You’ve been in Japan too long when…

…it affects your driving – and you don’t even own a car!


If I don’t drive, how can living here affect my driving?

I play videogames, remember?

I recently got ahold of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Xbox, and have really been digging it. Yeah, it’s pretty much the same game as GTA3 and GTA: Vice City, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. Carjacking, drive-bys, muggin’ and killin’ – it’s all there. Sure, they added some new stuff, and a lot of that’s pretty sweet too. You can take over territory in the city for your gang, which earns you money. (A good thing, since you start off dirt poor.) Lots of new vehicles too.

Though it’s hard to look all thugged out when your riding a BMX bike.

It’s the driving that got me in trouble. The control scheme’s pretty much the same as in the other games, so I had no problem jacking a car and taking it for a joyride.

That lasted all of about 5 seconds.

No sooner had I driven off with my stolen station wagon, than I plowed head-on into another car. I’m not that bad of a driver (in real live or in games), so what was the problem?

I was driving on the wrong side of the road.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it. I’d just hopped in the car (after punching its driver and hurling him to the street) and started driving on the “proper” side of the road. Well, “proper” in my mind.

I’m not sure when this mental switch took place, but it’s there just the same. Driving on the left side of the road is now “normal” in my head.

Weird.

I guess I’ll have to refrain from driving when visiting any right-side driving countries.

Good thing my upcoming vacation isn’t to one of those. ^.^