Quote Originally Posted by Teasmade View Post
The only thing I don't like is that to make the system engage, one has to have a foot on the brake pedal - and therefore if you're in a tailback, the person behind you is treated to your brake lights all the time; you can't engage the handbrake and step off the service brakes.
Being an American that is a huge fan of the UK*, I find the differences between the US and the UK fascinating. Here, with most cars being automatic, people don't put the car in neutral at a red light, they leave it in drive and keep their foot on the brake. Almost nobody uses the handbrake at a red light. They just don't. Even if they have a manual transmission. I'm afraid to take my foot off the brake and use the handbrake at a red light, I'm afraid people will see my brake lights go out, assume I'm moving forward, and rear-end me. Granted, these are observations I've made over the past 3+ decades of being a passenger in California and Ohio, so these may not even be common nationwide.

*My wife and I went to London and Edinburgh for our 10 year anniversary a few years back. First time out of the US for me, and we absolutely loved it. My wife says I took more pictures of cars than I did of other sights. She might be right. I did enjoy not having to drive for 10 days, as your train and bus systems were actually convenient. I actually started collecting London Underground signs for my office, I enjoyed it so much.