Cambridge, UK

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by xilman

Personally I've no problems driving on either the right side or the correct side as long as the steering wheel is on the appropriate side of the vehicle.

The trick (as the driver) is to make sure you are to the immediate side of the centre of the road.

Roundabouts take a bit more training, but can be very efficient.

[pinhodecarlos]

Anyway, I'll have to deal with this as soon as I buy a car. Already comfortable walking on the sidewalk, crossing the street, drinking pints...lol

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by pinhodecarlos

Already comfortable walking on the sidewalk, crossing the street, drinking pints...lol

Sure about that?

I personally look both ways (twice) before crossing as a pedestrian (even on a one-way road). Never underestimate the stupidity of a driver. "I didn't see them!"

[fivemack]

Originally Posted by Batalov

I heard that Red Lion pub right there in Hinxton has a few rooms upstairs.

I looked them up on booking.com before posting, but they were fully booked.

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by xilman

You mean driving on the right side of the road? Most Europeans and all North Americans drive on the right side of the road. The British and Irish (and the Thais, the Japanese, the Indians, the Australians, the ...) all drive on the correct side of the road.

Personally I've no problems driving on either the right side or the correct side as long as the steering wheel is on the appropriate side of the vehicle.

I'm with the old guy.
Driving a car with the wheel on the right side (i.e. driving on the left side of the road) is more convenient for a right-handed, I can drive with only one hand (and one foot, when in an automatic car). And I am not talking unilateral, I am being equally skilled in both left and right driving (well, "skilled" is the wrong word, I never liked driving in Ro, on the "european" side, for a million of reasons, like bad weather, winter, corrupt (abusive) policemen, bad streets, old (manual) car available only (at that time), etc, but I _love_ driving in Th, nicer cars (both manual and automatic), better streets, no winter, the police does not abuse you, etc). Driving with only one hand is a bless (unless you are left-handed), you have the blinking lights on the right, you switch them on/off with the same hand "on the way" when you are steering, actually I never put my left hand on the wheel. You can be much faster with a single hand (especially at u-turns) than with two, and additionally, logically speaking, both left and right side driving countries have the "priority of right" rule, and this rule is totally stupid when you drive on the right side (like in Ro), because it has to make a lot of exceptions (and exceptions from the logic too!).

For example, at a roundabout, the cars inside of the circle must have priority against the cars which come into the circle, because otherwise the circle would be filled with cars and the circulation is bottlenecked. Therefore the cars already inside have to go first, to free the circle. In the "british like" countries, the car inside of the circle comes from your right, so the "right priority" applies, you don't need a new rule for it. In the "european like" countries, the car inside of the circle comes from your left, so the rule does not apply, and you need an additional rule, stating that the cars inside the circle have priority, in spite of the "priority from the right" rule. Now, imagine that some roundabouts are quite big that you don't realize immediately that is a circle, and some idiots vandalized the signs (quite common in Ro, few years ago). Lots of accidents... I remember about 8 years ago or so, there was a big discussion in the parliament to change the rule to say that the car coming from the left has priority, but there was a huge opposition to it, with "experts" demonstrating with angles and so on, that the driver has a better vision in this or that side, and this guy can see the other car before the other guy can see this car, etc... Lots of wasted time, on the tax payer's money. At the end they used signs saying that "in this intersection the priority from the right does not apply", like the normal signs would not suffice. We had jokes about that for months, saying that the only places where logic (common sense) does not apply is the public toilet* and the Romanian roundabout.

All in all, driving on the left side is much easier, more logical, and more fun...

----------
* this about the toilet goes like the guy coming into the toilet has priority against the guy exiting from the toilet when they meet at the door, because otherwise he will pee his pants, but if many guys want to enter and exit in the same time, the toilet is full and you can't go inside, so, to avoid pissing your pants, you have to make a line (relay) and giving it from hand to hand...

[pinhodecarlos]

Originally Posted by chalsall

Sure about that?

I personally look both ways (twice) before crossing as a pedestrian (even on a one-way road). Never underestimate the stupidity of a driver. "I didn't see them!"

After living on year in Brazil I'm safe here not to look both ways when crossing the street. I'm living in a small small city so no worries.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by xilman

Correct.

Hinxton is just down the road from me (well, 20km or so) and I know quite a few people in the bioinformatics business. I'll ask them for advice. Rob Hooft is one such; not only does he have a significant ECM engine at his place of work, I met him for a few beers at the Red Lion a couple of years back.

Carlos: this event sounds like a business operation so your employer should be paying your travel and accommodation cost. So, within reason, you should be able to pay standard market rates. I suggest that you present a short list of possibilities and their prices to your manager and then go with what is agreed.

When you know the dates for sure let me and Tom know them and I, at least, will drive/ride to the Red Lion. If Tom's with me that might be an excuse to declare the M991 relation collection completed and to provide him with a few dozen gigabytes of data on the same occasion.


Paul

Here is what Rob has to offer:

Just got an e-mail from EBI about my meeting, with details for people that need to arrange hotel space:

Near Campus (if Campus accommodation becomes full)
Red Lion, Hinxton (8 rooms) - walking distance to meeting venue
Holiday Inn Express Cambridge-Duxford (73 rooms) - 5 minute taxi ride to meeting venue
http://www.hiexpresscambridgeduxford.co.uk/

It seems there is accommodation on the campus itself though I've no idea whether its available to you.

Paul

[pinhodecarlos]

We decided to go and come everyday by car. After first day of scoping not sure about all days are necessary for our propose. Tomorrow I will have a better understanding of our time available. Took us more than 2 hours to get there but only less than 1h30 to come back.

[pinhodecarlos]

Now I'm planning at the end of August a visit Cambdrige to celebrate my wife's birthday. Looking to stay in the centre town, maybe on a Premier Inn.

Still need to understand what to visit to localise the hotel nearby instead of using public transportation or my own car plus parking to move myself

[pinhodecarlos]

We've decided for one day visit to Cambdrige Saturday 27th August. Too expensive to stay two nights there. What shall we visit?

[pinhodecarlos]

We are going to make another Cambridge visit but I am not sure if it is wise to do it on Boxing day or on the December 27. Paul and Tom, do you guys want to go for a tea?

Carlos