# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 54
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1062 "2022-12-29T21:29:48Z")
Definitely some options I forgot to include on the license plate frame poll. A school is one; a place or landmark is another. Oh well, that’s what “other” is for. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1063 "2022-12-29T21:54:03Z")
When I was a much younger man I had one of those cheesy plastic chain link plate frames, but ironically. It was on a 1991 Volvo 240, the anti-tough guy car. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1064 "2022-12-29T21:55:54Z")
My front frame is a _Firefly_ quote: “You are beginning to damage my calm.” The rear frame is _Starry Night_. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1065 "2022-12-29T22:45:50Z")
I was outside for a while, doing various things, but forgot to look at my license plate holders. Still don’t know whether any of them say anything. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1066 "2022-12-30T01:01:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Way too much of that out there for me to trust GPS. I agree. But I loved how my GPS panicked when I was driving the seasonal highway on Lake Superior. “This is not a road. Turn back!” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1067 "2022-12-30T01:50:00Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > > [@silenus](#): > > > > Way too much of that out there for me to trust GPS. > > I’m not sure what you mean by “too much of that”. I’ve literally never seen a sign like that prior to these pictures. Ditto. And it’s not like I’ve never been steered wrong by a map. Sometimes you need directions from someone who’s been there. GPS is awesome. The real time traffic info is the bomb. And getting help when I’ve made a wrong turn is nice, too. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1068 "2022-12-30T02:02:20Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > it’s not like I’ve never been steered wrong by a map. Indeed, I nearly mentioned that in my last post. What “GPS is wrong” _really_ means is that the map it’s using to generate directions is wrong. A paper map can be just as wrong, and if a paper map shows a road that that doesn’t actually exist, it can cause the human navigator to make the exact same mistake as an electronic GPS when planning a route. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1069 "2022-12-30T02:34:47Z")
Some of the errors are probably because the paper map is wrong. But I’ve seen quite a few paper maps of my local area, and the GPS error that’s sending people up my dead-end road instead of onto a road with an entirely different name that’s two roads over is on none of them. – I just checked. It’s not on Google maps, either; those show both my road and the alternative road correctly. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1070 "2022-12-30T03:03:23Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > the GPS error that’s sending people up my dead-end road instead of onto a road with an entirely different name that’s two roads over is on none of them. My best guess in that case the GPS probably isn’t _actually_ sending them that way, but rather saying something like “In half a mile turn left”, and people aren’t quite paying attention or aren’t hearing the “half a mile” part and are instead just turning left into the first road they come to, or people are otherwise getting confused as to where exactly their GPS is telling them to turn. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1071 "2022-12-30T03:07:19Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > My best guess in that case the GPS probably isn’t _actually_ sending them that way, but rather saying something like “In half a mile turn left”, and people aren’t quite paying attention or aren’t hearing the “half a mile” part and are instead just turning left into the first road they come to. Maybe. But they actually have to make two incorrect turns. If they only make one, they’d still wind up in the wrong place, but it would be a different wrong place. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1072 "2022-12-30T04:03:49Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I can think of lots of reasons why people find GPS useful. But I don’t think it’s trustworthy. I use GPS because I can’t navigate my way out of a paper bag. However I have a haunting memory of reading a news story about two nice ladies who followed their GPS into a lake, submerged their car, and drowned. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1073 "2022-12-30T04:49:18Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Some of the errors are probably because the paper map is wrong. But I’ve seen quite a few paper maps of my local area, and the GPS error that’s sending people up my dead-end road instead of onto a road with an entirely different name that’s two roads over is on none of them. > > – I just checked. It’s not on Google maps, either; those show both my road and the alternative road correctly. Waze is google. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1074 "2022-12-30T11:46:07Z")
Waze is owned by Google, but until recently it was run by a separate team from the Google maps team. I assume they had access to each other’s map data, but might have made very different decisions how to use it, including resolving any ambiguities. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1075 "2022-12-30T13:48:45Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I have had to supply correct directions to a number of people who showed up on my dead-end road because GPS had told them that it’s a different road in the same area. We had that problem years ago. A road used during the construction of our house is no longer there. I notified Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps. It’s fixed now! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1076 "2022-12-31T19:55:39Z")
I’ve heard of people standing to wipe their ass, but i struggle to understand how that even works. How can you spread your ass-cheeks while standing? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2022, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1077 "2022-12-31T22:55:26Z")
I have a theory, but it would probably be misconstrued as an insult, so I won’t share it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1078 "2023-01-01T01:49:27Z")
How can you wipe your ass while sitting? Also I hate _Wuthering Heights_. That was my “other.” I know their unlikeability is the point, but as a hardcore romantic this kind of shit sears my soul. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1079 "2023-01-01T02:01:11Z")
Does it sear it sitting or standing? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1080 "2023-01-01T02:04:03Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > How can you wipe your ass while sitting? I lean forward on the seat and spread my cheeks. If I’m camping, or in Japan, i may squat, which puts me in almost the same configuration. How do you wipe your ass while standing? ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/1081 "2023-01-01T02:06:17Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Also I hate _Wuthering Heights_. That was my “other.” I know their unlikeability is the point, but as a hardcore romantic this kind of shit sears my soul. I’m not the only one! I’ve never understood how it’s supposed to be this grand love story. Unless two assholes who deserve each other counts as “love”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=53) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=55)