The only time I ever use the cruise control in our car is when we are driving through the St Gothard tunnel. The limit is a strict 80 kilometres per hour and you are strongly advised to keep a good distance from the vehicle in front of you. It’s a moment to stretch the legs and play the game of guessing the maximum temperature inside the tunnel (tip: there are two peaks at the southern end of the tunnel). On this occasion, though, I was suddenly given a graphic illustration of why – for right-handed people, at least – it is better to drive on the left. A lunatic in a camper van drove close up behind me and started to flash his headlights. No overtaking is allowed in the tunnel and I was going at my cruise-controlled 80 kph and, anyway, there was a lorry driving in front of me. And that’s when I realized. If we had been driving on the left, I could have wound down my right window and given the loonie an old-fashioned V-sign.
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