Inside, Outside, Near Lane, Far Lane, whatever...

[Steve]

---  "Geoff Bannister" <gbannister10 at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "Annemehr" <annemehr@> wrote:
> >
> > --- "Geoff Bannister" 
> > <gbannister10@> wrote:
> > >
> > > ---  "Steve" <bboyminn@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Ok, admittedly this is an extremely minor point, but I
> > > > find the whole discussion of 'inside lane' and 'outside
> > > > lane' very confusing. ...
> > > > 
> > > > Relative to 'inside lane', it doesn't matter whether you
> > > > drive on the left or the right, the Inside lane is at 
> > > > the center of the roadway ..., and conversely the 
> > > >'outside lane' is at the outer edge of the roadway. 
> > > 
> > > Geoff:
> > > <takes deep breath>
> > > 
> > > Right.
> > > 
> > > In the UK, we drive on the left and the inside lane is the
> > > lane on the /left/ - in other words, nearest the pavement 
> > > or the hedge or the hard shoulder or the garden wall or 
> > > whatever borders the road. This is also sometimes referred
> > > to as the slow lane in conversation.
> > > 
> > > ...
>  
> Annemehr: 
> > Right.  So, your inside lanes are on the outside.
> > 
> > And you think WE can't speak English! ;)
> 
> Geoff:
> No, our inside lanes are on the inside. It's your lanes 
> which are inside out. ...
> :-)
> 
> Annemehr:
> > Actually, I suppose the terminology might come from 
> > racetracks - ..., everybody tends to run in the inside 
> > lane (toward the center of the oval), and therefore passing
> > tends to occur on the outside lanes.  Thus, perhaps, passing
> > lane = "outside lane" and there you go.
>  
> > N'est-ce pas?
> 
> Geoff:
> Yes, that sounds possible. It would be interesting to find
> the etymology of that usage.
>

bboyminn:

Still confusing, but I think I get it now, though again, it
doesn't matter which side of the road you drive on. That is,
I don't see that as a factor in designating the lanes 'inside'
or 'outside'.

Regarding race track, of course the inner lane is the 'inside'
because it is toward and closer to the center of the oval which
constitutes the track. And that is the same logic /WE/ use for
highways/roadways; the lane in the center is on the 'inside'
and the lane away from the center at the outer edge is the
'outside'.

Now, first and foremost, I'm not criticizing you; you call 
the lanes what you call them and that is that. But, I find
the logic in those designations completely contradictory to
what I see as common logic. So there must be a logic I don't
see. 

While the racetrack might be possible, it does seem counter
intuitive on a straight road. Again, it is what it is, but
I'm intensely curious to know /WHY/ it is what it is.

Ain't life strange?

Steve/bboyminn