How do you navigate?

[JB]

In a Service Station today I overheard a young couple trying to give directions to an elderly couple.<br /><br />The wife said, "Go down this road here until you pass the Baptist Church, then you will come to an intersection with a big tree by it and a big white house across the street. Turn left there and go to the top of the hill. From there you can see a big field full of cattle. They live on the other side of the field."<br /><br />The older man looked at her like she was from Mars. The older Lady smiled and said thank you.<br /><br />The young Man took the older man aside and said, "Two miles south on 36. Turn East on Old Church Road for about 6 miles and turn in at 8825 Old Church road." (I have paraphrased what I couldn't remember exactly.)<br /><br />The older man smiled and said thanks.<br /><br />I was amazed! <br /><br />I had read that women navigate by landmarks and men navigate by direction and distance, but I never saw such a dramatic demonstration.<br /><br />How do you give/accept directions, and why?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How do you navigate?

If they are hunting for a town on the interstate, I give them exit numbers.<br />If it is someplace local, I will give the directions to streets along with any landmarks that might be close to that street.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: How do you navigate?

The nice lady that lives inside my GPS cell phone says "turn here". I barely know the name of the street I live on...

 

[rodbolt]

Re: How do you navigate?

I tell them go on down that ways apiece and when ya get to uncle joes old place turn left then go past aunt easters old house and its on the right by the abandoned tractor. <br /> if they look at me funny I laugh and tell them ya just cant get there from here.<br /> actually I to have seen that phenomena.<br /> I have to have numbers and road signs, thats why when in venezuela I dont drive cause I aint seed a road sign down that fur south yet.<br />and as I dont read spanish very fast it would not matter if they had them

 

[rolmops]

Re: How do you navigate?

When going somewhere for the first time,it will be with road numbers and miles.I will remember a series of landmarks while getting there.Next time I go there,be it a week or ten years later,it will be by the landmarks that are imprinted in my mind.I never go left or right,it is always north, south, east or west. When trying to tell my wife how to go somewhere,I usually end up throwing my hands up in the air and getting screamed at.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: How do you navigate?

I remodeled houses for 20+ yrs so I was always getting telephone directions to the jobs. The guys would always say "head east 3.2 miles to xyz road then south 4.4 miles to 123 easy lane". The gals would always say "go past the nice hill till you see the pretty pink fence"!<br />The heck of it is, after a while I could find the right place either way. <br />Myself, I navigate the guys way.

 

[dogsdad]

Re: How do you navigate?

When I get directions from someone, I try to follow a mental map if I am familiar with the area being described. Once I have mentally placed an "X," getting there is as easy going to my own house.<br /><br />I always try to create a mental map if I am not familiar with an area. Makes things easy.<br /><br />My wife thinks entirely differently. I wouldn't presume to describe the thought processes she uses for navigation, but it just isn't one of her many, fine talents.

 

[all thumbs]

Re: How do you navigate?

Combination of both. Plus I like to add , if you go over the river or past the barn with the blue silos etc. you went too far. I personally like pts. of the compass, road signs, milage and landmarks.

 

[jinx]

Re: How do you navigate?

My brother has lived in Kansas long enough now that he uses the mid-western "go three miles and turn North. Then West at the next crossroads."<br /><br />Where I'm from those type of directions are useless. Our roads were laid out by a herd of wandering goats, who obviously had no compass.<br /><br />Jinx

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: How do you navigate?

When my dear wife navigates, you need a cut-lunch and a compas, because after she has turned the map around every way but the right way, and tried to turn her head up-side-down to read some street name - well, she is telling me it is my fault because I made her read the map, then it degenerates to, why can't I drive and you read the map, and normally ends in one of 2 ways being either an argument, or I stop and she drives. <br />I have tried for 30yrs to teach her how to read a blxxdy map, but she always answers, "but I am happier doing it my way", or "I still thing this way is the best", which is why we get lost, drive round in circles and end the day with an argument and me reading the map.<br />Woman my be good at some things, but reading a map is beyond most of them.<br />Cheers<br />Phillip

 

[jtexas]

Re: How do you navigate?

Street names, highway numbers and direction (compass points).<br /><br />My wife is the superior navigator...her directional instincts are just better than mine. I learned awhile back if she says "here's where you turn" I just turn, even if I disagree...about a 99.9% probability she's right.<br /><br />JB knows about this...Dallas area a lot of the freeways are named for minor local celebreties, Stemmons Freeway, Walton Walker, LBJ Freeway, Tom Landry...but the names aren't posted on the highway signs, just the numbers...I35, I635, I30. But everybody refers to the names...if you're new here you will never get where you're going.<br /><br />Not to mention, I35 (north-south freeway) splits and rejoins on the south & north side of town...I35W runs through Fort Worth, I35E runs through Dallas. So you might hear "take I35W north..."<br /><br />BTW kiwi, you don't have to type blxxdy...bloody isn't a bad word on this server!

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: How do you navigate?

My wife is a excelent nagravator.

 

[CN Spots]

Re: How do you navigate?

Would that be an aggrivating navigator? <br /><br />spots

 

[heycods]

Re: How do you navigate?

If Ive ever been there , I can drive right back to the same place. I dont know how never thought about it.<br /><br /> Its the places Ive been lately I cant remember where they are<br />

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: How do you navigate?

I use both here in VT... streets and landmarks. It is hard to use the field with the cows in it because the farmer is always moving them in and out of the barn. <br /><br />To make things more interesting 911 changed the street names and some farms around here are known by the original family that owned them 100 years ago.<br /><br />Interstates here in the northeast are screwed up too.... the exit numbers DO NOT match the mile markers like the rest of the world.<br /><br />Dammmm... you just can't get there from here!

 

[PW2]

Re: How do you navigate?

Depends on what's at stake. In giving tourists info on salmon fishing in Port Angeles, Wa. We'd always use landmarks --like fish between the navigational cone and the salmon club clubhouse...<br /><br />Understood by the locals, of course, but both landmarks had long since been removed...

 

[one more cast]

Re: How do you navigate?

To get to my house from far away take rt 57 to bugville then go south on 16 about 14 miles until you see the drive-in movie theater. Turn left on bur****s road and go 2 miles to the end. Take a left on falls road and go 1/10th just to the top of of the hill. Turn left on sweeney road (next to the town barn) and go 1/4 mile. My house is on the right with the big rocks in the front and the boats in the yard.You can't hardly see the house on the way up but the mail box is in a green and cream colored milk can. If you go to the end of the road you went 3/4 of a mile to far. NOTE: some of the names have been changed to protect my identity.

 

[neumanns]

Re: How do you navigate?

North South East West, Left Right Straight, Distance, Followed by the road name and some usful landmarks.<br /><br />Funny that Heycod's mentioned being to return to a place, I have always been able to do that also. Somtimes even with only one visit seperated by many years.<br />I would never be able to tell someone else how to get there but I can return.<br /><br />However when it comes to navigation I usally go more by bearing...If where I'm headed is SW of where I'm at if the road runs south or west I'm happy. Drives the wife silly that I don't care if were on the "Right" road according to the map so long as were headed the right direction. I could care less abot main roads so long as it looks to be a through road.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How do you navigate?

Being a Ex-Longhaul Trucker,....Who ran from Shore to Shore,..........<br /><br />Just write the Address on a piece of paper,+ I can have the 25 ton load at Any doorstep in the USA,......<br />In 4 days Or Less............... <br /><br />Maps have Route #s,........ I Use them,........

 

[JB]

Re: How do you navigate?

I just imagined my GPS saying, "Turn left at the big tree with the white house across the street." with her liquid tones.<br /><br />