Answers for my ponderings please

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

The metric system of measurement was dumped on us by a little Belgian git, frogs had nowt tu do wi it.
What beats me is the yanks driving on the wrong side, if you look at some of the old westerns they drove stagecoaches properly, driver in the right hand seat.

Retlaw

The driver had to be in that seat so that he could operate the brake. But, as long as everyone in the coutry drives on the same side of the road, it doesn't really matter which side it is.

Ok, here's one I like: "legally drunk" ... if it's legal, what's the problem?

[Rastus]

Up to the late 1700's, everybody travelled on the left side of the road because it's the sensible option for feudal, violent societies of mostly right-handed people.

Jousting knights with their lances under their right arm naturally passed on each other's right, and if you passed a stranger on the road you walked on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him.

Revolutionary France, however, overturned this practice as part of its sweeping social rethink. A change was carried out all over continental Europe by Napoleon.The reason it changed under Napoleon was because he was left handed his armies had to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and any opponent.

From then on, any part of the world which was at some time part of the British Empire was thus left hand and any part colonised by the French was right hand.

In America, the French colonised the southern states (Louisiana for instance) and the Canadian east coast (Quebec). The Dutch colonised New York (or New Amsterdam). The Spanish and Portugese colonised the southern Americas. So The British were a minority in shaping the 'traffic'.

The drive-on-the-right policy was adopted by the USA, which was anxious to cast off all remaining links with its British colonial past

Once America drove on the right, left-side driving was ultimately doomed. If you wanted a good reliable vehicle, you bought American, for a period they only manufactured right-hand-drive cars.

From then on many countries changed out of necessity.

[katex]

Thanks for that Rastus .. how interesting ... so we all have to blame Napoleon then ? Great stuff.

[shillelagh]

Just tell me something ... why is it fellas use the last bit of loo roll, takes it off the loo roll holder, open another ... and instead of placing it on the loo roll holder puts it down on the floor next to the loo with the old one ... when it would be easier putting the new one on the loo roll holder and putting the old one in the bin?

Another one ... he knows hes making the tea ..i said i'd put the chicken in at 4pm .. hes doing the veg .... be back at 6pm and it is now 6.37pm and hes still not back!!!!

so what do i do to him .......

[shillelagh]

oh the phones just rang ... hes on his way back ... will be about 5 mins ...