Things the British do that I admire

Had to look up contraflow system, because I've never seen or heard of it?

I don't think they're all that common here. I've only seen it here in Lincoln, and it's only on a few hundred feet of road.

Looking it up on Wikipedia, the article mainly mentions contraflow systems in the US, so it doesn't seem to be a particularly British thing.

Had to look up contraflow system, because I've never seen or heard of it?

Typically you see it temporarily during roadworks.

I don't think they're all that common here. I've only seen it here in Lincoln, and it's only on a few hundred feet of road.

Looking it up on Wikipedia, the article mainly mentions contraflow systems in the US, so it doesn't seem to be a particularly British thing.

Is this where both directions drive on one side of the road? I'm going to have to look this up...

Typically you see it temporarily during roadworks.

That's it!  Like when they are working on one side of the motorway so they shunt the traffic on to the other side and it becomes two lanes going opposite directions. 

Sounds like the person who was worried about it can rest easy, it's as rare as hen's teeth

Is this where both directions drive on one side of the road? I'm going to have to look this up...

 It's when they change the direction of traffic in a lane (sometimes at different times of day depending on rush hours).

The one in Lincoln has three Lanes - at some points in the day they have 2 lanes open going north and one going south, then they switch the middle lane direction (using arrows) and have one going north and two going south.


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It's when they change the direction of traffic in a lane (sometimes at different times of day depending on rush hours).

The one in Lincoln has three Lanes - at some points in the day they have 2 lanes open going north and one going south, then they switch the middle lane direction (using arrows) and have one going north and two going south.


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Ah, k. I have never seen that in any city I've lived or spent time in. Closest thing is lanes that are only allowed to be parked in during specific hours.

Had to look up contraflow system, because I've never seen or heard of it?

It may be specific to Birmingham, but you have to know the rules for it to pass your UK driving license test. It's a way of changing which lanes go which way to accommodate the flow of traffic.

Say, if a road has 7 lanes, there's no median. In the morning when everyone's going into the city center, 4 lanes will go that way and 2 lanes will go the other. (With 1 empty in the middle for safety margin).

Then, at night when people drive home, it reverses so 4 lanes go outside the city center while 2 go inside.

Digital signs over the road show you which lanes can drive which way.

It's brilliant, really. Clever way to maximize traffic flow.

That's it!  Like when they are working on one side of the motorway so they shunt the traffic on to the other side and it becomes two lanes going opposite directions. 

Sounds like the person who was worried about it can rest easy, it's as rare as hen's teeth

Not rare. There are quite a few questions about it for the driving test. Just local to certain areas, I think.

I think it's really cool that people take drinking and driving so seriously and that people are also very good at not being on the phone while driving.

Still shocks me that people think it's okay to have a few and drive at home (totally acceptable).  And the amount of people on their phones while driving.  Scary!

Oh my god, yes!! It's taken very seriously over here and I really commend them! But I think that's because drinking culture is quite different here than in the US. You grow up around alcohol more here than in the US I think. From my experience, drinking at 21 means sneaking booze around and keeping it like a dirty little secret if you're under age (for those that do want to drink). If you went to a party, it's very unlikely you'd call your parents to tell them that you're too drunk to drive and when you become of age suddenly it's binge drinking because you're free to do it without being reprimanded. From what I've seen here with my nieces, the drinking age being 18 means kids are spoken to at a younger about drinking at younger ages and, at least in my area of the country, there are more supervised "parties" where kids that are under 21 are drinking and they aren't afraid to talk to their parents about drinking because there's no stigma or shame attached to it and I think it's so much better to teach kids responsibility in regards to drinking at younger ages and making it a totally open topic. I see less kids here losing control when they become legal to drink (obviously it happens but not in the same way as kids in the US). And it's really impressive how great the attitude by young and old alike is regarding drink-driving and how unacceptable it is. Definitely seconding that opinion.

And the drink-drive limit is even lower in Scotland than it is in England. 

I watch a fair bit of Judge Judy on TV, and it's just shocking how many of her cases involve people driving when they've been drinking. No one really seems as bothered about it as I think they should be!!

Hi,

The British are absolute world champions at..      Complaining and moaning about something or the other!

The 'drink culture' is of course relatively well known worldwide - Brits go on holiday and young and old alike often get absolutely tanked up and cause all sorts of trouble. I've met people whilst traveling who've then said 'oh you must be on your way to the pub' etc once I say I'm from England/London !

In comparison, as Kiss of Death mentions, it's sometimes funny to see 'under age' American kids 'discovering' alcohol ! I've seen it at house parties in the USA and when USA families/kids are on holiday here. I remember often seeing USA kids in Central London bars etc with the boys giving it all the big mouth as they can legally drink, only to see them half an hour later almost on the floor after having 2 pints or a couple bottles of cider and their group trying to calm the most drunk one down and any girls in their group looking all worried as in how to deal with them!  I've mentioned to them, to get as much water as possible into the really drunk ones over the rest of the evening and through the night assuming they don't get arrested etc!

Cheers, DtM West London & Slough UK!

I like the pub culture we have.

In the US, we'd of course go to bars, but typically that would just be with friends -- not coworkers. (I can maybe think of half a dozen I times I went out for drinks with colleagues at the last place I worked...for four years!)

I think getting drinks after meetings or away days is a great way to get to know work folk in a chilled out, social manner.

Or perhaps I just work with a like-minded bunch of alkies... don't judge. Ha!

Haha I am so with you!! LOVE pub culture! I love the ability to have a glass of pimms on a sunny day at lunch. Definitely not the conventional way of bonding in the US


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LOVE pub culture.  Also casual day drinking without the intent of getting drunk.  My husband and I walk a lot (have a long one planned tomorrow) and a shandy does hit the spot after a few miles, doesn't it?

LOVE pub culture.  Also casual day drinking without the intent of getting drunk.  My husband and I walk a lot (have a long one planned tomorrow) and a shandy does hit the spot after a few miles, doesn't it?

Haha I hate that people can be made to feel embarrassed or ashamed to say they appreciate the occasional day drink without trying to get drunk! I am with you on this!


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