Is driving in England difficult?

[Oded]

Aside from the fact that you lot drive on the... other side of the road, is motoring in Albion generally a pain in the arse? I hear that coppers are zealous, traffic universally hellish, and Golf-running chavs given to 'merge first, look second' technique.

I, you see, am soon to spend a month in England; unlike on previous treks, where I used the train, I am going to brave the motorways.

What should I look out for or be cautious of? Is it true that a copper will pull you over if you drive in a bus lane? Does England have a zero tolerance policy regarding drink-driving? Do I stand a chance of renting an automatic, even if it is a Panda?

To quote the immortal Karl Willetts: Terr-ROOOOOOR...... A---WAIIIIIIIITS!"
Or even the gruesome John Walker of Cancer: "Subway....... to TERRRRR-OOOOR!"

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

1 - Automatics are for lamers.
2 - the coppers will pull you over for breaking the law, if they notice
3 - drinking and driving is for complete assholes
4 - we don't have 54 lane motorways like you guys so traffic tends to build up.

happy motoring!

 

[Oded]

1 - Automatics are for lamers.
2 - the coppers will pull you over for breaking the law, if they notice
3 - drinking and driving is for complete assholes
4 - we don't have 54 lane motorways like you guys so traffic tends to build up.

happy motoring!

I know that automatics are lame, and decidedly un-manly, but as I'll be driving a Panda or Escort, I'll be symbolically castrated as it is.

Ahh, but cops the world over can smell an out-of-stater or foreigner from miles away. I will have to employ my "Oh, but sir, I'm just a dumb, bumbling, ignorant American. Please take pity on me and kindly overlook my lack of savvy!" schtick quite often, I think!

Agreed. Full stop. As mine will be a drinking holiday, my pubcrawls will be carried out strictly on foot.

54 lanes? That aspect of American roading is as foreign to me as it is to you. It will be nice not to see any damned SUVS for 5 weeks, I'll say!