Remote Pointing

I see this happen all the time. And I can’t understand it, other than human habit at work.<br />n<br />nWe’ve all used a remote control to operate a television or VCR/DVD player. Generally, you point the remote at the device so that it responds. This makes sense. One end of the remote control unit has an emitter which sends the signal, and you need a clear LOS (line of sight) with the device for the signal to reach it.<br />n<br />nMore and more these days, we are all getting remote controls to our vehicles. These remotes control things like the arming of the alarm system, door locks, and even lights and engine starts. In parking lots and garages, it’s not unusual for people to point their remote at the vehicle when pushing the buttons, as though they were sitting at home on their couch, trying to change the channel.<br />n<br />nDon’t they realize that it’s a different mechanism at work here? They don’t need to point it; the signal will find the device just fine, pointed or not.<br />n<br />nI think it’s just human habit, though in some scenarios, there may be more (less?) at work here.