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Oldfarmer,
I have to agree with you, it is all probably just a passing phase.
A friend has just bought one of those new fangled 'Superposed'he's just back of holiday by Lake Garda and keeps muttering 'Sovro Posto' but he'll get better once I've got some Faggot & Peas into him.
I believe we drive on the correct side of the road to allow our loved ones to alight onto the pavement rather than into oncoming traffic.
Americans drive on the right because we know they screw everything up.
Including putting barrels back on the face.
Gunman,
It is my belief that the term 'water table' comes from a surveying term dating back to Egyptian times.
Where datum points were taken from 'the water table' because it was a level surface.
I think the American originator chose the word to illustrate the 'datum point' where measurements were struck off from and information was stamped.

And so only the driver has to alight in oncoming traffic.

I'm convinced that the Brits developed the roundabout in an effort to get even with visiting Yanks for having lost the Colonies as a result of the Revolutionary War. And the bad part is, some obviously left-brained American transportation engineers have reached the conclusion that they're a good idea in this country.

So if the proof marks are on the barrel ,not on the flats ,that becomes the water table in American parlance?

By the by I believe "the pavement " is what the former colonials call the road they call the pavement a "side walk".

It is often said that Britain and America are "two nations divided by a common language".
This profound quote is attributed to many eminent scholars including Winston Churchill, who would have understood its meaning better than most, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.
I am so glad that Microsoft, in their wisdom, has given me the option of still being able to select English (U.K.) rather than English (U.S.) as my preferred language!!!
Don�t get me wrong � I think the Americans are wonderful � just it can get a bit confusing at times � but then I get confused talking to some Englishmen, quite a lot of Scotsmen, almost all Welshmen and best not mention those from across the water. I am sure they have the same problem with my accent!!
John

As a Canadian whose ancestors spent close to 170 years in New York State before decamping to Canada at the end of the American Revolution as United Empire Loyalists were wont to do, it's nice to see a partial listing of the Empire. Just Japan seems a bit out of place. Long Live the Queen.

Now if we could just find a way to skip Charles!

Canadians are also great - I don't seem to get confused by them often - even ex US Canadians!!!

I have been told that the side you drive on depends on whether your nation signed up to British or French alignment.
Apparently, the whole world rode on the left for reasons of self defence/greeting as Old Farmer states. However, Napoleon decided that it would give him a tactical advantage if his troops rode/drove on the right (don't ask me the logic in that). Therefore countries that historically drive on the right can trace their roots back to French occupation, those historically on the left to British.

I could make a comment about our EU partners across the channel - but as you gather I am an ex farmer and a significany part of my taxes go into the European pot - so perhaps I had better shut up or I might get chucked off the forum for bad language!!!

I picked this up from a web site...
DRIVING ON THE LEFT / RIGHT

The origin of the rule of the road dates back to how people travelled
in violent feudal societies. As most people are right handed it made
sense to carry any protective weapon in this hand. When passing a
stranger on the road, it would be safer to walk on the left, so
ensuring that your weapon was between yourself and a possible
opponent. Jousting knights would hold their lances in their right
hand, therefore passing on each others' right.

Revolutionary France was to overturn this historic practice, as part
of its social rethink. Their military general and self-proclaimed
Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte was left handed, therefore his armies had
to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and
the advancing enemy. From this time any part of the world that was
colonised by the French would travel on the right, the rest would
remain travelling on the left.

So it would appear that the reason a large proportion of the world drives on the wrong side of the road is down to a short French man - who had a bit of influence - being left handed!!

For Americans, if the proofmarks are on the barrels themselves, they're on the barrels. (We believe in keeping things simple.) What we call the water table you Brits call the action flats.

Pavement isn't quite so simple, because while it can refer to the road itself, it can also refer to the material of which the road is constructed. Thus, although sidewalks are typically paved, we'd never refer to the sidewalk itself as "the pavement". Rather, sidewalk is a perfectly logical term. It's a path, usually beside a road, designed for walking.