Monday, September 05, 2005

driving on the wrong side

Rented a car today and drove 350 kilometers or so from Auckland to
Tongariro National Park, where we plan to ski tomorrow.
After the alien experience of breathing underwater, when all 27 years
of my life experience have led me to believe that's a bad thing, I went
right into the alien experience of driving on the wrong side, fighting
13 years of driving experience and the subsequent learned reflexes.
The hardest things: turning right and ending up in the left lane. Also,
when turning right out of a turning lane, I kept trying to look behind
me instead of in front of me for oncoming traffic. When you're in the
middle of two lanes, the traffic should be coming from behind your
right shoulder, not in front.
Also, when cars come around a mountain curve to my left, it really
looks like they're coming head-on at me, because you can't see they're
in the far lane.
Made it, though.

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