If you bike on trails much, you may have uttered the phrase "on your left" quite a bit. It's a way to alert slower cyclists or pedestrians, etc. that you are about to pass and that's almost always done to the left if physically possible.
You do this so you won't spook them and have them run into you or run off the trail or have a heart attack or anything equally unpleasant.
Australia drives on the left. America drives on the right. It turns out, many day-to-day habits are influenced by the side of the road you drive on.
Escalators here tend to be "up" on the left and "down" on the right. You don't realize that you expect it to be the other way until.....you find yourself standing at the foot of a down escalator staring foolishly at the steps coming towards you and wondering "what's wrong with this picture?".
If you're familiar with the DC metro system, you've probably also learned the mantra "stand on the right, walk on the left". You may have even muttered it quietly (or not so quietly) to the person standing -- outrageously! -- on the left.
Yep, they stand on the left on Australian escalators.
If you approach someone on the sidewalk who's on the same track you are, which way do you shift? I'll bet most of you reading this shift to the right. Aaaaaaaaaand, you'll still be walking head-on into someone in Australia (though this is not as rigidly followed).
Yes, I frequently find myself struggling like a salmon swimming upstream on the wrong side of the sidewalk.
Another of the little life lessons learned here on the flip side of the planet.
Kelly, one interesting fact that I think is true...voting is compulsory in Australia. I like that.
ReplyDeleteSo, Australians are upside down and all turned around! Wonder what they think about us?
ReplyDeleteThey think we're completely nutso. :) I even read a comment in the paper alluding to the fact that religion and religious institutions play such a large role in the American electoral process. It seemed to be suggesting "can you imagine how messy that is??".
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