The british opinion

[EllwynX]

Originally Posted by AFSNightrod

Actually the U.S. does a lot of things in metric. Ever buy a big bottle of soda? Also many bolts and fittings for lots of things are in metric. The metric system really is easier when you do the math. Everything in the metric system is a multiple of 10. 10 millimeters is a centimeter and so on. In the army we do land navigation in meters and kilometers, and our distances for rifle qualification are in meters as well. It's just that we are more used to the imperial measurement system, so we stick with that for common things like speed and weight.

Yeah, I knew bottles of soda were metric. I always thought it was odd that some things would use one, while another used the other.

[JWz28]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

It looks funny to me, yes, but it seems 'wrong' to me for another reason as well.

MOST of the population of this planet is right handed. In a RHD car you do everything with the left (Radio, AC, Shift, etc). So RHD is less 'natural' as well as strange looking to those of us in the US.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I remember being told that in England / Japan and other counties that are RHD that this stems from a practice that traces its roots back to mid-evil / warrior tradition. While traveling down the road you had to be constantly on the alert for attack from on-coming travelers. Because most people are right handed the best way to protect yourself was to have your weapon (be it a sword, a lance or club...whatever) in your right hand closest to any potential attacker. Therefore, they would drive/ride on the left side of the road with their weapon in their right hand to fend off attack. Turn off Cliff Claven voice and take a sip of beer.

Cheers!

JWz28.

[Punk_rider]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

This is a sentiment I've never quite understood. Why would it need to be changed?

Metric is just a different system, not better. So if in 30 years someone comes up with _another_ system of measurement we should change to that as well?

I, for one, don't think the US will ever change the measuremet system. Nor do I want them to change something just for the sake of 'following the crowd'.

just coz' the whole world drives on left and the whole world uses the metric system. a unic system would just make everything easier when dealing internationally.

btw, the right or left hand driving comes from the times roman and napoleon times.

romans had their swords on the left side (right handers) and so it was easier to fight while horse riding by crossing each other from the left side.

then a Pope created a rule to cross the san angelo bridge, asking to drive on the right side.

then, France followed this rule too and was an exception in europe. with Napoleon conquering the whole Europe, for practical reasons (effective drive of his great army) he extended the french rule.

the perfidious england wasn't conquered and so, kept this rule. a rule which make them look stupid to whole world face.

as France was the most powerful country and as the main part of America was discovered by France (Louisiana at this time was going from Wyoming to actual louisiana), USA drive on the right side.


if you don't think i'm clear, it's coz' i'm tired and don't want to make the effort to make gramaticaly correct sentences.

sorry. i'll edit later

[MerF]

Lotsa neat info floating around this thread...I wonder which theory is most true for the RHD thing?

As for the metric system VS our system, it was aleady mentioned but I want to reinforce my opinion...the US system has silly conversions that noone can just do accurately without a calculator, be it weight, volume, distance, anything.

Metrics is so simple with it's multiples of 10...it just makes more sense. Hell Celcius over Feirenhie (sp?)... 0-degrees Celcius is freezing point of water, 100-degrees Celcius is the boiling point of water.

0-degrees Ferenheit was how cold it was the day that the inventor of that system decided to mark the mercury tube as 0...lol, I'm not sure how the increments came to be, though.

[alleykt123]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

In a RHD car you do everything with the left (Radio, AC, Shift, etc).…

Here's an interesting little aside:

The contemporary GTO was adapted from Holden's RHD Monaro. Everything was "flipped"… except the stereo unit. Notice the red circle on the photo:


That would be the volume button. Above it are the power on and power off buttons…

I've had my goat for over 2 years now and STILL try to turn it on close to the steering wheel!

[acscamarochick06]

Love that interior, it looks really clean and sleek. I'm hoping for something like that in my new Camaro

[willisit]

Oops - Lol.

There is rumour that the French with LHD to spite the English... and, yes, we like to be 'different' to the rest of the world but it has been brought up over here about going LHD and it's logistically impossible. So RHD prevails.

I've owned LHD cars (DeLorean, 911) and it's really not any different. Being right handed, I find it easier to steer with the right hand and gear change with the left - but saw no real difference when driving LHD car.

IF the Camaro hits our soil in LHD only - I'll still buy one. Only, I'll import it (it'll be much cheaper). But with the Monaro (your GTO) being a natively RHD car and Australia by law needing RHD, I'm not worried.

Your GTO has weird air conditioning controls - mine is an LCD panel with buttons, not dials.

[alleykt123]

Originally Posted by willisit

Your GTO has weird air conditioning controls - mine is an LCD panel with buttons, not dials.

Lucky bastich!!

[willisit]

Bit big but you see the difference

[TAG UR IT]

That's pretty cool....sitting on the right hand side for driving. Look at the pedals. They are normal just like the LHD. It would take some getting used to driving on the right side, but that would be cool. And...you would surely get some looks!

[alleykt123]

Originally Posted by willisit

Bit big but you see the difference

OK - Now I feel all flipped around! LOL!!

I see that you don't have color contrasting gauges - is that stock or can you order the color?

[acscamarochick06]

I'm dizzy just looking at the pic! haha :p I also noticed how the pedals were the same way as they are here in America... I had never thought anything about it!

[willisit]

Lol - you guys are nuts. Of course the pedals are the same - think of the accidents from driving abroad! That's hilarious.

Remember, what you see there is her native format (Australia being RHD also), your GTOs are the wrong way round

Dials wise - we got black and that was it. Same with the seats - black only, no colours. We're pretty dull here in the UK! There was a good reason though - less than 1000 Monaros sold here in the whole time she was for sale. Not a big seller.

[MerF]

Originally Posted by willisit

Remember, what you see there is her native format (Australia being RHD also), your GTOs are the wrong way round

Haha! Good point.