Chapter 1 "Look Right"

Within minutes of landing in England from Canada, the first culture shock hit me. One of which you hear so much about, but never really know what to expect until I think you experience it. Of course the rest of the world has always wondered, why the heck do you drive on the left side? Well, this little detail affects many things. The way the cars are made, names for parts of roadways, roadsigns, the list goes on.
First thing I noticed was the license plates. In Canada (also the United States from what I've seen on other travels) we have very customized license plates. Each province (or state) has little quotes telling you something about itself. Ontario's is "your's to discover." Something I personally found out this past summer that there is so much to see, just make your way out of southwestern Ontario, and you will really see what they mean by it. These license plates can be so customized that I remember trips when I was younger playing games to see how many out-of-town license plates each member in the car could spot before our destination. Although this game always took a backseat to my fathers more favoured game, Roadkill Bingo. But that's another story . . .
So when I left the airport and said "wow, all their license plates are just numbers and letters. You can't tell where there from," a kind Manchester gentleman (I could tell because he sounded a lot like Noel Gallagher, which is mainly inaudible) told me "Aye come on son, ya don't need too." That's ok I guess, they're missing out on a great game.
Next as I approached our taxi, which is very different in itself compared to the yellow beasts that populate major metropolitan areas like Toronto, I tried to sit myself on the right (what I thought was passenger) side. Peter our driver pointed out, "Come on son, you can't drive just yet." Now apart from wondering why every Englishman thought I was his "son," I also wondered, "what the heck did I just get myself into?"
They build their cars to accomodate their roads. Drivers side is on the right side so they can see the outside of the road better (which is really the inside). Stick shift on the left hand? Hmm, seems tough but if that's all you know then it would work.
This is all leading to the biggest thing I think people need to be wary of. The fact that you need to look right first with traffic. Now it may seem like an easy concept to just look both ways. But of course, like most things human, most of us have become lazy and allowed technology to do the thinking for us, so we instinctively look left (if at all really) and then start walking. Well Thank God for the road painters in England. Knowing that the rest of the world will not catch on, have painted "look right" at every major intersection. Now I wonder how this must have gotten started. I can just imagine two cops standing over a body saying to each other "Damn it Nigel, here's another tourist. Forgot to look right again." "I know Simon, what the bloody hell we gonna do with these folk?" And so began the painting of the roads. Unfortunately for me, they didn't have it at the first intersection I used. Luckily though, another one of my dad's was driving near and warned me with a honk and chatter "watch out son, keep your eyes open when ya walk!"
So after the first day's lesson I know now A) people in England have never played the license plate game and B) Your always somebodies son around here.
Now don't even get me started on these things called "round-a-bouts."

Cheers

A.M