Auckland, NZ

**Jay** · 12-03-2009, 02:19 AM

Anybody here from Auckland NZ? I will be visiting Auckland for a month in mid December and was wondering if we had anyone from there on the forum. If so we might be able to meet up.
cheers
J

**crashdive123** · 12-03-2009, 08:19 AM

I don't recall seeing any members from there, but have a good trip Jay.

**Sourdough** · 12-03-2009, 01:49 PM

Nice city......however they drive on the WRONG side of the road.

**Winnie** · 12-03-2009, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Sourdough

however they drive on the WRONG side of the road.

No they don't, they drive on the LEFT side, like we do. You drive on the wrong side of the road

**Rick** · 12-03-2009, 06:54 PM

You may not know this (or even care) but most of the world traveled on the left side in the beginning. Why? Because the right hand or sword hand could be kept between rider and any oncoming threat. Romans were left side drivers. The Catholic Church decreed that any pilgrim traveling to Rome must travel on the left side of road. I have no idea why. That was in 1300 and before I was born. No really, it was.

Since Rome ruled Britain for a time and the Catholic Church had some level of influence and then there's that sword hand thingy so the British passed the first modern keep left rule in 1756.

Oh, but wait. The British you say? We'll show them. Pennsylvania countered with a keep-right rule and so did New York shortly there after. But was it a British/American Colony thing? Nope. As it turned out, American Teamsters drove large wagons pulled by more than one team of horses. The driver sat on the left rear horse so he could reach the entire team with his whip. And if you're sitting on the left rear animal you surely want to see where your wagon wheels are when you pass another wagon sooooo...right side they went. Crazy but as chance would have it, the French went right side for the very same reason. English wagons were much smaller, pulled by one or two horses so the driver sat on the right side of the wagon so their whips wouldn't get caught on the load behind them.

Napolean was a little guy with big ideas so every time he conquered another country, presto, they went right side, too. He was French, remember? Anyway, most countries did what he said. The states that thumbed their nose at him were England, Austria, Hungary, Russia and a few others. Come to think of it. That doesn't leave all that many. Oh, well. On with history.

The whole colonization thing meant other countries would follow the mother country's lead. The good folks in Australia and India, for example, drive on the left because the Queen asked them very nicely to do so.

Hitler, on the other hand, forced all the countries he had conquered to switch sides over night. Not a really well thought out idea since all the road signs could no longer be read and no one knew what to do. That crazy Hitler. What a guy.

Sweden just switched to the right in 1967 (I WAS alive then).

That brings us to today. 168 countries drive on the right. Only 75 on the left. 4 Billion folks on the right side of the road and only 2 billion on the left. If you ask me, it's gettin' a bit crowded over here.

Source: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.......for true. 18th Edition. Page 87.

**Winnie** · 12-03-2009, 07:37 PM

See? there's sense in driving on the lefthand side of the road. You never know when you need to reserve the right to use your sword!(no not that one, minds out of the gutter please) And being prepared to defend yourself is an essential WSF motto!