Friday 25 October 2019

Shocking ... just shocking!

This is an electric switch. In America when it points UP it means it is ON and the lights switch ON. When it points DOWN it means it is OFF and the lights are OFF.

In the UK it is the other way round. UP means OFF and DOWN means ON.

A couple of years ago we built an extension to our house. It was cheaper and more convenient than moving to a new larger house. We like it here so we might as well stay and extend the house.

We employed a professional electrician to fit all the wiring, the lights and what have you electric wise in the extension.

He fitted all the light switches the UK way - UP means OFF and DOWN means ON.

Except for one switch which he fitted like this:
SIDEWAYS ....

Just before he left I stopped the electrician and said, "Hey ... this switch is sideways!"

He replied in his typical British nonchalant way, "It works ... doesn't it?"

I said, "I did not complain about its working quality. I'm complained about the fact that it is sideways!"

He went on, "There was no room on the wall next to the door frame to have it upright. So I put it sideways on. It works see ... ON ... OFF ... ON ... OFF!"

I got irritated and said, "For a start it is not ON and OFF. It is NO and FFO when you read it sideways. I have checked my Oxford English Dictionary and there is not such an English word as FFO. I have not found it in any other language either. If it were to be strictly correct the switch, now that it is sideways, should read NO and YES ... not NO and FFO."

"It works though, doesn't it?" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"So does your van outside," I cried, "but you would not like it if I tipped it sideways would you? The wheels may well turn round when the engine is on but the van will hardly go anywhere!"

"What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked getting equally irritated.

"Well, you have two choices," I said, "you either turn this switch the right way round, or you turn all the switches in the house sideways so that they all match!"

"But ... but ..." he muttered, "yours will be the only house in the world with its switches all sideways!"

"That is true," I agreed, "and when you finish, you can go throughout the world and convince everyone to have their switches sideways too. That way we will all be uniform and we will live happily ever after!"

He refused and left.

When I received his invoice I paid it minus an amount which I considered equated to the switch he fixed the wrong way round. He never complained.

So now I am on a crusade. Would you be willing to change your light switches sideways to match with mine?

24 comments:

  1. That would drive me crazy! (Or crazy-ier, depending who you ask.) I'm looking at one now, just behind my monitor that lists a wee bit to the left. Aaargh!
    Perhaps. I wouldn't mind a sideways orientation ... if the switch boxes were adorned with posies or art forms complimentary to each room.

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    1. I would have thought a professional electrician, as he pretends to be, would have placed the switch somewhere else in the proper position. I like the idea of posies or art forms in each room.

      God bless you, Mevely.

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  2. Why do you guys always do things BACKWARDS?? It's just like driving on the WRONG side of the road!

    πŸ˜­πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ and, of course, 🍟

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    1. We in the UK were here first and we reserve the right to get it wrong first time, and leave it to others to do it right. It wasn't until 1971 that we accepted decimalisation - i.e. 100 pennies to the pound, and metres instead of inches. However, we still drink pints of beer instead of litres. Although we buy milk, soft drinks, and petrol, (gas), in litres.

      God bless you, Sandi.

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  3. Thanks to the previous owner of our house, a few of the light switches DO match yours:)

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    1. Hey that's great news. At least one person has joined the "Sideways Movement".

      God bless you, Chris.

      Delete
  4. For a time, there were switches in our home that worked the British way - Up:Off and Down:On. Used to drive me nuts, but finally, Danny fixed them. A sideways switch? That would push me over the edge, Victor. Lol!
    Blessings!

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    1. So you're not joining the "Sideways Movement" like Chris? I can't imagine why the electrician fixed the switch that way.

      God bless, Martha.

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  5. Nope. There WILL NOT be any sideways switches in my house.

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    1. It looks as if I'll have to fix my switch the right way up, Kathy.

      God bless you.

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  6. LOL :) I'm just a switch operator, it doesn't really matter which way it is pointing, up, down, sideways, upside down, how about a rotating switch to keep you guessing. :)

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    1. How ingenious. A rotating switch. We have a dimmer switch that consists of a wheel you rotate to switch on/off and then to dim the lights to your desired softness. But your idea is better.

      God bless, Bill.

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  7. 'Sideways' light switches would be great for me: I'd be able to use my ONLY 'non-arthritic' digits -- my THUMBS!

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    1. That's a good idea, Suzanne. I had not thought of that. Praying for you.

      God bless.

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  8. I wouldn't mind as long as sideways worked!

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    1. Yes, the switch would work the same as upright switches. Welcome to the "Sideways Movement" Happyone.

      God bless.

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  9. He clearly is a very astute businessman.

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  10. On! I mean No!

    I had a mystery light in my old house. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I could not figure it out for years. Turns out it was wired to two switches but wired incorrectly so if both switches were not "On" it would not work. Drove me crazy for years. When I sold the house I put one switch to "Off" and did not tell the new owners. Why should they not have to go through what I did?

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    1. You're not going to believe this, JoeH. You're definitely not going to believe it.

      A friend of mine had a switch in his house high up the wall almost touching the ceiling. He did not know what it was there for. It was there when he bought the house so he ignored it. For years he wondered what it was for but never bothered to try switch it OFF - it was in the ON position. One day the curiosity got the better of him. He stood on a chair and switched it OFF - the whole lights out in the streets went OFF at the same time.

      God bless.

      Delete
  11. If i ever get the chance to build or rebuild a house, i will put at least one switch sideways in your honor.

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    1. This is very kind of you, Mimi. Thank you so much.

      God bless you.

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