Why do circuit breakers go up for on and down for off?

In the developed world, up is on.

CBs are not very gravity sensitive.

The ones in my house work sideways.

We have nice rugged thermal breakers that never false trip. Only a few outlets, those near sinks, have GFIs, which trip once in a while. Do you get a lot of nuisance trips?

This is the Wild West. We live dangerously.

But I guess 240v is a lot nastier than 120, so more ground fault sensing makes sense in europe.

Public policy should quantify what a life is worth. I've seen cases that mathed out to $3000, and some in the many billions.

totly

My personal opinion is that I want up to be on and down to be off specifically because I don't want something falling to be able to turn a switch on.

Admittedly this is more applicable to a light switch than a circuit breaker. But that's my /personal/ reasoning why switches are set up that way in my houses.

No, it isn't.

Don't get me started on throttle levers. Mostly maximum rabbit is away from you, except when it isn't. Motorcycle twist grip etc.

The same in the UK.

I can't tease my US plug such that I can get shocked, and 120 would only tickle anyhow.

GFCI outlets are required here in kitchens and bathrooms, near faucets and tubs, and in places like garages where one might stand barefoot on wet concrete.

One in our kitchen sometimes false-trips when certain appliances are used, especially my immersion blender which probably has sparky brushes. I should replace that outlet with a plain one.

FYI that is the case in the UK, but the opposite is the case in the Americas.

A circuit breaker will operate in any orientation, and are mounted horizontally in most breaker panels.

I have friends with totally networked houses; lights, switches, outlets, thermostats and every louver, motorized blinds, refrigerator, fake LED fireplace, all controlled by smart phone apps. All that creeps me out; I get enough electronics at work.

Just changing all the batteries must be annoying.

How many guitarists and singers have been electrocuted on stage from the 'death capacitor' by 120V?

The death capacitor is suppose to go from neutral to ground. On a 2 wire amp. Without a polarised plug.

So if the plug is reversed the chassis is at 120v AC with respect to true ground, via quite a reasonable sized capacitor.

Guitar is connected to amp ground. Microphone is connected to PA system which may well be properly grounded.

Even worse is if one of the incoming mains wires is connected to the chassis.

Full 120V across both sweaty hand clutching steel strings and a mic stand is death causing.

These days everyone fits three pin polarised plugs, earths the chassis and throws the death cap in the bin

That's one more hazard of hiring drugged-out roadies.

When I was a kid I had an old Hallicrafters S38 shortwave receiver that had one side of the non-polarized AC line soldered to the chassis. It had grommets that supposedly insulated the chassis from the metal case and of course didn't.

I built a little neon bulb thing that I could touch and see if it was plugged in the bad way.

Try to curb your negative expectations.

So he rear-ended you?

Appropriate terminology differs, depending on social norms in different cultures. Your way is your way but not necessarily the Platonic, "correct" way.

You're probably sitting either too high or too low in the driver's seat. If you can't determine that you're going 100 mph, the police will be happy to inform you.

No there is plenty of space.

What do yoiu mean "wait for" - they are code up here NOW

When I was about 12, I almost electrocuted myself with one of those Hallicrafters S38s. I was reaching down to make a connection to a lightning arrestor grounding strap and thoughtlessly placed my other hand on the receiver's cover to balance myself. 120V straight through from one hand to the other! I learned quickly never to attach or detach any wire from that receiver without unplugging it first.

center tapped single phase so ALL of their breakers face the same direction. In Scotland they have to mandate that they be installed in a horizontal arrat, with on up so idiots like Kinzey don't blow a gasket figuring out how to turn the lights on. Installing them in a vertical array with them operating horizontally would undoubtably start a civil war over whether the right or left had the power -- - - - -

Everybody's life is worth exactly as much as the amount of life insurance that they see fit to carry.

Currently, mine is worth $0.