by anglofille

Now that it’s summer and London is mobbed with foreign tourists, the likelihood of seeing someone get hit by a taxi or a bus has increased dramatically.  I’ve seen way too many vehicles swerving to avoid hitting clueless tourists who step right out in front of them because they’re looking the wrong way. (And the obscenities such drivers often shout out the window certainly make the day brighter.)

These near-misses happen despite the fact that virtually every pedestrian crossing in London is painted with an important directive to visitors:



I see plenty of visitors taking photos of these warnings, but not as many actually heeding their advice.  The first time you visit London, these notices to tourists are quite funny, until you realize that they came about to keep the death toll under control.
Approximately one-quarter to one-third of the world drives on the left side of the road. Most of these countries, including Australia, India and South Africa, are former British colonies, but other countries such as Japan, Indonesia and Thailand also drive on the wrong…er….left side of the road. The UK and Ireland are the only countries in Europe to drive on the left.  
I really shouldn’t make fun of the confused tourists.  Despite having lived in London for almost a year now, I still have trouble crossing the road, though this could be because I usually have my head in the clouds.  I was walking around the city the other night with a visiting American friend who told me it’s a miracle I’m not dead.  Admittedly, I was walking down the middle of the street at the time, but in my defense, the middle of the street is probably the safest route.