Scotland to switch to driving on the right if independence given green light - Polidicks

[QUOTE=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/01/scotland-driving-on-right-independence-road-scheme]Scottish nationalist leaders will attempt this week to give the trailing yes campaign a boost by revealing a series of measures aimed at showing what an independent country would look like. Seeking to capitalise on the arguments this week about "bullying" England and keeping the pound, they will unveil an ambitious scheme to scrap the current – English inspired – road signage system. M for motorway will be replaced with a new S – for Scotland and the A trunk roads will become N roads – for Nationalist in honour of the new country. Blue will be the predominant backing colour. The scale of the scheme is enormous: Scotland has 2,174 miles of road, including the 273-mile long A9 stretching from Edinburgh to John O'Groats – known as the "spine of Scotland". It is estimated that 58,000 signs will have to be replaced – scrapping the famous road sign font known as "Transport" with a new Celtic-tinged typeface, Proclaimer. And it could be that they may take the opportunity to renumber all of Scotland's roads, beginning at one. Independence strategists are believed to have sought advice on the plan from the Stirling University professor of transport semiotics, Lana Gocaireachd. "It's exciting, it gives us a clear difference from the English and is a tangible manifestation of a new, vibrant and independent national," said one official close to the scheme. "A more conscious uncoupling, perhaps." Speaking on condition of anonymity, he revealed that if the proposals were seen to swing the needle towards the yes camp then the next stage would be revealed: switch driving on the left of the road to the right – from the first day of independence in 2017. To ease the transition, Scottish transport planners, under strict conditions of secrecy, have begun drawing up plans for a series of spiral interchanges at the major border transport nodes. These will transition drivers to the correct side of the road – whether travelling south–north or north-south – and avoid cross-border crashes – "a PR disaster worse than horsemeat in haggis", according to one planner. The campaigners take their inspiration from what Sweden – a much larger country than Scotland – was able to do in a single weekend in September 1967. Adopting the Swedish model, Scotland would need all signs ready, an intensive information campaign, and temporary speed restrictions. Backers say it would be more than symbolic – it would let Paris, Berlin and Brussels know that Scotland was serious about an EU role. "It sends out an explicit signal: we are part of Europe," said one of the brains behind the scheme. "The little Englanders who want out of Europe are the only ones driving on the left-hand side. We've been the smaller relative dominated and having to copy their ridiculous ways for too long. No more. Just think, this will be an indignity for little England – isolated in Europe and pootling along in the slow lane on the left," he added. They are concerned, however, that opponents of the move to the right might mobilise under the emotive slogan: "Proud to be left." Some fear that when the plans go public, the charismatic MP George Galloway would not be prepared to stand on the sidelines but would launch his own appeal: "Stay left, hard left." It is understood that another proposal involving traffic light sequencing has been rejected. Instead of red, amber, green, it would have become red, amber, blue. But there was a fear that this would be adopted south of the border by the Conservatives and so lose any distinctiveness.[/QUOTE]

April Fools.

Czech Republic used to ride on the left side until Hitler occupied us and changed it... I guess he did at least something right.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44418620]Czech Republic used to ride on the left side until Hitler occupied us and changed it... I guess he did at least something right.[/QUOTE] Yeah, truth be told. I am already getting nauseous from thinking about my time in England after Estonian right-sided driving.... holy hell, especially if someone forces me to get a car.

Though this might be an April fools I have heard some pretty dumb stuff from them so I wouldn't put it past them

Disregarding the possibility of Aprils Fools, Welcome to the clusterfuck [t]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Kungsgatan_1967.jpg/800px-Kungsgatan_1967.jpg[/t]

Scotland has pretty much all the devolved powers it can get. I actually use this is an example of ridiculousness when questioning to people how much more power they think the Scottish Parliament needs. SNP are losing the plot and losing votes here.

If for some absurd reason this did actually happen, what would happen with the roads at the border to England? Will the drivers have to switch lanes as they're driving?

YES, this is what freedom is all about

[QUOTE=Chains!;44418782]If for some absurd reason this did actually happen, what would happen with the roads at the border to England? Will the drivers have to switch lanes as they're driving?[/QUOTE] Could do something like this [t]http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/styles/media_gallery_image/public/images/pearl-river-necklace-bridge-6.jpg?itok=UFoSqvIi[/t] [t]http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/styles/blog_post_media/public/images/pearlriver_necklace.jpg?itok=CC_HpNZt[/t]

[QUOTE=BreenIsALie;44418827] [t]http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/styles/blog_post_media/public/images/pearlriver_necklace.jpg?itok=CC_HpNZt[/t][/QUOTE] Just the sight of this thing terrifies me. I'd get sick, get scared and try to stop at the right roadside, with predictable results.

