The light switch threads in this groupmade me remember a house I was in some months back. it seemed to me that every light switch in the house had an entirely arbitrarily set up or down for on. Ie some were on when up some down. Normally of course it would not matter but I instinctively turn off lights in rooms in my own home just in case somebody has left them on cos I don't notice. when doing this here the bloke asked me why I was turning on some lights. I guess he knew which ones worked which way round, but I've never come across this unless its a two way switch, say in a hall and upstairs landing.
Not sure its actually illegal just odd.
Back when I worked it was common to test equipment that had high voltages to have up as on as it was felt I think that the falling unconscious body would then knock the switch off!
Brian