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German Studebaker story
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After being stationed in Germany 43 years ago , I can really relate to that story , Being in a transportation company as a Mechanic it was fun driving around in Chryslers, Amc's Fords and multiple tactical vehicles
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Nice story,
Here's another - sort of related to the different driving pattern between Germany and Britain.
Caught a hop home to the states from Germany once. Took a Sherpa from Ramstein, AFB to a base in England. Can't recall the name of the British base - Mindenwall, or something like that.
We had a one hour layover, before manifest call for a C5 Galaxy to Dover. It was the middle of the night, I was starving and there weren't any vending machines in the terminal. I asked the airman at the desk where I could get a bite to eat that late. He told me that nothing on base was open that late, but if I walked to the main gate and crossed the street I would find a pub where I could get a slice of frozen microwave-heated pizza. I was that hungry that I took off at a trot for the main gate, 'cuz I didn't know how far it was from the flight line. By and by, I got to the main gate, waved at a couple of Brit MPs manning the shack as I passed through, stepped out to the curb, looked, left, looked right, looked left again and stepped off the curb - only to be greeted by the sound of a very angry horn and the brush of a side-view mirror across my right cheek while the tips of my fingers got drug down the side of a van (Lorry, I guess they call them over there) coming from my right that damned near ran over me. I lunged back, my heels hit the curb and I very abruptly sat down on my posterior, soaking my uniform pants on the wet sidewalk.
A brit MP came running out, "You OK, Mate?" he asked as he helped me up. I muttered something about how I guess I should have looked right, left, right instead of left, right, left and he said, "That's right, Mate. It's probably not a good idea for you to go our strolling and crossing streets here until you get used to the way traffic flows here."
Suddenly, I wasn't hungry anymore, but I sure had to use the latrine because, well, that near brush with death had literally scared the crap out of me. So, I took off at a trot back to the air terminal and used the rest of my time relieving myself and thanking my lucky stars that the van driver's reflexes were good enough to allow him to swerve just enough not to turn me into wallpaper paste.
Two hours later, far out over the Atlantic, they served us box lunches on the C5. By then I'd regained my appetite, though making that six hour flight with damp pants and underwear made it the most uncomfortable hop I'd ever taken.
I'm curious, does anyone know why, after over 100 years of automobiles being around, we still don't have one uniform world-wide traffic method?Mike O'Handley, Cat Herder Third Class
Kenmore, Washington
hausdok@msn.com
'58 Packard Hawk
'05 Subaru Baja Turbo
'71 Toyota Crown Coupe
'69 Pontiac Firebird
(What is it with me and discontinued/orphan cars?)
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Originally posted by rkapteyn View Post
He was an oncologist who practice in both the US and Germany. He was a very robust man, active and healthy. He had a tooth removed and he developed an infection that they couldn't break and it resulted in his death a few years ago.Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.
'64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Avanti R-1, Museum R-4 engine, '72 Gravely Model 430 with Onan engine
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Originally posted by hausdok View Post
I'm curious, does anyone know why, after over 100 years of automobiles being around, we still don't have one uniform world-wide traffic method?
The only country to make the switch in modern times was Sweden, which did so in 1967. Sweden had the advantage of having mostly LHD cars, which simplified their problem. But they had to scrap nearly all their (RHD) buses, and the changeover was still very chaotic.
And BTW, which way would be chosen? About 1/3 of the world's population drives on the left and they probably don't want to change.Skip Lackie
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You find it dangerous driving on American roads from the right seat?
I dunno. I used to have a night-time paper route early in my Army career when I was till making in a month what most blue collar workers made in a week in those days. I did the entire route sitting on the right side, steering with my left arm and manipulating the brake and gas with my left foot. Ran that route for three years around Ft. Devens, MA rain or shine or snow or sleet. I actually got used to it in about an hour. It would have been nice to have had a RHD steering wheel. Of course, I was still driving on the right side of the road, and so wasn't everyone else, even if I was in the right seat, so I guess it's not exactly the same as driving on the left side of the road from the right seat - something I've never experienced.Mike O'Handley, Cat Herder Third Class
Kenmore, Washington
hausdok@msn.com
'58 Packard Hawk
'05 Subaru Baja Turbo
'71 Toyota Crown Coupe
'69 Pontiac Firebird
(What is it with me and discontinued/orphan cars?)
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