This is a question I’ve been pondering for a little while, even when I was younger and my vision wasn’t awful. Whenever I went to the doctor’s office I always did pretty well on the eye exams, but wondered how in God’s name anyone could read that teeny-tiny font on the bottom. I mean, what size is it anyway? 12 point 
? And what would your vision be considered if you could actually read it? :eek:
I dunno what the official way of describing the vision rating is, but in my doc’s office the very last bit of printing on the chart is:
M-a-d-e i-n U-S-A
Next time you go, look at the numbers listed next to the letters - it tells you exactly how good your vision has to be to read them at the specified distance. I can read down to 20/15, which is the third up from the bottom, usually.
Hmm, I never noticed the vison ratings beside the lines. I’ll make sure to check the next time I go 
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Mr. S used to read the last line thus: “Copyright 19XX Acme Optical Supply, etc.”
I, on the other hand, have to ask, “Where is the eye chart?” 
Up until about 5 years ago I could read the 20/10 line (bottom or next to) line on the chart with my right eye. Now my eyes have gotten old, and I see 20/20. My god is that all you people can see? :eek:
My left eye however was a different story. My response is always: E the first letter on the top line is E, it’s always an E. (I’m 20/200 in my left eye)
I used to be able to read the 20/15 line also.
But that was many years ago. Oh the ravages of time.
When I was in the military I tested at 20/10 vision. I’m 35 now and tested the same for my Arkansas drivers license just a few weeks ago. Noone in my family from my siblings to my grandparents have ever worn glasses or contacts. I wonder if it a pretty genetic thing.
The best part about it (to me), is reading the signs along the highways on road trips twice as far away as my passengers can see them. Well, either that or being able to see women in bikinis extremely far away! 
-K
the bottom line is ‘F A X T D N H U P Z’ btw!
I was getting a physical for a job one, and the nurse had me read the first line, then the second. I saw the pattern and offered, “I can read the bottom line. Should I just read it to you?”
She was shocked. SHOCKED.
It was hard to read a couple of the letters down there with my left eye only, though.
I can read the bottom line no trouble with my left eye. Not a hope with the right, though - can’t even see the damn thing.
I too can read the bottom line of UK eye charts… with my lenses in, that is. Without them, I could easily be in the Butchers by mistake.
Yes no problem. I had no idea it was unusual.
On the other hand, I have 15/6 vision. Translated from metric that’s 50/20. No, I’m not longsighted.
Good, but I’ve heard of people with 30/6 & better.
i had my eyes checked several times and the last line is 20/10 which is what i tested except for the last time i went to the hospital and had a metal chard in one at which time i tested at 20/13, i think that’s the bottom line and the next to bottom averaged.
After my Lasek surgery, the chart had 20/10 as the bottom line and I could read it with no problem.
Sure, I can read it without my lenses, but I have to get real close.
Geez, my eyesight is bad. I’m lucky if I can read the 4th line, and that’s with my right eye (the good one) and my lenses! With my left eye with lenses I can maybe do the third. Without the lenses, oh god. Maybe third with the right eye and the big ‘E’ with the left. It baffles me how people can possibly read those itty bitty lines… Of course, I failed my eye test for my driver’s license and had to get a note from the eye doctor before they’d give me my permit.
I’m a good driver, I swear! I compensate for my awful depth perception by being very very careful, since I have no idea how far away I am from things most of the time…
No wonder the optician was unimpressed when he asked you if you could see the chart and you asked him for two steaks and a half pound of sausages
Think your bad, I can’t even read the first line without my contacts. I accidently memorized it though, E.
Without my glasses, I can’t read the top line, but I can puzzle out an E or two.
With my glasses, I can read the top three or four, usually.
The closeup chart I can read all the way down, but it’s taking longer each time for my eyes to adjust.
I have to read with my glasses on now or my nose touches the page… sigh.
You think that’s bad, you should have seen what happened when he asked the proctologist for a banger.