this and next

I was talking with one of the teachers I work with about this Friday vs. next Friday and why it may be best to just avoid the word next in general, when teaching English as a foreign language.

And I realized what the semantics issue is.

When you're in between bus stops, it's a little bit hard to talk about a this stop. Maybe you think, going forward in time is closer than going backwards, but most likely that's just thinking too hard. And if you hear someone trying to argue that the next stop is the one after this one coming up, well, maybe you figure someone prefers arguing to communication.

Now it is true that there is always a this Friday, even when it is today or tomorrow. But the ambiguities are there.

Next has at least two, slightly different meanings, and a conversation could get lost in the gap.