The Lemon Fool

Ah - but when you reach an over-mature age, and you are with your GP who is testing your mental abilities - how will you answer the question - which side is your filler cap on? That one comes just before he asks you to count down from 100 in steps of 7.

Shurely it's on the nearside in whichever region the car was mainly manufactured for? So for RHD countries like the UK, India, Australia or Japan it's on the left, and for the uncivilised rest of the world it's on the right.

Same thing with windscreen wipers, or certainly used to be - for mainstream cars at least. (Specialist cars are a different domain.) On a predominantly LHD car (eg VW), the wiper's at the very top of its stroke on the left side of the screen, so that British drivers get that annoying unswept area to the top right of their vision. And viva voce for mainly RHD cars. These days, manufacturers tend to compensate by having a bigger blade on whichever side the driver sits, but it's still annoying.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:Shurely it's on the nearside in whichever region the car was mainly manufactured for? So for RHD countries like the UK, India, Australia or Japan it's on the left, and for the uncivilised rest of the world it's on the right.

Nope. Every Japanese made car I've ever driven (including in the USA) it's on the left. The Japanese seem to be very consistent. Don't know if it is a local law?? All other manufacturers seem to be much more random.

Gryff

bungeejumper wrote:.. And viva voce for mainly RHD cars...

BJ

I thought that was an oral exam? Or am I missing the joke

bungeejumper wrote:Shurely it's on the nearside in whichever region the car was mainly manufactured for? So for RHD countries like the UK, India, Australia or Japan it's on the left, and for the uncivilised rest of the world it's on the right.

Same thing with windscreen wipers, or certainly used to be - for mainstream cars at least. (Specialist cars are a different domain.) On a predominantly LHD car (eg VW), the wiper's at the very top of its stroke on the left side of the screen, so that British drivers get that annoying unswept area to the top right of their vision. And viva voce for mainly RHD cars. These days, manufacturers tend to compensate by having a bigger blade on whichever side the driver sits, but it's still annoying.

My 7 year old VW Golf - RHD - wipers sweep upright on the right, filler on the right. Son's 20 year old VW Lupo is the same.

Another one which I learned recently. If you think moss grows on the north side of a tree, you've never been south of the equator. Duhhhh, obvious when you think about it……

But..... The idea that runner beans and vines twine clockwise in Australia (instead of anti-clockwise, as in the UK) has no universal basis in fact. 90% of them go anti-clockwise in Oz, and damn the Coriolis effect.

But..... Plants with an antipodean origin are more likely to be natural clockwise twisters, while species that were introduced from the northern hemisphere are almost always anti-clockers.

But..... Nobody told the plants. Hops and honeysuckle are clockwise climbers, wherever they come from.

BJ

UncleIan wrote:My 7 year old VW Golf - RHD - wipers sweep upright on the right, filler on the right. Son's 20 year old VW Lupo is the same.

Thanks. My 8 year old Golf has the wipers the other way. You can't rely on anything these days.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:

UncleIan wrote:My 7 year old VW Golf - RHD - wipers sweep upright on the right, filler on the right. Son's 20 year old VW Lupo is the same.

Thanks. My 8 year old Golf has the wipers the other way. You can't rely on anything these days.

That's weird, they'd even be the same model.

scotia wrote:Ah - but when you reach an over-mature age, and you are with your GP who is testing your mental abilities - how will you answer the question - which side is your filler cap on? That one comes just before he asks you to count down from 100 in steps of 7.

My mother had dementia as well as other conditions which required stays in hospital. We always told the doctors that she 'sometimes gets confused' which then led to a dementia assessment. One of the parts of which was to ask her to remember an address it didn't matter which doctor was involved the address was always the same, 24 West Street. It became a standing joke between my father and I.

Some years later dad also started to suffer from dementia, the same test was carried out. When the doctor asked him to remember the address it was still 24 West Street. We both cracked up. The doctor looked confused, that expression on his face that says 'Is this dementia or are they both mad. That made us laugh even more.

Eventually I explained why we were laughing. Apparently there wasn't a policy of using that particular address, it must have happened from watching other doctors do the test and over the years they had all come to use the same address.

