 | | | Subject: Why do others drive on the right?
Posted Aug 22, 2000 by xtreme2000
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After travelling through time, and passing some of my youth in mid-evil France, in the years of Joanne d'Arcquette, i have your little answer to this mind-bonding question.
People used to walk on the streets, from the days of the first streets ever, way back in the Roman Empire.
People used to carry swords and other cuttlery tools with them, because some of the not-so-fortunate used to close streets and rob.
So, people walked (or rided horses) in the middle of the narrow roads, and whenever someone passed by, they faced him with the right side, so it could be easier to draw the sword (or other cuttlery tool) to defend oneself.
After His Royal Higness, the King of France, cleared the streets from robbers, he gave a Royal Order, that his subject will from this point on use the right side of the roads, because the streets are now safe and free for everyone.
Also, its now illegal for anyone not in the King's Army (or being a professional butcher) to carry cuttlery tools.
The Brits, however, needed to point out there independence from France opposed this rule and where walking on the left side of the roads, creating a major problem for GM-Opel, who need to produce silly cars with the driving weel on the wrong side, calling them Vauxhalls.
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| | | Subject: Why do others drive on the right?
Posted Oct 24, 2002 by Fizzicist
This is a reply to this Posting
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 | | I believe the truth lies in a certain Frenchman.
As has been said in the guide entry, the cart drivers carried the whips with their right hand to avoid the risk of removing a young urchins ear or whatever. It was also because the army, cavalry, knights etc were predominantly right handed so when approaching any oncoming attacker/enemy etc their weapon could be drawn to face that side.
Napoleon however, was left handed and made the entire of his empire dress to the left, so to speak. 
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