Post by silverdragon on Nov 13, 2015 11:19:13 GMT
Port and Starboard, working on this at the moment, how did they become ships standard.
And just how did that affect the roads?..
Starboard, origins,
This is about the most sensible explanation....[other explanations are availiable if you want to try political correctness, but if you do, please dont read this, I aint interested, this is trying to discover the truth...]
www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/01/the-origin-of-port-and-starboard/
More specifically, the side of the steering board, plank, oar, but mostly board, so steor-board became starboard.
Post side?...
It was around the 16th century they adopted the "Port side" reference?.. so I believe, and again, is echoes in that site reference.
Simply its as NOT to damage the rudder board, that steorbord, the ship was tied up with the left side to port, leaving the stear-board away from where it may be crushed, so, naturally, that side of the ship became the port-side, and then just port, as "Port" was easier to recognise against "Larboard" sounding a little too much like "Starboard" on a noisy deck when shouting out instructions?...
Bigger ships and central rudders?.. well, because they just followed the way everything else was done, because it worked, they didnt try to fix it, I mean, why try to be different just for the sake of it?..
Then the what is left and right issue, most people knew which side the steering was on, so they used that as a reference to the sides of the ship, with the other side, the "Port" side, and that was helped by that side being adapted to have a lower railing and parts where the gang-plank was stored/put in place....
Visual clues helped, and remembering which is which even in reduced visibility is easier when you have a "landmark" (Or even ship-mark?..) you can recognise.
So there you go.
Its quite simple when you have been walked through the reasons why isnt it?..
Well it makes sense to me, and I am open to correction if anyone else can find a better explanation.
Additional to that, as yet to be cited, but it is only then logical to reason that as a sea-faring nation, we are used to the steering being on the RIGHT of a vessel, in history, so why not do the same with Land based vehicles, and thats why the steering is on the RIGHT in Modern UK vehicles and cars, and why we drive, logically, on the left.... it started that way, and we have never seen any good reason to change that.
Also, and this helps,
www.2pass.co.uk/goodluck.htm
Which also states that Napoleon was left-handed, and in a fit of spite, reversed that decision "Just because" he was left handed....
But...
I also see references that it was actually a peace-keeping effort by the French colonies to make it more difficult for people to attack each other on open roads... if you pass on the right side of the road, and you are left handed, its a sort of way of agreeing to NOT indulge in combat?...
Which makes MORE sense.
And probably more logical in the truth.
And you thought "Road rage" was a new thing then?.. just because we invented that term recently does not a "new" problem make, it has been going on for as long as we have had roads.....
So am I indicating that we, the Brits, therefore decided to remain more "Feudal"?...
No, not really, we just decided that we didnt need to "prove" anything like that and we wanted to keep our traditions...
Which proves again that being British is 'always has been and always will be' about resisting change for change sake, part of what makes us unique is we dont do things the same way.
Reason you Americans influenced a lot of the world to drive on the right?...
Producing LOTS of cars that way.
And the original reason was your independence from UK, and sweeping changes to revoke the drive-on-the-left rule of the Brits...
Strange how history unfolds.
All above open to edit if anyone can find good reason for correction...
You know like debunking the myth that Nappyleon changed the sides of the road in the original road-rage fit of tamper to "Miff off" the Brits...
History shows he was quite a tall person, but, due to political cartoons of the time, the Myth was spread he was a midget.
Perhaps thats what made him unhappy?...
And just how did that affect the roads?..
Starboard, origins,
This is about the most sensible explanation....[other explanations are availiable if you want to try political correctness, but if you do, please dont read this, I aint interested, this is trying to discover the truth...]
Specifically, “starboard” is referencing the old practice of having a steering oar on one side of the ship, rather than a centrally placed rudder. This was basically just a modified oar generally attached in a vertical attitude to the right side of the ship near the back (with the right side thought to have been chosen simply because most people are right handed).
As to the name itself, “starboard”, this comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for this side steering oar, “steorbord”, which literally means “the side on which a vessel is steered”.
As to the name itself, “starboard”, this comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for this side steering oar, “steorbord”, which literally means “the side on which a vessel is steered”.
www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/01/the-origin-of-port-and-starboard/
More specifically, the side of the steering board, plank, oar, but mostly board, so steor-board became starboard.