Ha! Next you'll be telling us you've just discovered a new way to peel garlic... http://pic.twitter.com/14GGJDQhRj

gryffron wrote:

bungeejumper wrote:Shurely it's on the nearside in whichever region the car was mainly manufactured for? So for RHD countries like the UK, India, Australia or Japan it's on the left, and for the uncivilised rest of the world it's on the right.

Nope. Every Japanese made car I've ever driven (including in the USA) it's on the left. The Japanese seem to be very consistent. Don't know if it is a local law?? All other manufacturers seem to be much more random.

Gryff

On my VW Beetles you lifted the front bonnet and the filler was on the right. Some cars of US parentage had them centrally behind the rear number plate. Big Vauxhall's I think.

TJH

Snorvey wrote:You're always learning new things.

2 weeks ago, I discovered a paint stirrer drill attachment. When you're painting a living room & hall/stair landing over a few days, stirring paint by hand is boring and laborious. So whilst in B&Q assembling the various items I needed for the job, I thought I'd pick one up (not thinking it would be of any benefit, but hey, it's only a few quid so what the hell)

You may have discovered this as well, but after years of climbing ladders to finish painting the top of the wall, I bought a brush holder which fits on the top of a painting pole. It made the job of painting up to the cornice so much easier and for the fiddly bits I could use two hands to steady the brush. No ladder required and a finish just as good as before.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Extension-Brush ... 41&sr=8-10

regards

Howard

Nother one. This morning I was trying to measure the exact thickness of a wooden panel in a 150 year old door which I need to partially replace with a new flush piece. No Vernier gauge to be found, dammit, and the thickness was critical.

Used a set of spanners instead! 14mm, exact fit on the edge of the panel. Thanks, that'll do nicely. It's actually quite reassuring to know that the old brainbox can still pull that sort of stunt.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:Nother one. This morning I was trying to measure the exact thickness of a wooden panel in a 150 year old door which I need to partially replace with a new flush piece. No Vernier gauge to be found, dammit, and the thickness was critical.

Used a set of spanners instead! 14mm, exact fit on the edge of the panel. Thanks, that'll do nicely. It's actually quite reassuring to know that the old brainbox can still pull that sort of stunt.

BJ

I bought several of these from Lidl....

https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-digital ... lsrc=aw.ds

OK I know that's from Aldi but they are the same sort of kit. They are wonderful for so many jobs in the DIY field I wouldn't be without them. Cheap as chips.

Well done with the idea of using a spanner to find the thickness. Ingenious.

Snorvey wrote:I recall getting some additional wall units for my kitchen. I could have waited for the wife to come home and try and hold the heavy-ish cabinets at the correct height whilst I tried to screw them to the wall (to try and get them at the same level as the existing cabinets).....

I discovered though that our microwave, turned on its side is the exactly the right height and it held them perfectly level.

Great idea!

Can I borrow your microwave, please?

Watis

Snorvey wrote:I recall getting some additional wall units for my kitchen. I could have waited for the wife to come home and try and hold the heavy-ish cabinets at the correct height whilst I tried to screw them to the wall (to try and get them at the same level as the existing cabinets).....

I discovered though that our microwave, turned on its side is the exactly the right height and it held them perfectly level.

Screw a piece of 2x1 or similar to the bottom of the adjoining units, gently drop the new unit into the space and rest on the batten. Screw in place, remove batten.

The microwave being the right size was just luck.

sg31 wrote:I recall getting some additional wall units for my kitchen...

Didn't they come with adjustable brackets like these?

https://www.toolstation.com/hafele-nylo ... ate/p96843

Julian F. G. W.

Howard wrote:a brush holder which fits on the top of a painting pole

Where have you been all my life?
I have been bodging one of these for years with a long piece of 2" x 1" and duct tape around the brush handle. And the brush always wiggles loose after a bit.

jfgw wrote:

sg31 wrote:I recall getting some additional wall units for my kitchen...

Didn't they come with adjustable brackets like these?

https://www.toolstation.com/hafele-nylo ... ate/p96843

Julian F. G. W.

I didn't actually say that, it was Snorvey.

Nearly all modern units I fit come with the adjustable brackets.

Snorvey wrote:And today's discovery of the day is how to tell what side your fuel filler cap is. I'd never noticed the wee arrow next to the petrol pump symbol before....

Nope. Still can't see it. Should I get my eyes tested?