Pet Peeve 414

Why do people insist upon using right or left to give directions instead of north/south, etc.

My son cleaned up the garage yesterday and put away the anti-freeze I wanted to use today to winterize the RV. He also went to a football game and did not get home until 4:30 this morning. I doubt sober.

I sent his wife in to wake him and find out where he put tthe anti-freeze. On the right side he said.

Now which is the right side? When you are entering the garage from the house or when you are entering it from the driveway.

This also happens all the time when people are giving you directions, really is it so hard to tell north from south or east from west.

Rant Over

KTK

Poor spulling pizs please off to

 

I encountered people in university who had trouble understanding the difference between "up and down" and "north and south". They'd say north was "up" and south was "down", and vice-versa. I'm not talking geographically -- this was in everyday, colloquial use. These scholars would consider "up" and "north" the same thing; as in going "up" to the 2nd floor of a building would be the same as going "north". The scary thing is most of these people ended up graduating -- with a B.Eng (engineering) or B.Sc (science) degree!

This is one of the reasons why I consider a diploma to be worth about the same as the dead tree its printed on, and have little respect for anyone who uses a university or college education as "justification" that they're highly intelligent or that they're important. A diploma shows that you've attended a educational institution and met the academic requirements to graduate -- it does not intrinsically mean you're any more intelligent or better than anyone else. Your life and work should stand on its own merits and not a $5 diploma hanging on your wall. If you need that $5 diploma to justify yourself, you're doing something wrong. I've met lots of people who think they're more qualified, more intelligent, more experienced, etc than everyone around them solely because of that piece of paper and that's just a farcical attitude to have.

Rant over.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVlr8QgWU1A

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

 

By the right...Quick March! North South, North South...

 

I taught the kids to react when I use time as a direction. When I say "deer at 10" they know exactly where to spot it . It doesn't work with the wife though, she'd wait until it's time to see the deer.

 

When I say 'turn right', I mean 'right', right ? Right-thinking people just know that I'm right - alright ?

( BTW, what's our vector, Victor....? )

 

In a related peeve, I find that men and women use entirely different spacial coordinates. It's so bad, I'd rather wander around lost than ask a woman directions and be told to "go 'that way' a mile before you see the house with the nice windows."

 

Any way the ex-wife was facing was north. She went south!

 

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw[/YOUTUBE]

 

At one point in our extensive trip through NW Europe following my Dad's war journey my husband had 2 satnavs on the go with vocal directions that drove me nuts. I had a map and I got us there. We had previously used the satnav to find our first campsite after getting off the ferry in Normandy. We ended up on a track alongside a planted field that led to a derelict farm and were lucky that we had enough room to turn around with our towed caravan. Another time we had to unhitch the caravan and turn it manually as we had no room to manoeouvre. Road maps every time for me.

 

Anyone who makes a map (hard or soft) that does not make it so that North is always on top, should be hung by their thumbs.

 

That's a bit Eurocentric isn't it? Also can become difficult if you are mapping near one of the poles. Then there's the question of whether to use the true or magnetic pole.

 

Metrosexual at the very most.
edit- sometimes, i go too far

 

At least you didn't accuse me of picking on the Poles ....


in regards to my previous post I seem to recall reading that at least older Chinese compasses pointed South rather than North and their maps might have done the same not sure if other cultures have different conventions in regards to what's at the top of the map but I wouldn't be surprised especially if you look at older maps.

 

psst- did anyone else notice Julian(lwd) is back online?...Just want to personally thank you, Julian, for what you have done for freedom. A thousand thanks.

edit- Michigan...perfect. Peeps would never suspect Michigan.
ps. stay away from the gym, walks in the park, pretty women and pizza parlors.

 

Reminds me my wife wanted an idea of what to get me for Christmas, seems if we are to adopt this idea a compass will be needed.

And while we are on about peeved what kind of word is winterize?

 

OMG, you do not want to know.
You are not lena dunham, i hope. Trying to get in here by boat. Cher, maybe...robert dinero maybe...

Have to mention now, the movie i just watched with denaro in it...the movie where (current hollywood star) is a loser, and takes this pill that makes him super genious/rich...was ok film...anyone seen that?...towards the end, the good guy basically sends dinero into the limo then says- "don't forget to vote"...serious political synchronicity there. i actually exclaimed "WHAT". It was ...odd. Am good at odd.

 

win·ter·ize

ˈwin(t)əˌrīz/

verb
NORTH AMERICAN

1. 
   
   
   
   adapt or prepare (something, especially a house or an automobile) for use in cold weather.
   "a waterfront cottage that Dixon had winterized"