'Tis a throwback to the ships, mi harties, hence the term Port! The riff raff got on that side (from the port) and Starboard was were the crew could stand on a board uninterupted by oiky passengers, and do their navigation readings with the stars (It was also darker with no buildings in the way).
Another useless fact...
The dashboard on a car is called so because on a carriage with a horse, all the cack off the beaten track got flicked up by the horses hooves. An angled board stopped the driver getting the filth in his face when the horse started to dash. When they got rid of the horse bit the Dash Board was a convinent place to stick the dials and glove box on a model T etc.
Ahaaaah!
Sorry, I'll go now.
[This message has been edited by buck-rogers (edited 25 October 2000).]