Subject: LRO: keep right

From: "A. P. \"Sandy\" Grice" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 16:50:56 -0500

"Paul Quin" <[email-masked]>

>This is good logic, but you all were driving (horses) on the left a century
>before it was necessary to change gears...   There was a rumour that it
>actually dates back to Roman times, but I can't remember the details...

Older, actually...ancient Greece or even before.  It was habit when riding
on horseback to pass others on the left, that is, right side to right side.
 As most people were right handed, your sword hand was closer to a
potential adversary.

A papal ruling late in the first millenium decreed that all pilgrims to
Rome kept left when passing others.  Of course, the French *had* to do
things differently: legislation passed soon after the Revolution decreed
that all drive/ride on the right....

The reason for America's driving on the right is a bit more murky, but
principally, it was the use of heavy Connestoga freight wagons, versus the
British habit of using posthillion (sp??) riders to guide teams of horses.
The teamsters - again, mostly right handed - would hold the reins in the
right.  To use the whip and not have it tangle with the load behind, they
would have to sit on the left.  That also enabled the driver to gauge the
distance to the opposing wagon's hubs, so they wouldn't hit.

I don't think there was any regulation as to which side to drive in the US
until early in the 20th century....

BTW, Cigars smoked by wagon drivers were the origin of the term 'stogie'....

Cheers

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