Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:02:25 -0000, David Looser wrote:

The story goes that it was Napoleon who imposed driving on the right (or
more accurately in those pre-motor vehicle days passing oncoming traffic
on the right) onto a continent that up until then had mostly still
followed the old Roman rule of passing on the left.

Hum, I wonder of that has anything to do with which hand one would
have ones sword in? Most people are right handed so being on the
right makes it harder to take a swipe at some one passing.

I've read that travelling on the left was started because the Roman
roads were built to move soldiers, and if you want two groups of
soldiers to pass in opposite driections, both carrying their shields on
their left arms as shown in most pictures from the time, then if they
pass right to right, you can make the road at least a foot narrower, as
the shields can overhang the edge of the road, but would collide if the
groups passed left to left.

I've also read that Napoleon wanted to (a) confuse the opposition, and
(b) prove that France was so civilised that travellers didn't need easy
access to their swords to defend themselves from other travellers.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.