Skip to content

Our Digital Dust

Reflections on three fathers' experience and lives for our kids

April 17, 2017 Right Hander Trivia (for my left handed friends)

admin April 17, 2017 No Comments

Ever wonder why the British, and a few other nationalities, drive on the left-hand side of the road while our great nation, founded by many British seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, drives on the right? Of course the automobile wasn’t invented yet when our country was founded, but the reason for the difference goes back that far.

Centuries ago in Great Britain, travelers on horse-back would traverse paths and roads for various reasons…trade, family visits, communications, etc. Many of these travelers journeyed alone through areas where bandits and other unethical characters traveled looking for an easy target and a quick fortune. Many of these characters carried daggers as the toll they used to ply their trade of robbery and assault. In order to distinguish threat from innocent traveler, riders traveled on the left side of the road to allow their right hand to be seen as empty and therefore non-threatening to passersby. Additionally, soldiers carried their swords on the left making it difficult to mount a horse from the right or address threats coming from the left side.  All subsequent modes of transportation in British states adapted this anachronistic practice thus the Brits drive on the left.

On the other hand, settlers in early America more often traveled by wagon because they were moving goods around to settle new places and open new frontiers. The wagon driver needed to sit on the left hand side of the vehicle in order to handle the reins of the team pulling the cart. If the horses were spooked by an oncoming traveler, bandit or not, the most important thing was keeping the wagon on all four wheels and moving forward. This same practice also took place in European nations, with the exception of Great Britain.

In both cases, the practice of driving on either side of the road was driven by the fact that the majority of travelers were right-handed. So why do I point this out. NOT to make light of my left-handed friends. It’s really to point out that many of the things we consider NORMAL were driven by the majority with no question about the reason for doing it this way or that. While it certainly is good to have standards (we’d have many more accidents if we all just chose our favorite side of the road) it’s worth asking why we do something a certain way in order to determine if we’ve just settled for the way we’ve always done it.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Uncategorized

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

April 2017
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Mar   May »

Recent Posts

  • Lent, Life, and Liberty
  • February 15, 2021 – Dingo Dogs, Moose, and Retirement
  • February 10, 2021 – Sweetness
  • Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before…
  • January 24, 2021 – Carpe Annos Singulos (Seize the Year!)

Recent Comments

  • ROBERT HALE on February 10, 2021 – Sweetness
  • Bob Hale on Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before…
  • June Hale on January 3, 2021 – We are back for 2021!
  • June Hale on January 3, 2021 – We are back for 2021!
  • Bob Hale on Welcome to a New Year?

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017

Our Twitter Feed

Follow @@ourdigitaldust

Digital Dust
@ourdigitaldust

  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: Lent, Life, and Liberty https://t.co/ZaH7BcXQ2u
    about 1 week ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: February 15, 2021 – Dingo Dogs, Moose, and Retirement https://t.co/CA7u1k9ejn
    about 2 weeks ago
  • We have an updated post at #ourdigitaldust! Post Edited: February 10, 2021 – Sweetness https://t.co/mhcyfJNaNt
    about 3 weeks ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: Sweetness https://t.co/mhcyfJNaNt
    about 3 weeks ago
  • We have an updated post at #ourdigitaldust! Post Edited: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before… https://t.co/SgIcjSPXk8
    about 4 weeks ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before… https://t.co/SgIcjSPXk8
    about 4 weeks ago
  • We have an updated post at #ourdigitaldust! Post Edited: January 24, 2021 – Carpe Annos Singulos (Seize the Year!) https://t.co/RUSFg3hOVa
    about 1 month ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: January 24, 2021 – Carpe Annos Singulos (Seize the Year!) https://t.co/RUSFg3hOVa
    about 1 month ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: A New Day https://t.co/TyMm5AMnEp
    about 1 month ago
  • We have a new post at #ourdigitaldust! New post: Welcome to a New Year? https://t.co/xdeWTPs78Q
    about 2 months ago
Copyright © 2021. Our Digital Dust
Powered By WordPress and Silver Quantum