Question: Why did they always get in and out of the passenger side of the car on the Andy Griffith show?
Answer: Back in the 50's and early 60's it was a law that you had to get into and out of your car from the sidewalk side, so I assume they were following that procedure.
Answer: I found this online, as apparently others wondered the same thing. It is only one explanation but it seems plausible: (paraphrased) It could be equipment-related. Getting in on the passenger side can be shot as a locked-down tripod shot. Getting in on the driver side means the guy has to walk around the car, requiring at minimum a pan/tilt/zoom and probably a dolly shot to make it look good (they didn't have Steadicams back then, so any time the camera had to move, a dolly track had to built for it to roll on). That would add expense and time to what was really just an establishing shot. This was a low-budget TV show, and it was cheaper to shoot it that way.
High Noon in Mayberry - S3-E17
Question: When Luke Comstock called Andy to let him know he was coming over, why did Andy choose not to keep himself armed in the event Luke's intentions proved sinister? Andy had no way of knowing ahead of time if Luke was coming back to seek revenge on him. Barney even said that the person matching Luke's description was seen carrying a shotgun. Luke was armed, so Andy should have been just in case Luke tried anything.
Answer: Throughout the show, it is established multiple times that Andy doesn't use firearms. (At least not for police work.) He has the ability to de-escalate most situations without resorting to force or the threat of violence.
Answer: When Floyd and Barney have run out of gas, Barney chides Floyd by saying, "Why didn't you put gas in this car? If you're gonna drive through the country, you're supposed to make sure the tank is filled." This suggests it's Floyd's car. Since Barney insisted he knew a shortcut, Floyd let him drive the car.
Super Grover ★