A Matter of Perspective
I traveled to London with “J” and Chewbacca a couple of weeks ago. We walked a great deal on the trip, and the first thing we had to adjust to was the traffic patterns. If you look left before crossing the road, you risk becoming road pizza!
The GIF above of the Beatles trying to cross Abbey Road illustrates why. Notice that the VW Beetle to the left is facing away from you, and the vehicle on the right side is facing you. The lesson: These people drive on the “wrong” side of the road! But are they “wrong?”
I started pondering these differences in driving on the left and right and decided that neither side is wrong. Maybe it is simply a matter of perspective based on history.
So HitchHiker went history hunting to find out how we find ourselves in a world where about 1/3 of the countries drive on the left side of the road and the rest on the right. Being left-handed, I was intrigued because that percentage is close to how many of us are “lefties.” Maybe there was a connection. 🤔
The most commonly accepted theory (see a link on the bottom of this page) is that the Brits’ left-handed driving pattern harkens back to the Roman Empire. Back in the day, Roman cavalry soldiers on horseback, the majority of whom were right-handed, favored staying to the left side of the road, keeping their right hand free to draw their weapon in case of attack from an intruder. Thus, they kept the potential intruder to their right.
This Roman example makes sense as we also have an Old Testament story dating back centuries before Rome about a left-handed judge, Ehud, who was able to hide his short sword on his right side to slay an evil king whose security guards missed it, assuming that a sword would be on the left for a right-handed assailant. (See Judges 3:12-30 for the rather wonderfully graphic story!)
In 1300 AD, Pope Boniface VIII decreed the left-hand rule, which the United Kingdom codified in 1773, long before cars existed. Ironically, it wasn’t until 1792 that a right-hand rule was even documented, and that was in Pennsylvania in the newly formed United States of America.
So, from a longevity perspective, left-side driving is the “right” way to drive if you are right-handed (over 66% of the population is). But 2/3 of the world (a super-majority for sure) drive on the right side of the road even though they seem to be bucking the trends of handedness statistics and history.
Confused yet?
It may come down to this: Let’s pay attention to all our disagreements over religion, theology, politics, worldviews, or anything deriving from human-made systems. Let’s step back, put aside our assumptions about right or wrong, and find a way to meet in the middle peaceably. We don’t have to abandon our handedness, but we must see, love, and respect those different from us. As the French say, “Vive la difference!”
And let’s chalk it up to “matters of perspective” and call it a day.
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