[QUOTE=download;44418711]Though this might be an April fools I have heard some pretty dumb stuff from them so I wouldn't put it past them[/QUOTE] At this point I just expect stupid stuff this to pop up from the Yes campaigners.

[QUOTE=gudman;44418856]Just the sight of this thing terrifies me. I'd get sick, get scared and try to stop at the right roadside, with predictable results.[/QUOTE] I wanna go see Britain for a longer time but having to drive on the left side is one of the things that absolutely horrify me and I don't trust myself with driving safely like that whatsoever.

[QUOTE=Chains!;44418782]Will the drivers have to switch lanes as they're driving?[/QUOTE] No the Scottish drivers will get a special pass that allows them to continue to drive on the right side despite the left-hand traffic in England.

There are a number of major interstate exits in GA that are switching to "Diverging Diamond" style intersections. Its [I]really[/I] confusing to be riding down pleasant hill and suddenly the intersection makes us switch to the left side of the bridge, and then back to the right side after the bridge. The advantage though is if you use that exit to turn around on the interstate, you don't even have to stop because there is an entire lane dedicated to just getting off and on the highway. [img]http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/transportation/images/DDI_rendering.jpg[/img]

diverging diamonds kick ass and even though it's a little confusing at first it is so much better for traffic congestion there's a thread over on sa by a guy who is an actual traffic engineer in the new england area, he takes questions and explains tons of shit like this. really interesting stuff

Diverging diamond intersections are complex as fuck. We're getting one and everyone is confused about it.

[QUOTE=Code3Response;44420553]Diverging diamond intersections are complex as fuck. We're getting one and everyone is confused about it.[/QUOTE] Except that doesn't look complicated at all? Based on that picture posted above, it looks fairly straightforward. [editline]1st April 2014[/editline] Then again, I routinely drive through this so maybe I'm biased. [t]http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IqjqyCvHhCE/T-RYINoj42I/AAAAAAAAZMM/8VuT48LcpcI/s0[/t]

[QUOTE=SataniX;44420602]Except that doesn't look complicated at all? Based on that picture posted above, it looks fairly straightforward. [editline]1st April 2014[/editline] Then again, I routinely drive through this so maybe I'm biased. [t]http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IqjqyCvHhCE/T-RYINoj42I/AAAAAAAAZMM/8VuT48LcpcI/s0[/t][/QUOTE] Its the old people who have a problem with it. We got our first round-a-bout and all the old people didnt know what to do with it. The younger folk did just fine though

[QUOTE=Code3Response;44420707]Its the old people who have a problem with it. We got our first round-a-bout and all the old people didnt know what to do with it. The younger folk did just fine though[/QUOTE] roundabouts are fantastic, we need more of them, so much faster than a regular intersection and speeding through them at night is fun

I have nothing against roundabouts unless it's a multi lane one. These are fucking batshit.

[QUOTE=Chains!;44418782]If for some absurd reason this did actually happen, what would happen with the roads at the border to England? Will the drivers have to switch lanes as they're driving?[/QUOTE] They would have this of course: [IMG]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/01/article-2594137-1CBDCEB800000578-44_634x496.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2014/apr/01/scottish-roads-plan-explained-video[/url]

[QUOTE=matt.ant;44421065]They would have this of course: [IMG]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/01/article-2594137-1CBDCEB800000578-44_634x496.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2014/apr/01/scottish-roads-plan-explained-video[/url][/QUOTE] Scotland taking the "high road". Fantastic. What's quite bad is that actually that's a fantastic idea, how much pollution and noise would it remove by elevating cars considerably above normal building level? And space it'd generate?

It's funny because driving on the left side of the road is safer since people are using the gear lever with their weak hand so they can use their right hand for the steering wheel. Seriously, I don't get why so many countries drive on the right, it never really made sense to me. Didn't it just start because post-Revolution France wanted to do the opposite of whatever the monarchy had done?

[quote] These will transition drivers to the correct side of the road – whether travelling south–north or north-south – and avoid cross-border crashes – "a PR disaster worse than horsemeat in haggis", according to one planner.[/quote] :v:

none of this sounds real please tell me its satire

[QUOTE=Code3Response;44420553]Diverging diamond intersections are complex as fuck. We're getting one and everyone is confused about it.[/QUOTE] Where I am, on the road mentioned, the lanes have an extreme amount of signs and lights. Lanes are marked in massively thick stripes with labels and signs effectively saying. YOU WAN HIGHWAY? STAY IN THE RIGHT LANES, YOU WAN OTHER SIDE OF PLEASANT HILL? STAY IN THE LEFT LANES. [I]FOLLOW THE FUCKING STRIPES AND ONLY MOVE WHEN YOUR LIGHT IS [B]GREEN.[/B][/I]