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.

 

[KenCunningham]

Off is always off, regardless, it's just on the other side depending on the handedness of the batsman. Confused enough now?

Getting back to cars, I've always known the side nearest the kerb as the 'near side'. Is that the correct interpretation?

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

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> I've always known the side nearest the kerb as the 'near side'. Is that the correct interpretation?
Not in Gary Larson's car.

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[mintjulep]

Your left side is the side that on your left when you're standing in yourself facing forward.

Why would the convention be different for anything else?

Now, since there have been so many bad nautical puns in this thread, here is a bit of nautical trivia.

Back in the day, when the captain wanted to turn the ship to the Port (left) he would command "Rudder to Starboard (right)" and conversely, if he wanted the ship to go starboard would command "Rudder to port".

Why? Because the rudder was controlled by a tiller, not a wheel, and you point the end of the tiller opposite to the direction you want the boat to turn.

 

[BadBigBen]

you're standing in yourself facing forward

I can imagine, that would hurt....

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.
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[tcsbiz]

I can imagine, that would hurt....

It would hurt worse if you were standing outside of yourself. Although, people do say that they're beside themselves.

 

[Trevoke]

In high school, I had a math teacher who used to say,

Let me step out of character for a second.

Then he would physically take a step to the side.

Although my favorite quote by him has always been,

Okay, so now you know how to solve this. But do you really know? What if someone came to you in the street with this question and a pencil, put a gun to your head, and told you, "Either the answer's on the paper, or your brains are" ?

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[Welshbird]

We had a Chemistry tutor who alwas saud "Now, look at the board while I run through it."

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[Guest_imported]

I had a maths lecturer who told our class that only 80% of us would pass his course, while the other 30% would fail...

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[BadBigBen]

Those antics remind me of my English teacher in 10th grade...

Mr. Hammer, you came into class, sat down and waited till the bell rang. But no teacher in sight. Then all of a sudden out of the closet you'd hear the Popeye theme, and out came Mr. Hammer dancing... This was on the first day of school.



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"

 

[kjv1611]

BBB,

Are you sure your teacher wasn't MC Hammer? [har har har]

No emotionacon for a har har har, eh?

 

[BadBigBen]

Now that you mention that...

He did look more like Wierd Al Yankovic than MC Hammer...


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"

 

[Sympology]

Americans drive on the "right" side of the road.

Actually we Brits know you ' mercans drive on the "Wrong" side

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

 

[SantaMufasa]

Which is the left side? Is it the left side as you're facing the car (passenger side)?

Wouldn't it just be easier to say the "East side" of the car? <grin>

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
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“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[2ffat]

HEY! Here in the Virginia, it's the "South side" of the car! ;-)


James P. Cottingham
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[IknowMe]

Port? Hopefully there's some left.

[small]Sometimes you gotta leave your zone of safety. You have to manufacture Inspirado. You gotta get out of the apartment. You've got to run with the wolves. You've got to dive into the ocean and fight with the sharks. Or just treat yourself to a delicious hot fudge sundae........ with nuts. - Jack Black[/small]

 

[mmerlinn]

American drivers do drive on the right side of the road. Brits drive on the wrong side.

Or to put is simpler, "Right is right and left is wrong" from the American view. This makes infinitely more sense than the British view of "Left is right and right is wrong."





mmerlinn

http://mmerlinn.com

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[SantaMufasa]

We had a Chemistry tutor who always said "Now, look at the board while I run through it."

This all reminds me of Mr. Bunting, our shop teacher in middle school. He was famous for his ridiculous statements that caused universal double takes amongst his students:

Hold the nail with your left hand and the hammer with your right hand. When I nod my head, you hit it.

In another instance, he apparently wanted to pre-approve the completion of my class woodworking project:

Hey Hunt, bring your project here before I see it.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[BobRodes]

As I recall, the reason that the Brits drive on the left side (as do the Japanese) is that back in the day, you wanted a stranger to pass you on the side upon which you drew your sword.