April 4, 2014 – I am Left-Right challenged. I remember how excited I was when someone, many, many years ago, upon my blank expression when he gave me directions to a restaurant and told me it was on the left hand side of the road, stuck his left hand out in front of himself and said “Left makes the L!”
Brilliant!
And I’ve never forgotten that “AHA” moment!
Sad, isn’t it? Yes, I have a PhD and I generally can’t tell my left from my right. Oddly, I am very good at knowing my port from starboard, and within BC I usually have a pretty good idea of my cardinal directions. Especially when I can see the North Shore mountains 🙂
But left-right?
No, I suck at that.
Years ago Kirk became irritated at me when, once time too many when asked where to turn, I pointed across him. My hand was knocked away and I was gruffly told to not point, just tell him left or right.
Silly man! What was he thinking?
Not terribly long after I said “Left!” And when he began to take the corner I frantically yelled “NO, the OTHER left!”
He asked me to just point next time.
But Left-Right challenges seem to extend beyond mere “which side am I on?” problems.
Take driving for example.
Keep Right Except to Pass
Nothing can drive me up the wall faster than a left-lane camper. The number of times I’ve been driving on the highway in the right hand lane, all by myself, with nary a car to be seen ahead in my lane, only to glance over and see a line of vehicles all bumper to bumper, happily coasting along in the left lane. And there I go, sailing by the lot of them, in the right hand lane.
WHY?
Why idiocy possesses these drivers to stay in the left lane? Basic drivers education taught us that the law states that slower drivers must stay to the right. Do all of these drivers believe they are faster than the driver ahead of them? Or do they believe that in general they are “faster drivers” and therefore deserve the left hand lane?
No, sadly it’s most likely just ignorance of the Motor Vehicle Act, or selfishness – they simply don’t care that they are instigating “lane hopping”, road rage, and other traffic troubles as drivers try to find a way around their rolling blockade.
In a recent documentary piece I watched on television, the reporter put a board on a table, and placed magnetic cars on an imaginary road. He then asked those he was speaking with to place themselves into traffic. The vast majority put themselves in the left lane and stated that it was because there was less traffic there. Many even placed themselves there when there was no traffic.
What really bugs me is that I can pass a car on the right, and the driver often doesn’t wake up and move over to the right after I go by. From the perspective of many other drivers, this is an act of self centred entitlement. In reality, it’s probably just inattentive driving and ignorance/lack of education.
The BC Motor Vehicle Act, Section 150 (2) states:
“(2) The driver of a vehicle proceeding at less than normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing must drive the vehicle in the right hand lane then available for traffic, or as closely as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing a vehicle proceeding in the same direction, or when preparing for a left hand turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.”
So stop telling me that it’s all about speed limits and if you are driving the speed limit that you have a right to be in the left hand lane!! Stop telling me that the car behind shouldn’t be speeding and you are in the right. If you are inciting rage on the road, then you are using your car as a weapon, the same way that other driver is. Besides this, if you stay in the right hand lane when you either don’t need to be there, or when you are holding up traffic, of if anyone is passing to the right of you, then you are being rude, arrogant, self-centred, self-righteous, and downright obnoxious.
And you know what, that law doesn’t JUST apply to highways. It also applies to city streets, not that anyone knows or would believe it.
I don’t think I’d be off base to say that if you asked anyone what their number one pet peeve on the roads is, it would be this. There are literally hundreds of posted articles on the subject. Here are just a couple if you are bored.
Why Drivers Still Refuse to Budge from the Left Lane
Why Can’t I Drive in the Left Lane in Quebec?
Left lane etiquette and tailgating consequences
Escalator Etiquette 101
But Left-Right Challenges aren’t just about driving and directions. I was in the mall yesterday and there are those that seem blithely unaware that there is also an etiquette code when riding an escalator (and the same rules apply on moving sidewalks too).
Escalators seem simple enough, right? But they are generally governed by a pretty universal set of etiquette rules that exist to keep the flow of human traffic moving at a steady pace, so people can get where they need to go. And, when ignored through selfishness or idiocy, failure to abide by those rules cause headaches and frustration.
It’s simple, really! Stand on the right. If you want to stand still, the right side is where you belong. Not in the middle. Not on the left. This includes all of your stuff too – shopping bags, stroller, luggage, whatever you are hauling along with you.
Think of it as a multi-lane highway: the fast lane is not the place to drive 30 km/h. When you block the left side, you create a traffic jam. It’s bad enough when one person does it, but when a group of people stand there gabbing on the same step, they are impeding progress.
And make a decision please! Don’t just stop when about to get on, and particularly not when you have just stepped off. The escalator doesn’t stop moving just because you did. It is still disgorging people at the same rate behind you. Why would you step off a moving escalator, crowded with people, and just…stop?!?
But really, unless you live somewhere where no building is more than one floor in height, how can you not know to stay to the right so people can pass, and don’t just stop at the top while you try to figure out where you want to go.
See, it’s just like driving!
Oh, wait……….now I understand………
23 comments
yup, most of the time I have to hold my hands up in front of me looking for the L for left. Dicey if you are dyslexic tho.
Unless, of course you are somewhere where they drive on the left. I had a hard time remembering to stand on the left on escalators in those countries.
This is very true. Kirk and I spent a month sailing in Greece, and then took a four day layover in the UK before heading back to Canada. We went from a month of putting along at a maximum of something like 6-8 knots, only to land on the M5 in a manual transmission car, driving from the wrong side, on the wrong side. We made a few errors along the way….. 😉
But…they stand on the opposite sides on the escalators too? This I didn’t know…but if true, makes my driving analogy complete 🙂
John maintains that the only reason we became engaged was because he saw the ring as an aid to his teaching me to drive.40+ years on I still really have to think about left and right and there is a 50% chance I will get it right.
John maintains that the only reason we became engaged was because he saw the ring as an aid to his teaching me to drive.40+ years on I still really have to think about left and right and there is a 50% chance I will get it right.
Mary, remind me, was it you or Karen who goes round and round in the roundabouts? 😉
Paige Ackerman It is me! My sat navs favourite words are recalculating and I swear the voice gets more exasperated with each circuit.
You are so cute. I miss you Mary!
Anna Fel Miss you too..
Mary, I thought it was you 😉
Don’t forget elevators! why is it that people insist on getting on when the doors open BEFORE the people inside are able to get OUT? It’s a small space people, I’ve been known to hold my hand up and say “let us out first so you can get in please.” Of course it may have something to do with the fact that I’m claustrophobic.
No James, I’ve had to do the same. Skytrain is another example.