Post side?...
The original name for the left side of the ship was not “port”, but rather the Old English “bæcbord”. This was probably referencing the fact that on larger boats the helmsman would often have to hold the steering oar with both hands, so his back would be to the left side of the ship.
After “bæcbord” came “laddebord”- “laden” meaning “to load” and “board” meaning “ship’s side”, referencing the side of the ship where loading and unloading was done. This gave rise to “larboard” in the 16th century, rhyming with “starboard”, and again just meaning the side of the ship that faced the dock or shore (to minimize chance of damaging the steering oar and make it easier to load and unload without the steering oar in the way).
After “bæcbord” came “laddebord”- “laden” meaning “to load” and “board” meaning “ship’s side”, referencing the side of the ship where loading and unloading was done. This gave rise to “larboard” in the 16th century, rhyming with “starboard”, and again just meaning the side of the ship that faced the dock or shore (to minimize chance of damaging the steering oar and make it easier to load and unload without the steering oar in the way).
It was around the 16th century they adopted the "Port side" reference?.. so I believe, and again, is echoes in that site reference.
Simply its as NOT to damage the rudder board, that steorbord, the ship was tied up with the left side to port, leaving the stear-board away from where it may be crushed, so, naturally, that side of the ship became the port-side, and then just port, as "Port" was easier to recognise against "Larboard" sounding a little too much like "Starboard" on a noisy deck when shouting out instructions?...
Bigger ships and central rudders?.. well, because they just followed the way everything else was done, because it worked, they didnt try to fix it, I mean, why try to be different just for the sake of it?..
Then the what is left and right issue, most people knew which side the steering was on, so they used that as a reference to the sides of the ship, with the other side, the "Port" side, and that was helped by that side being adapted to have a lower railing and parts where the gang-plank was stored/put in place....
Visual clues helped, and remembering which is which even in reduced visibility is easier when you have a "landmark" (Or even ship-mark?..) you can recognise.
So there you go.
Its quite simple when you have been walked through the reasons why isnt it?..
Well it makes sense to me, and I am open to correction if anyone else can find a better explanation.
Additional to that, as yet to be cited, but it is only then logical to reason that as a sea-faring nation, we are used to the steering being on the RIGHT of a vessel, in history, so why not do the same with Land based vehicles, and thats why the steering is on the RIGHT in Modern UK vehicles and cars, and why we drive, logically, on the left.... it started that way, and we have never seen any good reason to change that.
Also, and this helps,
Up to the late 1700's, everybody travelled on the left side of the road because it's the sensible option for feudal, violent societies of mostly right-handed people.
Jousting knights with their lances under their right arm naturally passed on each other's right, and if you passed a stranger on the road you walked on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him.
Jousting knights with their lances under their right arm naturally passed on each other's right, and if you passed a stranger on the road you walked on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him.
www.2pass.co.uk/goodluck.htm
Which also states that Napoleon was left-handed, and in a fit of spite, reversed that decision "Just because" he was left handed....
But...
I also see references that it was actually a peace-keeping effort by the French colonies to make it more difficult for people to attack each other on open roads... if you pass on the right side of the road, and you are left handed, its a sort of way of agreeing to NOT indulge in combat?...
Which makes MORE sense.
And probably more logical in the truth.
And you thought "Road rage" was a new thing then?.. just because we invented that term recently does not a "new" problem make, it has been going on for as long as we have had roads.....
So am I indicating that we, the Brits, therefore decided to remain more "Feudal"?...
No, not really, we just decided that we didnt need to "prove" anything like that and we wanted to keep our traditions...
Which proves again that being British is 'always has been and always will be' about resisting change for change sake, part of what makes us unique is we dont do things the same way.
Reason you Americans influenced a lot of the world to drive on the right?...
Producing LOTS of cars that way.
And the original reason was your independence from UK, and sweeping changes to revoke the drive-on-the-left rule of the Brits...
Strange how history unfolds.
All above open to edit if anyone can find good reason for correction...
You know like debunking the myth that Nappyleon changed the sides of the road in the original road-rage fit of tamper to "Miff off" the Brits...
History shows he was quite a tall person, but, due to political cartoons of the time, the Myth was spread he was a midget.
Perhaps thats what made him unhappy?...
