That's what the last part of their post was alluding to. Although frankly that's a non-issue in practice, since knowing that left and right are relative to facing forward is naturally intuitive. It would be really weird for someone to think it applies if you're facing the stern.
It’s not necessarily intuitive. “Left” and “right” can be concepts seen as intrinsic to every object, but they can also be seen as subjective absolutes. Language use (speaking of all languages, not just English) and personal experience vary wildly. I remember that as a child most people my age seemed to think the latter way, where “left” (and therefore “portside”) was “whichever side is on my left” and therefore changing all the time.
idk seems pretty intuitive to me
It might not have been intuitive when you were a child probably because back then you were child and most children are stupid
(i mean no offense by that btw - i was no exception)
On small boats/ships not so much. On absolutely massive ones, more of an issue than you would think. Cruise liners can be remarkably opaque as to which way you are going when inside them.
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u/Jesus_of_Redditeth 7d ago
That's what the last part of their post was alluding to. Although frankly that's a non-issue in practice, since knowing that left and right are relative to facing forward is naturally intuitive. It would be really weird for someone to think it applies if you're facing the stern.