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.