Two costly mistakes in two weeks - not good!
Discussion
A couple of weeks ago I picked up my first LHD vehicle.
Driving it home I can only assume I naturally drifted over to the middle of the road not being used to sitting on the left and hit a traffic island and destroyed the off side front tyre. So £115 for a trye which I shouldn't really have needed to replace.
This morning I went into town to go to the post office outside of which a car was parked with an elderly lady in the passenger seat. I drive past a little too close and clip the wing mirror. Mine folded in but the other cars mirror housing (not the mirror itself) was cracked.
I gave the owner (the daughter of the elderly lady) my name and number and asked her to call me with the cost of a repair/replacement. I've never dealt with anything like this before and only hope I haven't shot myself in foot now by not getting her name/reg plate etc.
I hate days like these. Certainly my worst period of motoring since I began driving.
Driving it home I can only assume I naturally drifted over to the middle of the road not being used to sitting on the left and hit a traffic island and destroyed the off side front tyre. So £115 for a trye which I shouldn't really have needed to replace.
This morning I went into town to go to the post office outside of which a car was parked with an elderly lady in the passenger seat. I drive past a little too close and clip the wing mirror. Mine folded in but the other cars mirror housing (not the mirror itself) was cracked.
I gave the owner (the daughter of the elderly lady) my name and number and asked her to call me with the cost of a repair/replacement. I've never dealt with anything like this before and only hope I haven't shot myself in foot now by not getting her name/reg plate etc.
I hate days like these. Certainly my worst period of motoring since I began driving.
muckymotor said:
Just wait until you get into the wrong seat at a petrol station, now that is embarrassing. And yes I have done it although I think I got away with it by pretending to look for something in the glove box 
Agreed.I've done this and also drove into a traffic island for the same reason as the OP. Pure embarassment.
muckymotor said:
Just wait until you get into the wrong seat at a petrol station, now that is embarrassing. And yes I have done it although I think I got away with it by pretending to look for something in the glove box
My Dad who has a LHD car has advised me also to check the glove box if, or more likely when this happens to me. 
CambsBill said:
I think we get used to our own, rather than the car's, position on the road and subconsciously gravitate towards it. Despite many years driving abroad I still find myself straying towards the lane separaters on occasion.
Well it would seem today (confirmed by my mishap with the wing mirror in my other car) that my road posistioning is all over the place, switching from LHD to RHD at the drop of a hat. And there was me thinking I was a decent driver.
CambsBill said:
Have you tried changing gear with the door handle yet?
Used to do this all the time in my Integrale Had to pass through a swipe barrier into work everyday too so got adept at reversing up to it and passing through backwards so I didn't have to lean across (all started when the electrics were playing up and the window stopped working).
Quite often went to lean on the door card with my right arm only to find air instead - kept passengers amused
Manicminer said:
Used to do this all the time in my Integrale
Had to pass through a swipe barrier into work everyday too so got adept at reversing up to it and passing through backwards so I didn't have to lean across (all started when the electrics were playing up and the window stopped working).
Quite often went to lean on the door card with my right arm only to find air instead - kept passengers amused
A way around this is to use a litter picker. Also great for car parks and tolls. I put a bit of blue tack on each claw so that the ticket didn't slip. Had to pass through a swipe barrier into work everyday too so got adept at reversing up to it and passing through backwards so I didn't have to lean across (all started when the electrics were playing up and the window stopped working).
Quite often went to lean on the door card with my right arm only to find air instead - kept passengers amused
5 USA said:
Sorry to hear your woes!! Just try not to do any more damage!
Out of interest, have you hade the same trouble driving British cars on the continent?
Indeed I shall be a little more attentive in the future. Out of interest, have you hade the same trouble driving British cars on the continent?
I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of driving on the continent - it's something I would do but judging by my recent bout of bad luck and I must admit bad driving I'll leave it for a while!
This thread explains why I'm having trouble getting quotes for an American import, they all want at least 1 years experience of driving a LHD car, presumably because people forget where they are.
I've driven in France and Germany before in RHD cars, I suppose it isn't really the same as you're still on the right side of the car, not the left.
I've driven in France and Germany before in RHD cars, I suppose it isn't really the same as you're still on the right side of the car, not the left.
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