They say that it's because "left" and "right" depend on your orientation (it would perhaps be confusing to talk about "the left side of the boat" if you're faci

They say that it's because "left" and "right" depend on your orientation (it would perhaps be confusing to talk about "the left side of the boat" if you're facing the stern (rear) and the side in question is on your right). It's probably a similar reason people talk about the "driver's side" and "passenger's side" of a car instead of the left and right sides.