On Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:54:57 -0500
Recliner wrote:
Sampo Smolander wrote:
d wrote:
Why is it that you can have everyone on an escalator standing on the right
[...]
Not a Brit, so I have been wondering: How come you drive cars on the
left side, but then on the sidewalk you (usually) take the right side,
and also the right side on escalators?
Why not consistently left side everywhere?
Boats pass on the right in Britain, as elsewhere. On pavements (sidewalks)
there seems to be no consistent pattern in Britain. Perhaps escalators,
which came here from the US, follow American precedent?
I'll hazard a guess that its simply that most people prefer to hold onto the
handrail with their right hands which requires standing on the right.
As for driving on the left - the romans "drove" on the left and most countries
up until napoleon came along did too. Then he changed it to the right, can't
remember the reason, and the USA decided to follow the french simply because it
wasn't british.
Personally I prefer left hand drive cars and would like us in the UK
to drive on the right but financially and from an infrastructure point of
view, changing over would be a complete non starter.
--
Spud