I don't have anything more to add to the good things that have been said here so far. However, just thought I'd share something with Dicko183 about assessing wind direction.
At one stage in my life, I spent quite a bit of time flying in America. Many of the airports I used had a wind "T" rather than a wind "sock". The difference between these 2 indicating methods is chalk and cheese because, with the former, the sharp end points into the wind. It took me ages to get accustomed to that and I made a number of cockups along the way.
Then, of course, upon return to the land of Oz, I was so accustomed to using the "T" that I made a few more stuffups until I re-learned the "lesson 1" stuff all over again.
America might not be the only foreign country that uses the wind "T", so the bloke in your example might've made the same mistake that I was so familiar with. Anyway, it's just a thought.