Whacky Signs.

[PhilJ W]

55 minutes ago, CameronL said:

On a slightly lighter note about airports - 

 

 

As it's an airport it might be comforting to think there's a 'plane or two as well.

Not with the lockdown/travel restrictions.

[CameronL]

17 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Not with the lockdown/travel restrictions.

Those give the Liverpool John Lennon baggage handlers less chance to affirm another line from the same song - 

 

"Imagine no possessions." 

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, CameronL said:

On a slightly lighter note about airports - 

 

 

As it's an airport it might be comforting to think there's a 'plane or two as well.

 

Most people I know still refer to it as Speke airport...

[ian]

Ah, the old joke:

 

"Is this bus going to Speke?"

 

"Well, I've been driving it all day and it hasn't said a word so far."

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, pH said:

Funny you should say that! Having lived and driven in Canada for 39 years, I went the wrong way round a roundabout last week, fortunately without any consequences.

 

It was a small, low ‘traffic-calming’ roundabout in a residential area. I approached along a road with cars parked solidly along both sides, leaving only a single narrow lane in the middle of the road. I wanted to go along the street to the right. I remember it was a definite decision to go round clockwise, but can’t explain it.

Having driven left hand drive rented cars in several countries, I have always found that the position of the controls and that the gearstick and handbrake are too your right make driving on the right intuitive enough to not cause me any problems; same on roundabouts, because of the angle you approach them at.  The thing that I have to stop and think very hard about, though, is turning left on to a dual carriageway; that really messes with my head!

[PhilJ W]

8 hours ago, ian said:

Ah, the old joke:

 

"Is this bus going to Speke?"

 

"Well, I've been driving it all day and it hasn't said a word so far."

[Mark Saunders]

10 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Having driven left hand drive rented cars in several countries, I have always found that the position of the controls and that the gearstick and handbrake are too your right make driving on the right intuitive enough to not cause me any problems; same on roundabouts, because of the angle you approach them at.  The thing that I have to stop and think very hard about, though, is turning left on to a dual carriageway; that really messes with my head!

You should try driving in the UK as the number of drivers that insist on driving in the right hand lane on dual carriageways and motorways! 

[Halvarras]

15 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

The biggest issue I have with right-hand drive is that I find myself using the windscreen wipers when I mean to indicate a turn frustratingly often.

 

 

 

Since passing my driving test in 1975 up until 2004 I drove four European cars followed by two Japanese, the last of which was registered in 1993 (its VIN ended in 000001 but that's another story!) - all were RHD and had wipers on the left and lights on the right, i.e. on the 'outside' of the steering wheel. I was aware that these positions were reversed on LHD vehicles so the lights, including the oft-used indicators, were still on the 'outside'. From 1987 until 2002 I was working in the Product Planning department of a Japanese vehicle importer (a vague clue to the above story) and during that time it became apparent that European RHD vehicles on sale in the UK were shifting control stalks to the LHD positions. I felt at the time, and still do, that this was wrong and driven mainly by European manufacturers wanting to reduce the cost of producing RHD vehicles. Anyway, inevitably in the late 1990s with a new version of a big-selling 4x4 looming we were asked whether the switch in stalk positions should be initiated on this model. We did some research and concluded that if we didn't make the change then we'd end up the odd ones out in the UK market so we agreed, even if somewhat reluctantly. The problem is that the two activities your hands do most while driving other than steering - gear-shifting and indicating/dipped beam - are now carried out by your left hand alone, and situations can and do arise - especially while driving at night - where these tasks clash. Yes, it avoids confusion for the relatively few people who regularly find themselves driving on the left and right, but while LHDrivers carry on as before we RHDrivers have been inconvenienced. I wouldn't put it any stronger than that but, having spent twice as long operating lights on the right as on the left, on the spur of the moment I still occasionally go for the wrong stalk.....!

[PhilJ W]

My current car and its predecessor (which was replaced in the catalogue by my current car) have the indicators and windscreen wiper controls on opposite sides to each other. It took a bit of getting used to and I still sometimes mix them up.

[AndrueC]

2 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

My current car and its predecessor (which was replaced in the catalogue by my current car) have the indicators and windscreen wiper controls on opposite sides to each other. It took a bit of getting used to and I still sometimes mix them up.

Mine has two annoyances:

* The design of the fog light switch means that it's impossible to only have the rear fogs on. You can have fronts and optionally the rears but not the other way around. The switch is on/off for the fronts and push further then release for the rears. My previous car also had pull then release for the rears.

* You activate the rear washer/wiper (which doesn't have a non-return valve for the fluid) by pushing the washer stalk forward whereas I expect it to be pull back - on the grounds that it's the rear window.

[kevinlms]

19 minutes ago, AndrueC said:

Mine has two annoyances:

* The design of the fog light switch means that it's impossible to only have the rear fogs on. You can have fronts and optionally the rears but not the other way around. The switch is on/off for the fronts and push further then release for the rears. My previous car also had pull then release for the rears.

