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?