My First Car was a blue 2cv Special
2cv's have their gearstick protruding from the dash - the engine is small enough to have the gearbox inside the engine bay so the 'stick' links to a much smaller traditional looking shifter underneath the bonnet. There is nothing between the front seats in a 2cv. This, incidentally, enables furtive teenage fumblings in laybys without anything to snag your unbuckled trousers on. Fnar.

From time to time I would also drive my mothers lovely biege 5 door centrally locked Austin Metro Mayfair *gags*.

During the first couple of miles of driving the Metro *retch*, I would repeatedly punch the dash while attempting to select a different gear.
Conversely, switching back into the 2cv would see me fumbling around in the empty space between the seats trying to find a gearstick that wasnt there.
Never failed to confuse me.
(magictorch, Thu 21 Mar 2013, 17:24, 4 replies)

It's surprising how you get used to something quickly though
My car has the indicators on the left.
My wife's car has them on the right.

On a short drive in her car, after wiping the windows a couple of times, I get used to the new configuration. But it then takes me a week to get back into the arrangement for my car.

Fortunately I've not confused her diesel and my petrol at the pumps yet.
(Kliper Filllets Getting noticed by twats on the internet since, Thu 21 Mar 2013, 17:44, closed)

Cars bring out the stupid in me too
1) I dont change car often, I make them last. when eventually I do buy another I then spend ages searching for the one I've sold in car parks.

2) I drive in france and england. Havent yet forgotten to drive on the right over there but have done exactly the opposite on returning home afterwards

3) The fuel filler cap wont open after you get out and lock the car. I do this every time I need to buy fuel.
(Carpe Cyprinidae, Thu 21 Mar 2013, 17:58, closed)

I learned to drive with in a car with left-hand indicators
but when it came to my test day, my instructor had bought a new car with indicators on the right. Passed though :D
( Major Turd for tonight only, Thu 21 Mar 2013, 19:44, closed)

It can be even worse
I drive two cars. One has a normal gearlever in the middle and a normal handbrake between the front seats. The other has a column change and the handbrake just in front of the driver's door, by my right knee. It's fine as long as I don't think about it, but any attempt at cognition while driving tends to leave me a gibbering wreck, immobile in front of a line of hooting cars while I start with "I think, therefore I am", work my way through the existence of rice pudding and income tax and then try to remember about hill starts.
(ubergeekian, Fri 22 Mar 2013, 9:18, closed)