Martin Underwood wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 25 Jun 2005:

And it felt wrong not having a
red-and-amber "get ready to go, put the car in gear/drive, take the
handbrake off" phase to traffic lights, but I gather a lot of Europe is like
that.

France certainly is; Germany is more like us. Not sure about any other
European countries, we were only on the motorways in Belgium last
holidays, and I don't think I noticed what the situation was in
Switzerland.

I must admit, after driving in America and having to keep down to fairly low
speed limits on single-carriageway roads (35 where we'd probably have had 50
or 60), it was nice to get off the train from Gatwick into my own car and
drive on the right side of the road on country lanes where I was able to
drive at a reasonable speed, or on a dual-carriageway where I wouldn't have
to contend with someone overtaking me on my nearside or going dead-level
with me mile after mile, and in a car that didn't change down automatically
into second gear every time I dropped below 30 or negotiated a roundabout!
Before I went, I was apprehensive of how I'd adjust to driving on the other
side of the road, but I had no problems with that.

One doesn't, I understand. I don't yet drive, but I'm told by those who
do that this is invariably far less difficult than anticipated.

And I think I coped with
roundabouts like the one going onto Cape Cod a damn-sight better than most
Americans who very rarely get to see one and were flummoxed to encounter one
all of a sudden. I wouldn't like to have to drive a RHD car on the right (or
an LHD car on the left) though: I like to be able to see in my door mirror
what's overtaking me or see what's coming towards me when I want to
overtake.


Husband & Daughter haven't ever had any problems with this one, either.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005