Looking the other way

Ok, I've been here for almost 3 weeks now and I walk everywhere. I have successfully taken the bus once, and the train once as well... but other than that I am walking. Leave it to me to find a way to still look the wrong way while crossing the street...

I know, Americans do it wrong. Or, according to those around me, at least 75% of the world does. Yes, I also know that it was the Roman way to drive on the left side of the road. But that theory is based simply on the ruts in a Roman road just outside of Swindon... no where near Rome! Swindon, for those who are wondering, Swindon is a ways west of London on the M4... Who knows, someone may have been special like me and not know their right from their left until they graduated from university. I don't know how I ever got anywhere unless Julia was tapping me on the shoulder to tell me which way to turn my wheel. When the middle ages came around, the entire world rode in their carriages on the left. Did you know this was so then you could grab your sword with your right hand and stab a guy? (... And then Steve stabbed a guy, great way to end a terrible story for the record)

In the 1700's, France and the US started driving on the right based on the carriages used to haul goods. All so then they could control and lash their team of horses with their right hand. This also came in handy when Napoleon came to power, as he was left handed. Therefore his armies marched on the right to keep any foe that he may meet on the road at bay with his strong hand ready for his sword on the left side of his body. Man this guy sure did change a lot just to suite him and his small stature. Granted, when this started happening in England (circa 1756) they created a law about it for the London Bridge (which eventually became law everywhere within the empire). This became official law in the UK around 1835 with the highways bills that were passed.  So who passed the bill first? Americans: 1792, passed a bill that would keep travelers on the right side of the road to avoid and traffic problems and movement of sellable goods.

Moving on..

So I have discovered that we have essentially kept to whatever side of the road for reasons of violence. For protection when we were still carrying around swords and lances, or to whip the team to get them to move faster, or because Napoleon was left handed to keep one small man protected at all times.  I have also discovered that when you should be cleaning your room, making dinner, or organizing school work, that you can learn a lot from Wikipedia.

There are many places that drive on the left, and even more that drive on the right. Will I ever start to look the correct way while crossing the street? I'm not sure, but I do hope that every time I come to an intersection, there will be some sort of car waiting for me to walk in front of them for the sole purpose of giving me a clue on which was to look to avoid oncoming traffic.