anyone there with an auto only license. as you say, it would be a cone of shame.

yes, parking lots and starting off are 2 of the biggest challenges it's easy to 'forget' what you're supposed to be doing.

when in britain i always think "my body is supposed to be near the center lines, not the ditch!"

actually, rural scotland or ireland is amazing because you can see for miles in many areas (few trees, no hedges/fences) and there's almost no cars on the road. many roads are 1 (TOTAL) lane however, and if you do see someone coming, you pull over if they haven't already.

craziest places i've been in a car are rome italy (thankfully not driving), boston, and of course manhattan.

 

We were using public transit and walking in Rome, but looking at the traffic it seemed like madness and chaos. I actually wondered at the time if it was just me or if it really was that bad.

The only foreign country I've actually driven in was Germany and where I was it was no worse than a typical northeast US city.