Which is the left side? 1

[rjoubert]

I don't know if this story has hit the national wires, but locally, the big story is the search for a missing Purdue student. The various news articles, in giving a description of the teen's car, says that it is highly dented on the left side. Now I see that the family's facebook page and the flyer they have created also states that it is dented on the left side. Which is the left side? Is it the left side as you're facing the car (passenger side)? Or is it the left side as you're sitting in the car (driver side)? Is it common practice to refer to the sides of a car from one perspective or the other (driver or external viewer)? IMO, it would less confusing to just state "driver side" or "passenger side.

 

[SkipVought]

IMO, it would less confusing to just state "driver side" or "passenger side."

But then we would need to know if this was a British made vehicle or not. ;-)

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[rjoubert]

I didn't think about that, Skip. You got me thinking though. On a ship they use Port and Starboard to refer to the left and right, respectively, from the perspective of one standing on the ship facing the front. So I guess I can assume that with a vehicle, the left and right sides are from the perspective of someone in the vehicle, facing the front.

 

[CajunCenturion]

==>Which is the left side? Is it the left side as you're facing the car (passenger side)?
It would have nothing to do the position of any observer. If we were to talk about a person's left side, it would be irrespective to any observer. It's the person's left side, relative to the direction that the person is facing. A ship's port side is the left side relative to the direction the ship is facing and similarly for a car, it's the car's left side relative to the direction the car is facing.


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[SkipVought]

Goodness! On a ship, there's no FRONT! What an affront!

It's the bow of the ship. ;-)

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[Andrzejek]

As far as "driver side" or "passenger side." - it doesn't matter if this was a British made vehicle or not.
Skip is just making fun of you, but you missed the humor

Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[SkipVought]

No, actually it was something like a 'Carlin Moment.'

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[CajunCenturion]

I think it's time to stop making waves, or I'm going to get stern with you guys.


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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[Golom]

CC

I agree. They've definitely gone overboard.

 

[tcsbiz]

I bow to the superior humor displayed in this thread.

I was once afloat on a boat in Pearl Harbor. I certainly felt like was amid ships. That made me an amid ship man.

 

[Annihilannic]

Don't make me laugh any harder please, I'll keel over!

Annihilannic.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Well by now the poop deck is awash!![flush]








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[carp]

Who'd have thought such a simple question would hatch so many puns?!

 

[rjoubert]

Thanks for the laughs all. On a serious note though, this story came to a tragic end yesterday. They found the student's car, with him still inside, in a retention pond.

 

[BadBigBen]

RJ,

Sorry to hear that...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[tcsbiz]

That is so sad.

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Which is the left side?

I would bet lots of money that they're talking about the left side of the car from the perspective of any person sitting inside the car facing its front.

I can't even fathom why you would refer to any other side as the car's 'left side' without any explicit reference as to the context of the viewpoint.

Dan



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[karluk]

I agree that the dent figures to be on the left side of the car as seen from the driver's perspective. This interpretation agrees with the common usage that Americans drive on the "right" side of the road.

This post got me thinking about the corresponding issue in stage directions. According to the Wikipedia article, "stage left" refers to the stage from the actor's point of view, whereas "house left" is from the audience's perspective". So actors should never get confused by stage directions. Still, I see that my favorite Shakesperian feline, Snagglepuss, used the term incorrectly in the following clip. I hope that was because Snagglepuss was trying to not confuse his target audience of boys and girls, rather than because he didn't understand the term himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4qFxTTi8q0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)

 

[KenCunningham]

Cricket of course avoids any confusion by using 'on' (or leg) and 'off' sides ;-)

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[stackdump]

Although leg and off side can be confusing with a left or right hand batsman. Is a left hand batsmans off stump the same as a right hand batsmans leg stump?

Does an off spinner bowl leg side to as left hander?