Left Foot braking vs switching between driving on the left and driving on the right side of the road.

Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
with no difficulty. Maybe the average American driver is just to
stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.

Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
left side of the road for a Hong Kong - Mainland china route.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...tner=yahoobuzz

Let the frothing begin.

Ashton Crusher wrote:
> Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
> to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
> from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
> with no difficulty. Maybe the average American driver is just to
> stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.
>
> Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
> left side of the road for a Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>
> http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...tner=yahoobuzz
>
> Let the frothing begin.
It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.

lil abner > wrote in :

> Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
>> to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
>> from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right
>> side with no difficulty. Maybe the average American driver is just
>> to stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex
>> tasks.
>>
>> Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
>> left side of the road for a Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>>
>> http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...-switch-to-the
>> -other-side-of-the-road-without-causing-a-70-car-pileup?partner=yahoob
>> uzz
>>
>> Let the frothing begin.
> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.

Yes,definitely to stir things up.
>

Well,his first problem is his assertion that people routinely switch from
"driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side with no
difficulty".
It's NOT the same thing,and people who visit countries with driving on a
different side than their own country,often have problems. They often
revert back to their accustomed driving,particularly under pressure. It's
that "habit" thing I've posted about before.
that's why people train to do a complex task the SAME way every time,to
develop it into a habit,a reflex action,expressly to eliminate confusion.
It's also called "consistency".

Left foot braking has its place on the race track,but not on public roads.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

On Jun 16, 3:44*pm, lil abner > wrote:
> Ashton Crusher wrote:
> > Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
> > to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
> > from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
> > with no difficulty. *Maybe the average American driver is just to
> > stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.
>
> > Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
> > left side of the road for a *Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>
> >http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...o-switch-to-th...
>
> > Let the frothing begin.
>
> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.

Yes, he got his rear handed to him on a plate the last time he tried
to promote LFB.

Harry K

On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:59:15 -0500, Jim Yanik >
wrote:

>lil abner > wrote in :
>
>> Ashton Crusher wrote:
>>> Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
>>> to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
>>> from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right
>>> side with no difficulty. Maybe the average American driver is just
>>> to stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex
>>> tasks.
>>>
>>> Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
>>> left side of the road for a Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>>>
>>> http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...-switch-to-the
>>> -other-side-of-the-road-without-causing-a-70-car-pileup?partner=yahoob
>>> uzz
>>>
>>> Let the frothing begin.
>> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
>> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
>> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.
>
>Yes,definitely to stir things up.
>>
>
>Well,his first problem is his assertion that people routinely switch from
>"driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side with no
>difficulty".
>It's NOT the same thing,and people who visit countries with driving on a
>different side than their own country,often have problems. They often
>revert back to their accustomed driving,particularly under pressure. It's
>that "habit" thing I've posted about before.
>that's why people train to do a complex task the SAME way every time,to
>develop it into a habit,a reflex action,expressly to eliminate confusion.
>It's also called "consistency".
>

So you think the people who will be using that bridge are going to
stop in the middle and take training classes???

On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:43:55 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
> wrote:

>On Jun 16, 3:44*pm, lil abner > wrote:
>> Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> > Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
>> > to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
>> > from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
>> > with no difficulty. *Maybe the average American driver is just to
>> > stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.
>>
>> > Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
>> > left side of the road for a *Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>>
>> >http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...o-switch-to-th...
>>
>> > Let the frothing begin.
>>
>> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
>> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
>> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.
>
>Yes, he got his rear handed to him on a plate the last time he tried
>to promote LFB.
>
>Harry K


You'd like to think so yet you never presented a shred of evidence for
any of your assertions whereas just the straight physics of the
situation prove LFB is superior. What's always interesting to me is
not whether anyone else LFBrakes, it's how people like you and Yanik
have such difficulty accepting that not everyone drives like you think
they should and can't fathom that what you find difficult others find
quite easy. I don't care whether others use their R L or if they are
John Holmes and brake with their dick as long as they stop when they
are supposed to. Yet you and Yanik, et all, become hysterical at the
very idea. It's really quite amusing.

On Jun 16, 10:01*pm, Ashton Crusher > wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:43:55 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> >On Jun 16, 3:44*pm, lil abner > wrote:
> >> Ashton Crusher wrote:
> >> > Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
> >> > to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
> >> > from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
> >> > with no difficulty. *Maybe the average American driver is just to
> >> > stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.
>
> >> > Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
> >> > left side of the road for a *Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>
> >> >http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...o-switch-to-th....
>
> >> > Let the frothing begin.
>
> >> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
> >> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
> >> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.
>
> >Yes, he got his rear handed to him on a plate the last time he tried
> >to promote LFB.
>
> >Harry K
>
> You'd like to think so yet you never presented a shred of evidence for
> any of your assertions whereas just the straight physics of the
> situation prove LFB is superior. *What's always interesting to me is
> not whether anyone else LFBrakes, it's how people like you and Yanik
> have such difficulty accepting that not everyone drives like you think
> they should and can't fathom that what you find difficult others find
> quite easy. *I don't care whether others use their R L or if they are
> John Holmes and brake with their dick as long as they stop when they
> are supposed to. *Yet you and Yanik, et all, become hysterical at the
> very idea. *It's really quite amusing.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

What was amusing was your claim that lfb saves time and yet you
admitted that you only do it 'when I expect to need it' (not exact
but very close).

