Did you know that approximately 66% of the world's population live in an area where driving on the right-hand side of the road is the rule while the other (crazy) 34% drive on the left-hand side? I am still questioning why we as humans have acquired and even accepted such a difference. Within these areas, the configuration of the vehicle will also vary. For example, in the U.S. where driving on the right-side of the road is the norm (and law), the driver's seat and all associated with this powerful position are found on the left-side of the vehicle; however, in Afghanistan where individuals also drive on the right-side of the road, you will find their driver sitting on the right-side of the vehicle. To me, this is flat out messed up, and it makes visiting other countries even more complicated.
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| Red: Countries with right-hand traffic. Blue: Countries with left-hand traffic. |
Before I go on, I must equip you with some more knowledge. In a 2012 study, 93% of car sales in the U.S. were automatic transmissions while 7% were manual transmissions. As you can probably guess, the majority of Americans have no skill in driving a manual, and this includes myself and PDub. Additionally and not necessarily related, men will admit they have this skill 95% of the time (statistic may be fabricated). So where am I going with this? The individuals of Ireland have decided to go with the 34% of the world and drive on the left-hand side of the road; the driver's seat is on the right-hand side; and last but not least, the number of manuals to automatics is quite the opposite to the U.S.
When we arrived in Ireland, we went directly to retrieve our reserved automatic vehicle. Of course, they were completely out of automatics (go figure), and when asked if he could drive a manual, PDub (with only one lesson behind the wheel previously) kindly said he could try. I guess if I was completely a number person, the statistics that I presented earlier would have told me that our car rental would lead us to these results, oh well....it's the luck of the Irish. The next thing I know, I am in a parking lot getting whiplash from PDub teaching himself to drive a manual. I think back on it now and believe I could have saved my neck and back from a beating if I just waited and watched curbside....but I can't go back now.
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| For our troubles in not receiving an automatic, they gave us an "SUV" that hardly fit one carry-on and a medium-sized suitcase in the trunk. |
After about 30 minutes of practice, PDub gained enough courage to head out on the open road, left-side style. We stalled out several times, and I found that sending positive energy his way as well as cheering when he got going again proved to lighten the mood. Unlike the lovely residents of Virginia, Irish individuals do not find honking a necessity, especially if you are stalled out slowly retreating their way when you've had a green light for 20 seconds.
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| What is wrong with this picture?....Left-side of the road and right-side of vehicle |
In addition to driving on the left-hand side and shifting with your left hand, the roadways in Ireland (especially rural Ireland) are much narrower, propelling you into bushes and sometimes rock walls when meeting the road-dominating, full-sized tour buses. I also learned that the best roads are those that have grass growing in the middle meaning there's only room for one car at a time. Several times we found ourselves reversing in hopes of finding a wider area so that a car could pass. Driving in Ireland was an adventure in itself, and by the end of the trip, PDub had become a professional manual car driver not stalling once on our last two days; plus I became a peppy cheerleader slash energy sender (just call me Yoda with spirit fingers).
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| Small roads, small cars...big stone walls, big branches. |
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| Similar to a roller coaster. |
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| Grass growing in the middle of the road. |
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| The term "off-road" took on a new definition seeing we were always on a road. |
