watching videos makes me wince

[atavar]

I have been watching some riding videos and I am amazed at how much watching videos from left drive countries (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DHuxgjbUAI) raises my stress level.  After just a few seconds I am gritting my teeth and trying to force the video rider back to the right hand side..  lol
I challenge any of our US riders to watch that one without tensing up..
Is this an indicator of my controlling personality?

[Groover]

Even though you gave plenty of warning, my first instinct was "on the wrong side of the road!"

A little more pleasant video, mainly for the Vespa fans..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2daPNH93oc

[Lannis]

There's millions of ugly, stupid, sad videos on the web.

Why watch them?   It's like walking through a park looking for piles of dog poo and then staring at them ....

Lannis

[atavar]

There's millions of ugly, stupid, sad videos on the web.

Why watch them?   It's like walking through a park looking for piles of dog poo and then staring at them ....

Lannis

I pulled that one up to get a look at Lemming Corner.

[bad Chad]

Its when watching a video like that I am reminded that I operate in a bubble.  When out riding my Guzzi, I actually feel like its pretty dam fast!  And it is fast, in my bubble, where everything else I drive is slower, and its quick enough to get my heart pumping and attract the authorities, but in the real world, its not anything like Stupid fast, and thats ok by me.

[toma nova]

I lived and rode in Japan for three years and riding on the left was no problem.  You adapt very quickly to the opposite side (looking for traffic before walking across the street, etc.).  I used the whole lane like usual and never had any issues.  I also vacationed in Australia from the US and rented a bike for a few days.  Same thing, adapted immediately (well, after that first wide right turn).

Driving is another story - my passenger would have one responsibility:  not radio, not navigating, but ensuring I was on the left side of the road, often by shouting "Stay left!"

[Tom]

Once a year we get to ride on the left side of the highway and as fast as needed.  The Saturday of the Ironman Championships, if you're a moto driver with camera dude/dudette.  We have free reign as long as we're safe on the road course and run venues about 80 miles.  Food & drink along the way with the resort hotel chefs competing for food honors plus we get paid.     I like it when you come up to an intersection and the police stop the cross traffic for you.

[charlie b]

Do you have one of those camera people who ride sitting backwards?  When I saw the international racers one time there were several custom beemers with special seats so the passenger could ride backward and have someplace to put their feet.  One even had special side cases for extra cameras.

[Tom]

I worked with a Kiwi camera man from L.A. for a number of years that would sit backwards on my '97 Cali 1100i.  Stock seat and HB bags.  We worked out signals so that we wouldn't have to talk.  Last year, I had a Brazilian camera man that was real easy going to work with.  He would know his shots in his mind then take them.  Was a lot easier then photogs that are new.  Some get real amped out.

One that was memorable to work with was a videographer that was about 6'4".  I'm 5'9" with boots.  The video cam he had is one of those commercial big ones.  He leaned with the cam in one hand and extended out.  Loads of fun trying to react and counter-steer with no prior warning.  We almost took out one of the bicyclists.  Pulled over and told him that he needs to tell me that he's going to do that prior to doing that.

Last year, we almost ended up being in a head on collision with one of the NBC Network Mustang convertibles.  It was being driven by a "bimbo" with the exec's in the back seat.   Seems the drivers of the car can be exempt from the driver safety meeting.  I volunteered to help with driver/moto safety briefings.  Gotta be part of the solution.  First serious near mishap in 15 years.

[ITSec]

I always find it easier to transition to 'wrong-side roads' on a motorcycle than a car. It still seems weird, but it's easier and I make fewer near-mistakes on a bike once I start going.

The worst of all possible worlds is found in the US Virgin Islands and some other Caribbean locations. The roads would be bad, narrow and unlit under any circumstances, but to navigate them driving on the left side, using a North American spec vehicle, while not being totally sure where you're going is just plain looney!

Similar to Tom's experience, the one style of riding where I used the whole road (and I do mean the whole road) was when I rode escort for the World Triathlon Championship - did this several years in Edmonton. I got tasked to carry the cameraman that was covering the lead riders/runners during the bicycle/marathon portions of the event. It's pretty wild to be riding across the full width of a curvy downhill road with a cameraman signalling you to get closer, and an official yelling at you to not let the competitors draft your machine!

This was pre-Norge - the V-Strom DL1000 makes a great camera platform, with more open space and height adding to the capability.

[nick949]

I have been watching some riding videos and I am amazed at how much watching videos from left drive countries (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DHuxgjbUAI) raises my stress level.  After just a few seconds I am gritting my teeth and trying to force the video rider back to the right hand side..  lol
I challenge any of our US riders to watch that one without tensing up..
Is this an indicator of my controlling personality?

You need to get out more Atavar. Astonishingly, there's a whole world out there beyond the US border.   Driving on the left isn't a big deal. It's easy to switch back and forth.

Nick

[Lannis]

You need to get out more Atavar. Astonishingly, there's a whole world out there beyond the US border.   Driving on the left isn't a big deal. It's easy to switch back and forth.

Nick

It might be easy for some people, just like it's easy for them to play the piano or chip 20 consecutive balls onto the green, or solve a Rubics Cube in 10 seconds.

Some of us aren't wired that way, and we depend more on reflexes and different kinds of practice.   I've ridden many a mile on UK roads, and I have to concentrate hard at turns and roundabouts - especially when making a right turn onto a lightly travelled road, where I find myself ending up in the  right lane every time unless a car is coming ... After a week or two I'm starting to get it, but I would be unable to do what my fellow rider the UPS driver does - drive a wagon-and-drag EVERY DAY from London to Rouen and back, switching sides twice on the way ....

Lannis

[atavar]

You need to get out more Atavar. Astonishingly, there's a whole world out there beyond the US border.   Driving on the left isn't a big deal. It's easy to switch back and forth.

Nick

I have been all over the world and driven right and left.  For some reason it is easier to do than to watch on a video..  lol

[Penderic]

So Change Channels! 

Now, these kinds of fix-it vids makes me happy .... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZUGghzkwVQ

Restoring old vehicles at the Leno's Garage and learning about metal "stitching" old rare metal and saving them.