Well I'm in Scotland,
This is normal. drive on the left side of the road, driver sits on the right side of the car and shifts with the left hand. pedals are all the same. Hardest thing are the round abouts where you go round and round and exit left at the right time.

The driving and shifting parts were not hard. Not bad and took about 10 seconds to get it right. Driving and thinking where to go left esp on fast round abouts is much harder.

Here's a question: When there are two or more lanes in one direction. Which lane is the fast lane?


Answer: the left lane is the slow lane. I asked at a toll booth and got a dumbfounded look from the attendent.

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ALOHA

 

Where in Scotland are you traveling? I was there (and driving) about 7 years ago. Try to get to Skye if possible. It's beautiful.

(look out for sheep )

 

Right now I'm in the area about 10 miles north of Glasgow and I might drive around to the middle of Scotland if the weather holds up. It's been rainy but today was perfect.

I'll stay for about 2 or 3 more days and then drive over to Edinburgh. The traffic is not too bad and I did drive around in the city a bit today busy shopping, going to the MINI dealership and having tea (at the Willow Tea House) in Glaslow.

Having a small car is good. Not many big cars here at all. I have a Ford Fiesta 1.4 liter Zetec and it is not bad. 5 speed and supposed to get 44.4 mpg. Rough gas rate here is 75 pp per liter or roughly $4.75 per gallon but at 44 mpg that is not far off from 20 mpg Americans get and buy gas at $2 per gallon.

I checked on some MINI prices and stuff here.

Mini One £10,400 115 mph top spd 10.9 sec 0-62 kph 90 bhp 101 LB-Ft 43.5 mpg
Cooper £11,700 125 mph top spd 9.2 sec 0-62 kph 115 bhp 108 LB-Ft 42.2 mpg
MCS £14,600 135 mph top spd 7.4sec 0-62 kph 163 bhp 155 LB-Ft 33.6 mpg
MCS/JCW £18,100 141 mph top spd 6.7sec 0-62 kph 200bhp 177LB-Ft ?mpg

Used prices are nearly the same as new prices. Maybe there is a large mark up from new cars.

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ALOHA

 

Hope you enjoy the roads... have you been on a "B" road yet? It's a one lane with pull offs so you can pass the on coming car... no need to worry about being on the right or left it's all the same... hedges 6" on either side of your car!!!! :smile: If you get the chance to follow the Whiskey Trail, it's a beautiful ride.. and if you do stop to tour... have a wee dram for me!

Bagpiper

 

It's been about 100 miles and I am getting used to all this opposite driving. another few days and I think when I go back I will be turned around driving on the left and right shifting.

Might as well enjoy all this backwardness for now. Also I am getting used to the roads and the round abouts are not so bad now that I have them figured out.

Always exit left and if you are not ready then keep going around on the inside portion or lane until you see something you like then exit but if you miss your exit then keep going round and round. If you do that then it doesn't matter if you miss your exit on the first pass.

The Hwys are a different matter. You need to know which area or number you are after or you will get lost. Traffic is heavy from area to area closer to the city. Stays light here late until almost 10pm or so.

Also most roads are really narrow and two lanes. Cars will park on both sides and face ANY direction they want. Very strange. You can park and then pull out and take over the open area to drive.

In the city you park in a stall and then pay at a parking machine that dispenses a ticket that shows you when you parking time is up and you display that in your front dash area.

So far the neatest MINI I saw was a british racing green MC in London with #506 on the front door in large white numbers, white roof and large white flames coming off the front fenders- going really fast near Hyde park.

 

I grew up in Australia, driving on the "correct" side of the road. Took some getting used to when I moved to the States.
The roads in England can be very interesting. Narrow and twisty. Where would you find roads more suited to a MINI/Mini?
Do you find yourself turning on the wipers when you're about to change lanes?

 

I visited Australia in March and never managed the mental gear shifting necessary to comprehend the drive-on-the-left-side approach. Whenever I was being driven anywhere, I was always shocked when we turned into the wrong lane, etc. I also never drove ... I was too scared! :smile:

MINIangelD

 

Jolly good show MINIhune! As for driving on the right side, everything makes more sense as the bonnet release is right there!

If you think driving and parking in the UK is harrowing, try Greece or Italy!

 

No B roads so far. All two lane roads but sometimes there are cars parked on either side. Not many places to let others pass if they want to go faster. All speed limits in mph. I don't mind the windy roads but my family wants me to drive slower so they can look for shaggy cows here in Scotland while I would rather just keep up with traffic. The city driving is the opposite from the country roads. Lots of one way streets and gridlock. Just like in San Francisco.

Anyway the MINI is the perfect size for getting around here and the Diesel Mini gets something like 54 mpg so that helps.

I think that the hood release might be on the far left not far right. Will have to check today at the nearest dealer. On my Fiesta the driver is on the right and the hood release is on the left.

 

Well I returned my rental car and now I have a bike. I did figure out that to fill up my little rental car would cost about $62 for the 50 or so liters. I had boght the pre-paid bring it back empty gas plan so I drove the car down to vapors by the time I returned it.

So I have a week left and will likely stick to bike, walking or bus. One week on an island then off to Glasgow for a day then two days travel back to Hawaii.

The driving on the left was not bad. The roundabouts are fine and help to keep traffic flowing without using stoplights. In Hawaii I think I have maybe one round
about that I might get to.

Shifting with the left hand was not too bad and easy enough with practice. Driving from the right side was not too bad just some adjustment needed.
Going back to your own car after driving a rental is always a bit of a change. your car doesn't feel quick the same after all that.

Only had a few times when I was caught driving on the wrong side. Parking was sometimes hard but I do very well usually and always manage to find something close and legal- no parking tickets on this trip.

 

So far on this trip of about 20 days we have spotted about 38 MINIs including today one with a smashed rear fender,
Almost all are MC and very few MCS. Most MC are 5 speed and most CVT sold in Europe are Mini ONE. Diesels are new- few are sold yet.

 

I just caught up on reading this thread and it sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

Thanks for all the messages!

Have fun on the bike! I love riding bikes!

 

On this tiny island there are about a few thousand bikes and a few hundred cars. Millport is a porttown but on an island accessible by ferry.
Our tourbus drove onto the small ferry and we all stayed in the bus then on the other side- the island- when we were trying to get
off the ferry the back wheels of the bus would not get traction and we were stuck on the offramp with the front tires of the bus on
the concrete ramp and the rear twin axle of the bus half on the ferry's loading ramp and half caught in the air gap of the angle of the ramp and the dock area.
We were stuck about 10 minutes trying to get off the ferry's ramp area so the other cars could load up going in the opposite direction.
The ferry guys said- lets pull the ferry back so your wheels can slip off the ferry's ramp- then when they reversed it pulled the bus back towards the water.
I thought why doesn't the bus driver have the people get out to lighten the bus but he said it doesn't matter- it is the angle of the bus'es axles and the ramp.

I guess this has happened before- they didn't seem too concerned. I was in the bus and we were about 10 feet from the water and end of the ramp.

But now we are safe and dry on the island. Still will have to reverse it all when we leave in a week. Will see how that all goes. Enough
excitement for today.- I did see a mini on the island!