The Ask Shauni about England Thread

[Giga-Gar]

I have a question. Why do you and most of your former colonies drive on the right(wrong) side of the road? Does it have something to do with the way you drove horse-drawn carriages?

[shauni]

I have a question. Why do you and most of your former colonies drive on the right(wrong) side of the road? Does it have something to do with the way you drove horse-drawn carriages?

We drive on the left, not the right. We also don't drive on the wrong side of the road. Driving on the left is the correct way in the UK. This is due to horses, but not wagons

"In 1998, archaeologists found a well-preserved track leading to a Roman quarry near Swindon, England. The grooves in the road on the left side (viewed facing down the track away from the quarry) were much deeper than those on the right side. These grooves suggest that the Romans drove on the left, at least in this particular location, since carts would exit the quarry heavily loaded, and enter it empty[4].

In fact, some, for example C. Northcote Parkinson, believed that ancient travellers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road. As more people are right-handed, a horseman would thus be able to hold the reins with his left hand and keep his right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend himself with a sword, if necessary.[26]

The first legal reference in Britain to an order for traffic to remain on the left was in 1756 with regard to London Bridge. The Highway Act 1773 contained a recommendation that horse traffic should remain on the left and this is enshrined in the Highway Act 1835.[27]

In the late 1700s, the shift from left to right that took place in countries such as the United States was based on teamsters' use of large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. The wagons had no driver’s seat, so a postilion sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons. He did that by driving on the right side of the road.[26]

Countries that became part of the British Empire adopted the British keep-left rule, although many have since changed. In Canada, the Maritime provinces and British Columbia initially drove on the left, but changed to the right in order to make border crossings to and from other provinces easier. Nova Scotia switched to driving on the right on 15 April 1923."

"The most common reason for countries to switch to right-hand traffic is for conformity with neighbours, as it increases the safety of cross-border traffic. For example, several former British colonies in Africa, such as The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Ghana, have changed from driving on the left to the right, because they all share borders with former French colonies, which drive on the right."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and ... nd_traffic

[Winters Rage]

ow >.< my eyes, ok, now I have one :D Idk if this has been asked before, and kinda sounds childish, I guess, but as in most of the 'anime' and cartoons I've seen, they always depict Brit's with really bad teeth, is this true??

[Kaida]

ow >.< my eyes, ok, now I have one :D Idk if this has been asked before, and kinda sounds childish, I guess, but as in most of the 'anime' and cartoons I've seen, they always depict Brit's with really bad teeth, is this true??

...Maybe you should try reading the rest of the topic first, it's not like its the Saying Hi to Josiah Thread. There's only eight pages. (Try reading posts on page 7 and you'll find your answer.)

[Winters Rage]

ow >.< my eyes, ok, now I have one :D Idk if this has been asked before, and kinda sounds childish, I guess, but as in most of the 'anime' and cartoons I've seen, they always depict Brit's with really bad teeth, is this true??

...Maybe you should try reading the rest of the topic first, it's not like its the Saying Hi to Josiah Thread. There's only eight pages. (Try reading posts on page 7 and you'll find your answer.)

That is still alot of pages, and I'm usually only into reading alot when it's late and I have nothing to do, but it's to early to sleep, but then my eyes hurt alot and I can hardly read the other posts afterwards, so I don't like to do it often.

[NabMaster]

tl;dr: No, that's an incorrect and insulting stereotype.

[Winters Rage]

tl;dr: No, that's an incorrect and insulting stereotype.

I wasn't trying to be insulting, I was just trying to separate fact from fiction, I just wanted to know if what I had heard was wrong or write, sorry if I was being insulting >.>

[Giga-Gar]

Anyway, I've often heard from some people(read: my mom) that many a British person has horrible teeth. Is this true?

This is one of the most annoying stereotypes about Brittan. God, some do have bad teeth, but so does every other country. Our dental care is excellent.

There we go.

"The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in cultural differences. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor - not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth.

In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true, having one's teeth straightened being seen as a form of vanity similar to (say) a balding man getting hair plugs. It may also be related to the fact that if you're on the NHS, good dental care has much less of an association with money."

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BritishTeeth It's not Wikipedia, but it gets the job done.

[NabMaster]

I didn't think you were being insulting intentionally, but the stereotype itself isn't something that's usually taken kindly.

[Josiah]

Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but I will point out though that, from what I've read, because of the way Brittain's national healthcare system works, getting good dental care can be rather difficult if you do want it. But yeah, nothing wrong with not getting teeth straightened. In Japan, it's actually considered cute for girls to have slightly crooked teeth.

[Winters Rage]

that... interesting... Josiah... Maybe you should make a Ask Josiah about Japan Thread :P

[Kaida]

...There is an Ask Josiah about Japan thread.

And Shauni, Have you ever been to Cardiff?

[shauni]

ow >.< my eyes, ok, now I have one :D Idk if this has been asked before, and kinda sounds childish, I guess, but as in most of the 'anime' and cartoons I've seen, they always depict Brit's with really bad teeth, is this true??

Dental care in the UK is run threw the NHS, but I still have to pay for mine. £15 plus every 6 months just for a check up. I won’t say that there isn’t a sigma against bad teeth here, but if your teeth are crooked no one really cares. It’s only a problem if there stained or horrifically deformed. Honesty, were did this stereotype even come from anyway? I hate to point something obvious as well, but have you even watched the Hellsing anime? What characters have bad teeth in that? (except the vampires). Also, the anime Read or Die? Does Mister Joker have bad teeth?


Also, Thanks for answering for me while I’ve been away from the forums everyone!

...There is an Ask Josiah about Japan thread.

And Shauni, Have you ever been to Cardiff?

I can honesty say no to this one. Now you mention it, I’ve not been to many place right near me…I’ve been to the Isle of Man for a Day, Scotland once (I think. I was very young) and I’ve been to Wales hundreds of times. I’d love to go see Cardiff. Never gotten around to it for some reason.

[Winters Rage]

I hate to point something obvious as well, but have you even watched the Hellsing anime? What characters have bad teeth in that? (except the vampires). Also, the anime Read or Die? Does Mister Joker have bad teeth?

honestly, no, I don't watch that much anime, I've only watched the really 'popular' or main ones, like pokemon, one piece, ext.

Have you ever seen Big Ben???

P.S. I love your new avvy :P

[Josiah]

The bad teeth stereotype didn't come from anime. I think it was started by non-British fans of BBC programming and kind of spread into American and Candian pop-culture after that.