No lights!
I live in Beijing where, rather coolly, they have sound activated lights in public places like stairwells, bike sheds and the like. As such I have become habituated to walking into a dark room and clapping my hands to turn on the lights.

This was fine until I was recently staying in a friend's house in Mexico. Taking a late night preambulation to drain off the excess tequila I stepped out into the pitch black hallway from my darkened room. I knew I had to negotiate the stairs so as I stepped forward I clapped my hands. You can see where this is heading, can't you?

From the bottom of the stairs I calculated that a) I should have clapped *before* I stepped and that b) this was irrelevant as I was on the wrong continent for this to work.

Length? Only about 4 feet, but made of granite.
(Bob the Scutter, Fri 24 Jul 2009, 7:40, Reply)