Interpreting a drawing

[Art K]

I read this and just had to throw this in the mix. I work with old British lever arm shock absorbers. They are usually stamped with a part number and left hand or right hand. Occasionally they were labeled OS or NS. I asked my boss about this and he said they used to label them near side, off side rather than left and right. They stopped that after no one could agree which side was near and off side.
Art

[mike21alpha]

Well, I see no confusion here. The OS is the side furthest from the kerb, the driver’s side. This was no issue with British cars manufactured g go or British roads. The issue come with the other people that drive on the wrong side of the road. I still refer to OS/NS when talking to professionals about works on a vehicle, I have not had an issue as of yet.

[Charles Lamont]

I have an idea that it came from leading a horse, which is always done from its left.

[Admiral_dk]

Well as the rest of the World Literally drive on the Right side of the road – how come that those from the Commonwealth insists that we are on the wrong side …. Do they still expect that they will need to throw a javelin, with their right arm against oncoming traffic, while driving …?   

Per

[mike21alpha]

The answer is in ancient history, which of course the part of the World seem to have either forgotten or chosen to ignore. Most of Europe was covered in forest and to travel from one town to another was a hazardous and, for some, necessary undertaking. One rode on the left releasing your right arm free to use a weapon to protect yourself. The same argument could be used to explain the leading of an animal. We deffo off piste, here

[ShopShoe]

I am from the USA, but I won't say right or wrong. I am also multidimensional in measurement systems and can't see what the the problem is.

I have also seen a reference to the "what side of the road" being rooted to using the whip in the right hand and also not wanting to hit the passengers in your coach on the backstroke of the whip. Some of the early US cars also had the steerng wheel on the right side.

I always use "Driver's side" and "Passenger's side" as descriptors, rather than right and left, to try to eliminate any confusion.

ShopShoe

[Brian Rupnow]

I spent many, many years creating and working with engineering drawings for machines to be fabricated in Canada or USA. We used a system called "third angle projection" for orthographic views, which was common in Canada and USA. Occasionally we would have to work with drawings from Germany or other parts of Europe, which all used "first angle projection" which was exactly the reverse of the north American system, and it drove us absolutely bonkers.

[Admiral_dk]

There is already your answer to your question (so to speak) - ISO - International Standard Organisation ...

That does net remove all the old ways that some still have to work with - especially those here that builds and have interests in old stuff ....

I'm very well aware of the quite possible chance that I might fall into one off those traps too.

As one who lives in Continental Europe and has familly in the UK - I would never dare to use the term Driver and Passenger side on anything other than the wheehicle we both are looking at together - as all else fails ....

[springcrocus]

...
I always use "Driver's side" and "Passenger's side" as descriptors, rather than right and left, to try to eliminate any confusion.

ShopShoe

In our car, I usually sit in front of the steering wheel. Both sides are called the driver's side... 

  Regards, Steve

[ShopShoe]

Ya Got Me......

I just assumed that me saying "Driver's" and "Passenger's" meant I was talking to someone looking at the vehicle in question or knowing about it anyway. "Left" and "Right" confuses some people unless you add something like "Assuming you are sitting in the vehicle facing in the direction of travel." (And saying all that to the guy in the tire store will put a look on his face that means everyone will hear about me on coffee break.)

It reminds me the first time in school I had to read and write an essay about a play and had to get "Stage Right" and "Downstage" in my head.

ShopShoe