The joy of eccentric elderly parents and their routines.

[Pit Pony]

RicksAlfas said:

mikey_b said:

It is indeed devastatingly effective. UPS, starting in the US but probably everywhere now (and all other delivery firms), route their trucks so unless absolutely unavoidable they only take turns into junctions on their side of the road. So in the US, that means only turning right. When first introduced, long before GPS and sat-nav, they saved 35 million gallons of fuel per year, and were able to deliver 350,000 more packages in the same number of driver hours. All by not having to sit idling whilst waiting to turn across traffic, and having to plant their foot down to accelerate across the oncoming lane.

I believe they also designed their own van with the driver sat on the right so he got out on to the pavement which was both safer and quicker.

Pedantic and Churlish mode enabled:

Did they design the van or (and i think more likely) did they write a requirements document for the procurement team to give to van manufacturers to quote against. And in that document it said. Vans will have sliding side doors.
Vans will have the drivers seat on the Right hand side.
Vans shall be dog st brown in colour

[hidetheelephants]

RicksAlfas said:

mikey_b said:

It is indeed devastatingly effective. UPS, starting in the US but probably everywhere now (and all other delivery firms), route their trucks so unless absolutely unavoidable they only take turns into junctions on their side of the road. So in the US, that means only turning right. When first introduced, long before GPS and sat-nav, they saved 35 million gallons of fuel per year, and were able to deliver 350,000 more packages in the same number of driver hours. All by not having to sit idling whilst waiting to turn across traffic, and having to plant their foot down to accelerate across the oncoming lane.

I believe they also designed their own van with the driver sat on the right so he got out on to the pavement which was both safer and quicker.

US postal service certainly used to have right hand drive vehicles for that reason, either those weird looking vans or special order 2WD jeeps.

[Riley Blue]

RicksAlfas said:

mikey_b said:

It is indeed devastatingly effective. UPS, starting in the US but probably everywhere now (and all other delivery firms), route their trucks so unless absolutely unavoidable they only take turns into junctions on their side of the road. So in the US, that means only turning right. When first introduced, long before GPS and sat-nav, they saved 35 million gallons of fuel per year, and were able to deliver 350,000 more packages in the same number of driver hours. All by not having to sit idling whilst waiting to turn across traffic, and having to plant their foot down to accelerate across the oncoming lane.

I believe they also designed their own van with the driver sat on the right so he got out on to the pavement which was both safer and quicker.

In the 1960s post men in Germany drove RHD Beetles for just this reason.

[dirky dirk]

Many moons ago I started this thread
And whilst flicking through my phone I found the pic that refers to one of the posts
Namely how mum didn’t like the new cooker hob splash back thst was fitted and she stuck paper over it to improve it.
Found the pic.

Note the ornamental teapot on the top of the cooker.
I can laugh now but at the time of posting it was very upsetting to go round and see mentalness ramped up a notch.

[snuffy]

Surely she does not use the hob with all that paper behind it ? It might well go up in flames.

And as for the teapot, words fail me.

[dirky dirk]

ha ha no
at the time she had me and my sister running all over the place for ready made meals for her to complain about