HELP: Complete novice ready to buy my first California

Californiaman · Jul 17, 2013

I guess it depends how ofter you need to weild a sword!

Krispy · Jul 17, 2013

Californiaman said:
I guess it depends how ofter you need to weild a sword!

That's quite true; what with the recent explosion in our dragon population. I hadn't thought of that.

beardie · Jul 17, 2013

Krispy said:
wasted said:

i drive a lot in EU but choose a RHD simply because I find it more comfortable being right handed

Click to expand...

Bit confused by this comment. Just as in the UK, vast majority of people on the continent are right handed. And with about 3/4 of the world driving on the left, changing gear with the right hand is what the engineers intended. So the idea that being right handed makes a RHD car some how more natural - well that's not how I see it.

QUite the opposite; I have an LHD Cali, am right handed and view gear changing with my right hand to be an advantage. Perhaps it's just what you are used to? Of course, what one prefers is entirely subjective...

If you are right handed isn't it better that your right hand stays on the steering wheel when gear changing. A fluffed gear change isn't as bad as poor control of your direction

Krispy · Jul 17, 2013

If it really were the case that it was safer to change gear with the left hand than right, would we not see that reflected in national road safety stats? Indeed, if crashes were occurring as a result, would we not also see engineers coming under pressure to find a way to move LHD gear sticks to the left so that the majority of the world enjoyed the same safety advantages as us?

To my mind, a gear change requires more complex coordination than keeping the wheel steady. Which is why it's seems to me a more natural fit for the right hand if you are right handed - once you get used to it.

In any case, I'm aware that I am starting to resemble an irritating pedant now. So, enough from me - and to each their own I say! :thumb

Californiaman · Jul 17, 2013

Don't get this problem with DSG. :thumb

calikev · Jul 17, 2013

Let's start another dsg v manual thread. Which is best :laugh2 :laugh2

beardie · Jul 18, 2013

Krispy said:
If it really were the case that it was safer to change gear with the left hand than right, would we not see that reflected in national road safety stats? Indeed, if crashes were occurring as a result, would we not also see engineers coming under pressure to find a way to move LHD gear sticks to the left so that the majority of the world enjoyed the same safety advantages as us?

To my mind, a gear change requires more complex coordination than keeping the wheel steady. Which is why it's seems to me a more natural fit for the right hand if you are right handed - once you get used to it.

In any case, I'm aware that I am starting to resemble an irritating pedant now. So, enough from me - and to each their own I say!

to be honest I think all left handed people should be forced to become right handed at school (or have their hand chopped off) ! Then if we had insisted that everybody drove on the left after the last war then accidents on our roads would be reduced by at least 0.001%
I am writing to my MP ........

calikev · Jul 18, 2013

I wouldn't bother trying to write to your mp he is probably too busy trying to ban pack lunches :laugh2 :laugh2

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Jul 18, 2013

Calikev said:
Let's start another dsg v manual thread. Which is best :laugh2 :laugh2

It's an unanswerable question, since DSG wasn't available on the T4, which is obviously best :thumb

Being right handed, it's much easier to fiddle with the radio on a LHD...

lonsdale13 · Jul 18, 2013

+1 for LHD it is the way the world was designed to drive, much more natural, even the Model T Ford had the gearstick to the right of the driver. British colonies only interfered with this as you mount a horse from the left !!!!