What you missed is what I MEANT to type. Not heads I win, tails you
lose. Switches in airplanes were pushed down to TURN THEM ON, household
switches were pushed UP. I have some old radio equipment which has
backward switches, i.e. push down to turn on.
Now for another non-photographic puzzle: In the U.S.A. the engineer
of a locomotive has traditionally sat on the RIGHT side of the engine.
I had thought this was a practice brought over with the earliest steam
locomotives. Maybe, but in watching some British railroad films on You
Tube it appears the "engine driver" sits on the LEFT. I am not
absolutely sure of this so any Brits on the list may substantiate me or
correct me. So, if this is the case, we have auto drivers driving on
the opposite side from locomotive drivers in both countries but on
opposite "wrong" sides. So, in which hand do you hold you fork
(important for Christmas dinner)? Which way to the tongs (or prongs)
point? Which way do you hold a Rolleiflex? Oh, golly, its all so confusing.
On 12/23/2015 6:29 PM, Don Williams wrote:
At 04:39 PM 12/23/2015, you wrote:
Have I said Merry Christmas to the list, if not Merry Christmas!!!
I am reminded that things working in a different way than one is used to can cause trouble. In the U.S. doors now open toward the outside* since in an emergency people want to push them open. Same for locks, at least in L.A., locks work clockwise to lock and counter-clockwise to unlock, at least from the INSIDE.
Many years ago it was discovered that there were airplane accidents because electrical switches worked backwards of the switches in most homes. That is, when you walk into a room you reach for the light switch an push it /_UP to turn it on_/. In aircraft many switches pushed /_DOWN to shut them off_/. In an emergency people often do not think but work out of habit or kinetic memory. Pushing a switch the wrong way or having not move can cause a disaster.
No disasters from the Rollei shutter but its an example of how startling it can be when something does not work as expected.
Watch out for those reindeer, they can kick the shingles loose.
/_UP to turn it on_/ seems to be the same as _D/OWN to shut them off./_ What am I missing here? (and then, we have two way light switches in hallways and large rooms. It seems natural, in those cases, to just flip a switch the opposite way, automatically. Of course in most cases there wouldn't be a disaster)
I haven't been in a cockpit in many years but there are lots of cockpit scenes on TV and "down" is indeed "Off".
I recall that in The Netherlands light switches were turned on by flipping them down instead of up.
Also, if I remember correctly (It's been a while) that a lady wearing a ring on her left hand was engaged, moving it to the right hand when married.
We have a couple of Dutch folks on the list, they can correct me if I have remembered incorrectly.
*Our tornado shelter door opens in. That is a FEMA requirement. Anything that ends up against the door can't prevent you from getting out after a storm.
DAW~