Harry K

Jim Yanik wrote:
> It's NOT the same thing,and people who visit countries with driving on a
> different side than their own country,often have problems. They often
> revert back to their accustomed driving,particularly under pressure.

Could that explain why I have noticed an increase in the number of
incidents involving drivers that are caught driving the wrong way around
a roundabout? The most notorious wrong-way drivers also start honking
at other drivers who are going around the normal direction. They must
know what they are doing wrong, but they seem to believe that the 50
drivers opposing them in the roundabout should not be there. I have
also seen some of these wrong-way drivers continue to drive on the wrong
side of the street after exiting the roundabout, as if the blue arrow
sign and the median are not a sufficient indication of to which side of
the street the lane continues.

On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:11:30 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
> wrote:

>On Jun 16, 10:01*pm, Ashton Crusher > wrote:
>> On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:43:55 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > wrote:
>> >On Jun 16, 3:44*pm, lil abner > wrote:
>> >> Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> >> > Many people can't seem to fathom that anyone can use their left foot
>> >> > to brake without careening out of control yet people routinely switch
>> >> > from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side
>> >> > with no difficulty. *Maybe the average American driver is just to
>> >> > stupid to do either and only Asians are capable of such complex tasks.
>>
>> >> > Here's a proposed solution to the switch from the right side to the
>> >> > left side of the road for a *Hong Kong - Mainland china route.
>>
>> >> >http://www.fastcompany.com/1660258/t...o-switch-to-th...
>>
>> >> > Let the frothing begin.
>>
>> >> It was always the way people were taught to drive with a clutch. Until
>> >> not too many years ago most cars and trucks were manual transmissions.
>> >> I guess though you are just trying to stir up something.
>>
>> >Yes, he got his rear handed to him on a plate the last time he tried
>> >to promote LFB.
>>
>> >Harry K
>>
>> You'd like to think so yet you never presented a shred of evidence for
>> any of your assertions whereas just the straight physics of the
>> situation prove LFB is superior. *What's always interesting to me is
>> not whether anyone else LFBrakes, it's how people like you and Yanik
>> have such difficulty accepting that not everyone drives like you think
>> they should and can't fathom that what you find difficult others find
>> quite easy. *I don't care whether others use their R L or if they are
>> John Holmes and brake with their dick as long as they stop when they
>> are supposed to. *Yet you and Yanik, et all, become hysterical at the
>> very idea. *It's really quite amusing.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>What was amusing was your claim that lfb saves time and yet you
>admitted that you only do it 'when I expect to need it' (not exact
>but very close).
>
>Harry K

It was explained by me and a couple others several times. Yet you
somehow were unable to understand how being READY in situations where
*you* would NOT be ready saves ME (and other LFBers) time (which
translates into dozens of feet of less stopping distance). You
continue to blame me for your own shortcomings. I can't help you.

Ashton Crusher wrote:
> You'd like to think so yet you never presented a shred of evidence for
> any of your assertions whereas just the straight physics of the
> situation prove LFB is superior.

There are several problems related to braking with the left foot. The
most noticeable is that the pedal positions in modern cars are often not
intended to be used with the left foot, particularly those pedal
configurations in cars with clutchless transmissions. It is not
comfortable to hold the brake with the left foot, not without shifting
the body in the seat.

It is also difficult to apply maximum braking pressure because the left
leg is at the wrong angle to the brake pedal. Left Foot Braking is
possible for the situations intended in rapid braking and acceleration,
but braking with the left foot as a regular method of slowing and
stopping the car is not recommended unless the pedal configuration was
designed to support this behaviour.

An additional problem arises when considering that, in a situation
requiring the application of maximum braking pressure and no forward
acceleration, the likely and often unavoidable result would be that the
driver pushes on both the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal while
attempting to stop the car. Unless the heel of the right foot is
shifted at such an angle in contrast to the normal driving position for
forward acceleration, the right foot will be pushed down onto the pedal
by the braking force as the driver's body is pulled forward.

This is the intended result of Left Foot Braking. I want the contact
wheels to be accelerated while the brake callipers close on the free
wheels. That's what provides the control mechanism. To abort the
manoeuvre and stop completely requires that my right foot be pulled back
forcibly, and that is not easy when the car is being decelerated at such
a rate as would be provided by a modern braking system and the
associated cornering manoeuvre. A collision or a rollover can occur
during the delay between the shifting of the pedal positions and the
subsequent confusion in the few seconds before the car responds to the
driver's changed intentions.

During a panic stop, a method of crashing is attempting to ascertain
which foot is on which pedal, while also attempting to steer and avoid
other objects in fractions of a second. There is no way to hold the
right foot directly over the accelerator pedal during hard cornering,
while also braking and turning the steering wheel. The problem is not
related to mental concentration; it is simply impossible to safely hold
the right foot in that heeled position while the driver's body is being
forced forward and to the side directions as the car is stopped and turned.

In a normal car with a clutch, braking with the left foot during a panic
stop also means that the driver can stall the car because the clutch
pedal is not depressed. This would mean that that driver would be
unable to continue driving if moving the car became necessary to avoid
another collision immediately. The proper procedure is to brake with
the right foot, depress the clutch with the left foot, and prepare to
shift back to first-gear and accelerate away from the area.

I know of no driving school, including the school where I received
instructions of Left Foot Braking, that teaches the method of stopping
the car with the left foot while the right foot is held in a heeled
position over the accelerator pedal. There very good reasons for this
omission, topics regarding safety and some difficulties which I have
hopefully made clear.