Dave Newt wrote:
Michael Hoffman wrote:
I agree, this is nutty.

It's the most natural thing in the world, once you get used to it (as
I
did when I lived abroad).

It just seems awfully counter-intuitive the first times you come
across it.

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.
Anyone
should be able to glance at them and read them in seconds. Otherwise
they're
useless. If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient
your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing? No , of course
not.

B2003

"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing? No,
of course not.

Actually some people do. It helps them find routes if the way they are going
is up the page.

Dave

"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.

Rubbish. All but the simplest maps have features which you have to get used
to. The A-Z uses a square for a fire station and a triangle for a police
station - what's intiuitive about that?

Anyone should be able to glance at them and read
them in seconds. Otherwise they're useless.

Useless to people with the attention span of a goldfish, but useful to
everyone else.

If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere
do you orient your A-Z depending on what direction
you car is facing? No , of course not.

Some people do. Some people need to. Also, a road atlas was produced with
all of Britain the right way up in the first half, and all of Britain upside
down in the second half.

Do you think road junction signs should always have north at the top? Do you
think the signs where a road leaves a roundabout should all point left as
they do now, or should they point in a direction which denotes their
geographical direction?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Boltar wrote:
Dave Newt wrote:
Michael Hoffman wrote:
I agree, this is nutty.

It's the most natural thing in the world, once you get used to it
(as I did when I lived abroad).

It just seems awfully counter-intuitive the first times you come
across it.

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.
Anyone
should be able to glance at them and read them in seconds. Otherwise
they're
useless. If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient
your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing? No , of course
not.


There are people who find that the easiest way to navigate.

Boltar wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 15 Dec 2004:

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.
Anyone
should be able to glance at them and read them in seconds. Otherwise
they're
useless. If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient
your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing? No , of course
not.

I do orient our GPS display, though. Husband hates it like that, and
orients it "North-up" if he is ever a passenger and playing with it -
but I always have it facing the way I'm going!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 12 December 2004

In article ,
(John Rowland) wrote:

If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere
do you orient your A-Z depending on what direction
you car is facing? No , of course not.

Some people do. Some people need to. Also, a road atlas was produced
with all of Britain the right way up in the first half, and all of
Britain upside down in the second half.

The military are trained to turn themap to follow the direction of travel,
and to read it upside down if needed.

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

Boltar wrote:
Dave Newt wrote:

Michael Hoffman wrote:

I agree, this is nutty.

It's the most natural thing in the world, once you get used to it (as

I

did when I lived abroad).

It just seems awfully counter-intuitive the first times you come

across it.

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.

I didn't say it WAS; I said it SEEMS TO BE at first.

Anyone
should be able to glance at them and read them in seconds. Otherwise
they're
useless. If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient
your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing?

Often. (Though I don't have a car.)

"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.
Anyone
should be able to glance at them and read them in seconds. Otherwise
they're
useless. If you're in a car and using a map to find somewhere do you
orient
your A-Z depending on what direction you car is facing? No , of course
not.

One of the first lessons in navigation is to orient your map so that your
course is straight ahead.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

John Rowland wrote:
"Boltar" wrote in message
oups.com...

Maps shouldn't be counter intuitive and have to get used to them.

Rubbish. All but the simplest maps have features which you have to
get used
to. The A-Z uses a square for a fire station and a triangle for a
police
station - what's intiuitive about that?

Reducto ad absurdum doesn't help the argument. Being able to read a map
in
the first place which is what knowing what the physical symbols mean is
not
the same as having to figure out which way its facing as you well know.


Anyone should be able to glance at them and read
them in seconds. Otherwise they're useless.

Useless to people with the attention span of a goldfish, but useful
to
everyone else.

Maps exist as help. If they're too complex they're no help. So why
bother
with them? Besides , a line diagram is a simple bunch of lines. You
don't have
variations for the sake of it.

Do you think road junction signs should always have north at the top?
Do you
think the signs where a road leaves a roundabout should all point
left as
they do now, or should they point in a direction which denotes their
geographical direction?

Since when have road junctions signs been maps? They're direction
indicators!
You don't look at an A-Z at some roads and then expect a smaller
version to
appear on a road sign. Apples and oranges.

B2003

units can be coupled to each other. The reason this is not done on all
stock
is because it requires the electrical wiring to be duplicated through
the
coupling (couplers are either left or right handed, IYSWIM), which is
more
expensive and more prone to failure.

I've no idea how its actually done but couldn't they just be connected
with
seperate cables (instead of via the coupler), which twist in the middle
so
to match up with the other unit?

eg:

A --- ----B
\ /
\ /
/ \
/ \
B--- ----A

B2003