# Well-known obvious facts that a lot of people are ignorant of **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294 "2016-04-28T00:06:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/121 "2016-04-30T01:01:19Z")
Obligatory link to John Prine, The Accident [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ewIse6lNjro/hqdefault.jpg "The Accident - John Prine 1980 (stereo)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewIse6lNjro) ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/122 "2016-04-30T02:44:34Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > That PSSHHHHHH you hear when a tractor-trailer parks is the reservoir being emptied so the parking brakes set. That reservoir doesn’t empty out completely. Or at least it shouldn’t if the tractor-trailer is mechanically sound. There should be plenty of air to take off right away after a 10 hour break without having to refill the air tanks. You might want to let the oil and diesel warm up first if it is cold weather, but the air should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/123 "2016-04-30T05:21:28Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > The quoted Rule is for cars travelling i in intersecting directions, not opposite. There’s no solution for the opposite course pair other other than a few seconds of mutual hesitation until someone takes the bull by the horns. Why should there be a right-of-way rule for two cars traveling in opposite directions? They can perfectly well both go at once. There’s no solution because there’s no problem. (Unless one of the cars is turning left in front of the other.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/124 "2016-04-30T05:54:37Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Why should there be a right-of-way rule for two cars traveling in opposite directions? They can perfectly well both go at once. There’s no solution because there’s no problem. (Unless one of the cars is turning left in front of the other.) That’s exactly the sitch. As for cars travelling in intersecting directions: unless it’s four at one intersection, it’s trivial to determine which is to the right of the other. If I am driving northward and you are traveling eastward, I am to your right; I cannot be to your left. Do you really not see thi ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/125 "2016-04-30T06:27:19Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > There’s no solution because there’s no problem. (Unless one of the cars is turning left in front of the other.) > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s exactly the sitch. I don’t see how that’s a problem either, unless I’m missing something. Generally a driver wanting to do some maneuver gives way to a driver just going straight. If I’m turning, of course I let the oncoming car pass first, unless I can safely turn before it’s anywhere near, or there’s a queue of cars and I’ve been waiting to turn a long time. Note this even works if both drivers want to turn left; we’d both let each other pass, then turn via (the safer) offside to offside. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/126 "2016-04-30T12:55:14Z")
If two drivers meet each other on a narrow road with not enough room to pass, the driver going uphill has the right of way, and the car going downhill must back up the hill to a spot wide enough to allow passage. This is in the California DL manual, but Ive never seen it in any other state. If they are on level ground, the alpha dog has the \*de facto \*right of way. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/127 "2016-04-30T13:15:45Z")
Blank paper for copy machines and printers should be loaded in the tray with the same “top” orientation as the label of the ream. If you put paper in upside-down, you risk more frequent jams. It has to do with the heat of the machine and the fact that paper tends to curl. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/128 "2016-04-30T13:18:03Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If two drivers meet each other on a narrow road with not enough room to pass, the driver going uphill has the right of way, and the car going downhill must back up the hill to a spot wide enough to allow passage. Most hikers and backpackers know this one also and usually adhere to it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/129 "2016-04-30T16:08:45Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If two drivers meet each other on a narrow road with not enough room to pass, the driver going uphill has the right of way, and the car going downhill must back up the hill to a spot wide enough to allow passage. This is in the California DL manual, but Ive never seen it in any other state. If they are on level ground, the alpha dog has the \*de facto \*right of way. It’s because backing up downhill is scary. The only time it’s come into play that I remember is on Mineral King, CA. It may have seemed scarier when filtered through childhood memories. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/130 "2016-04-30T16:51:32Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Most hikers and backpackers know this one also and usually adhere to it. 😉 Except that it doesn’t make sense, hikers coming downhill have momentum and it’s harder to stop. I always give way and step aside going uphill. But more importantly, large groups have right of way over smaller groups no matter the direction since you want the smallest number of people stepping off trail. But in most cases there’s no need for a rule, hikers figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/131 "2016-04-30T16:55:43Z")
> [@Razrak](#): > > …correlation does not imply causation. It often does. That’s the problem. We should not succumb to the implication or infer it. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/132 "2016-04-30T17:13:30Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If two drivers meet each other on a narrow road with not enough room to pass, the driver going uphill has the right of way, and the car going downhill must back up the hill to a spot wide enough to allow passage. Not on a dirt road in winter, they don’t. It’s common knowledge the car coming downhill has the right of way. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/133 "2016-04-30T17:14:47Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s exactly the sitch. > > As for cars travelling in intersecting directions: unless it’s four at one intersection, it’s trivial to determine which is to the right of the other. If I am driving northward and you are traveling eastward, I am to your right; I cannot be to your left. Do you really not see thi Four cars arriving at a four-way stop at the same time is something my nightmares are made of. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/134 "2016-04-30T17:42:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > The quoted Rule is for cars travelling i in intersecting directions, not opposite. There’s no solution for the opposite course pair other other than a few seconds of mutual hesitation until someone takes the bull by the horns. ??? They go at the same time. If both are going straight and/or turning right, no problem. If one is turning left, it passes behind the straight moving car or follows the right turning car. If both turning left, they turn in front of each other. Note that there is logic to all this. Imagine two cars each way on the cross street to you. Both go thru the intersection at the same time. Which gets out of your way sooner? The one from the right! You only have to wait until it is mostly thru the intersection before you can start rolling. For the car from the left, you have to wait until it has cleared entirely. Hence for just two cars at right angles: the car on the right goes first. So _both_ cars get thru quicker. Dealing with four-way stops is remarkably simple. Almost no one around here understands this. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/135 "2016-04-30T17:42:37Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Four cars arriving at a four-way stop at the same time is something my nightmares are made of. Nightmares is a little strong. Anyway, you just let the least patient/more hurried/stupidest person to forth, then proceed by the rightmost-priority rule. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/136 "2016-04-30T20:30:16Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > [“You would think _this_ would this would fall faster than _this…_”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2KuS2zXkQ) A different take on this: [feather and hammer](http://youtu.be/5C5_dOEyAfk) ---
**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:** [April 30, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/137 "2016-04-30T20:48:25Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Do they even grow any significant amount of pineapple in Hawaii these days? I was under the impression cultivation had been moved elsewhere. Fewer than in the past, but still a lot: [http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/hawaiis-7-agriculture-myths/](http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/hawaiis-7-agriculture-myths/) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/138 "2016-05-01T06:02:20Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > When your mother yells at you to close the refrigerator, you’re wasting electricity, tell her that, because of the wafting effect, it is more efficient to leave it open for a couple of minutes to make a sandwich, than to open and close it a half a dozen times. Unless she’s referring to the little light inside. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/139 "2016-05-01T07:05:56Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Nightmares is a little strong. Anyway, you just let the least patient/more hurried/stupidest person to forth, then proceed by the rightmost-priority rule. Re: 4-way stop intersection, cars arrive from all 4 directions at once: What happens if they are all self-driving Google-mobiles? Do they follow the old Ethernet [CSMA/CD protocol](http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Carrier-Sense-Multiple-Access-Collision-Detect)? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/140 "2016-05-01T16:16:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > “No… it’s basically chicken-flavored jello.” All my stock wobbles when chilled. From now on, it’s going to be called Chicken Jello. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294.md?page=8)