* You activate the rear washer/wiper (which doesn't have a non-return valve for the fluid) by pushing the washer stalk forward whereas I expect it to be pull back - on the grounds that it's the rear window.

On my wife's car the heater/air con control button for the air to come out the conventional face level is at the top of the group. Below it, is the button for the air to go up to the windscreen for demisting purposes - it also turns on the air con automatically.

Drives me nuts, pressing the lower button for the air to go UP, gets me every time looking for it. Who invents these thing?

[JeremyC]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

My current car and its predecessor (which was replaced in the catalogue by my current car) have the indicators and windscreen wiper controls on opposite sides to each other. It took a bit of getting used to and I still sometimes mix them up.

The times I've had the biggest problem with the positioning of these controls has been when my car and my wife's car have had them on opposite sides, which is why I'd prefer it to be standardised.

Edited June 17, 2021 by JeremyC

[Gibbo675]

Hi Folks,

 

It seems to me that all these overly complicated controls that are fitted to cars require some sort of signage, perhaps even an arrow on the dash board pointing to the side of the road that you are supposed to diving along.

 

Gibbo.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Like the arrow or other pointy thing that shews what side the fuel filler is on...

[kevinlms]

28 minutes ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

Like the arrow or other pointy thing that shews what side the fuel filler is on...

Never had a car that shows that! Although the petrol gauge is on the required side.

But I guess the issue that manufacturers want to use as many standard parts as possible.

 

But when you get manufacturers, such as General Motors (whatever their local subsidiaries name was) exiting the RHD market = 1/3rd of all vehicle sales, you know things are serious.

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

all these overly complicated controls that are fitted to cars

 

Such as the Tesla games arcade centre console?

However that is legal is beyond me, given that you can't use a (far simpler) mobile phone whilst driving.

 

Mike.

[Gibbo675]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Such as the Tesla games arcade centre console?

However that is legal is beyond me, given that you can't use a (far simpler) mobile phone whilst driving.

 

Mike.

Hi Mike,

 

The thing is, the most advanced instrument I have possession of is my body and yet no instruction manual required, funny old world.

 

Gibbo.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Such as the Tesla games arcade centre console?

However that is legal is beyond me, given that you can't use a (far simpler) mobile phone whilst driving.

 

Mike.

The problem with mobile phones and driving isn't the instigating of the call, it is the taking part in the two way conversation which the body prioritises over such things as driving.

Hence I would also ban hands free set ups. I've seen plenty of drivers getting very animated and distracted whilst speaking to someone, when there are no passengers.

 

The instrument panel you can ignore when needed.

[Compound2632]

39 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Hence I would also ban hands free set ups. I've seen plenty of drivers getting very animated and distracted whilst speaking to someone, when there are no passengers.

 

On that logic, passengers, or at least conversing with them, should be banned.

[PhilJ W]

40 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

On that logic, passengers, or at least conversing with them, should be banned.

If only.

[eastwestdivide]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

On that logic, passengers, or at least conversing with them, should be banned.

It's easier for passengers to be aware that the driver is negotiating a tricky junction or otherwise concentrating, whereas someone the other end of a phone doesn't have that visual context.

[Nick C]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

The instrument panel you can ignore when needed.

The problem with touchsceen based instrument panels is that you need to look at them to do anything - say the windscreen starts misting up on a cold morning and you need to quickly stick the demister on, you have to take your eyes off the road to find the right place to press. Wheras with a physical control you can do it without looking - e.g. turn all the dials to the right (demist, hot, max speed). It's something I dislike about my current car as the heater controls, while still physical, are flush buttons, making it harder to control it by feel.

[SHMD]

6 hours ago, Nick C said:

The problem with touchsceen based instrument panels is that you need to look at them to do anything - say the windscreen starts misting up on a cold morning and you need to quickly stick the demister on, you have to take your eyes off the road to find the right place to press. Wheras with a physical control you can do it without looking - e.g. turn all the dials to the right (demist, hot, max speed). It's something I dislike about my current car as the heater controls, while still physical, are flush buttons, making it harder to control it by feel.

 

..and that's why I will never operated my railway from a touch screen or phone app.

 

 

Kev.

 

[melmerby]

10 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

On that logic, passengers, or at least conversing with them, should be banned.

Research has shown it doesn't work the same way. It's much more distracting on a mobile phone.

It must be something to do with talking to someone via an inanimate object?

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

It's easier for passengers to be aware that the driver is negotiating a tricky junction or otherwise concentrating, whereas someone the other end of a phone doesn't have that visual context.

 

Pardon me, but that's rubbish, it's up to the driver to shut the f**k up and concentrate on his driving, not anybody else.

I'm sorry I crashed whilst going over the speed limit officer, the person I was talking didn't realise I was doing 120 up to a roundabout. Yeah, right!

 

Mike.