Monday 6 April 2009

"Turn, Turn, Turn" - Byrds, 1965

One of the things I had to practice, in preparation for taking my UK driving test in 2004, was the three-point turn.

Driving over here isn't like driving in America, for a lot of reasons. For example, sometimes you find yourself on a British road, needing to turn around, with absolutely no way to do it besides just flipping yourself around on the road. There might not be a driveway, side road, or parking lot available to use for turning around. And that you might be on a road that is only barely two cars' wide!

So I was especially amused by this story from last week - complete with video - about the maneuver that President Obama's limo driver had to make in front of the British Prime Minister's residence last week.

Janet

2 Comments:

At 11 April, 2009 10:09 , Blogger Michelloui said...

Hi Janet,

I lived in Whitechapel for 7 years before I moved to the countryside and HAD to get my UK license. I was terrified of roundabouts. Then suddenly something switched and they became The Challenge That Had To Be Overcome and Overcome them I did! Now I love the mini chaos of a roundabout, the bigger the better. Strange? Possibly... I know whenever I have a visiting American in the car with me I get a thrill from showing off how smoothly I negotiate these circles of terror. But I have sympathy on Obama's driver. My car is only a little ford focus, capable of three point turns on almost any road, not a Beast like Mr President's limo.

Interesting blog! I'll add you to my list if you don;t mind...

xM

 
At 13 May, 2009 11:22 , Anonymous American in Britain said...

Hi,

It's the combination of S-bends and hedges that get me. There's more than a touch of risk involved in attempting a U-turn on lanes lined with 7 feet hedges that zig-zag for miles through farmland =)

 

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