Drawing Coordinates

In the bottom left corner, right under the command line, there is a place where you can change polar drawing mode form relative to absolute and off. Right click will show it. I never use it as i don't know how to use. To switch between absolute and relative angles I use settings accessible from the main settings dialogue. However when i try to switch from absolute to relative or vice verse by way of this shortcut under the command line nothing happens. I suspect it was placed there to temporarily override main settings but it does nothing when i use it. When i set polar to absolute in the main settings, it follows the UCS holding to absolute increments as it should, but when i try to change to the relative mode, just there under the command line, i still draw absolute no matter what my option is. Whats up?

I think that the status line only shows the coordinates, It doesn't control how they are entered.

http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/