Sense of geographic direction/location?

**bassybill** · #1 06-14-2011, 07:15 PM

Is this another casualty of technology or lack of education?

I just saw one of our band members on Facebook asking another for a lift "down to the gig", which is over 200 miles north of where he is. I'm convinced that this guy could not sketch a map to show approximate places of his own location or the gig to save his life. And he's not stupid! Quite the reverse, he's a pretty bright guy.

Another musician I worked with told me she was going to Hertfordshire that night for a family event the following day. I said "That's a long way south to travel after a gig". She said, "Is it? I just put the post code into my satnav and follow that." I'm sure she had no idea where she was going or even how far it was.

When I drive around, I have a mental "map" in my head of where I started and where I'm going that helps me a lot, although I will use a satnav occasionally as they can be very helpful. But I'm convinced many people could not draw a pic to show locations on their route and they're really blind about basic geography of their region/country. I thnk they're kind of missing out in a way because I like to visualise my journeys to be aware of relative location. What about you?

Short version - I have a map in my head. Seems like some people don't. Your thoughts on this?

Simo98 · #2 06-14-2011, 07:28 PM

Technology certainly will have an impact on it in the future, we are probably in the early days of it, but most kids growing up nowadays have never actually held a street directory or plotted a map route on their own, its all worked out by a computer. If I gave my 11 year old brother a street directory and told him to find our house, he wouldn't even know where to start.

Sense of direction was already a skill that some have and others don't, I think it partly comes from having a "Photographic memory" at least when related to maps, but there are plenty of other factors that help or hinder your sense of direction and general ability to find you way around. I can take a quick look at a map, memorise a couple of things, and then generally have a good idea of how to get around that area, suburban areas and cities are generally easier, but even out on walking trails or whatever im normally pretty good with it, even with an satalite photo or something. My dad however, who grew up without any sat-navs or anything of the sort, would be lost in minutes.

Makes you wonder what other skills will disappear with technology. And also what new ones will emerge.

**jmattbassplaya** · #3 06-14-2011, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

Short version - I have a map in my head. Seems like some people don't. Your thoughts on this?

Agreed.

Metal Matt · #4 06-14-2011, 07:41 PM

I can't speak to the cause of it, but I've noticed this as well with quite a few of my friends. I live in Northwest Indiana which is about 30 minutes southeast of Chicago. Without fail, I know numerous people that when talking about going there will say they are "going DOWN to Chicago".

Strangely, I've always equated north with up, south with down on some level, but I've never thought of east and west as right and left. I'm not sure how this happened or how to explain it.

**jmattbassplaya** · #5 06-14-2011, 07:46 PM

I personally only have to travel through a place once or look at a map for a few seconds to have it memorized in my head. By comparison, a friend of mine who has lived in Memphis for over 15 years still has trouble finding places he's been to hundreds of times before.

tplyons · #6 06-14-2011, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

Short version - I have a map in my head. Seems like some people don't. Your thoughts on this?

I have this map in my head as well. I generally know about where I am in comparison to other places, however, I do use GPS for finding ACTUAL locations. 99% of the drive, I generally don't pay attention to my GPS.

McHaven · #7 06-14-2011, 08:01 PM

I have a degree in geography. I'd like to think I have a good sense of direction and spatial differences.

MakiSupaStar · #8 06-14-2011, 08:23 PM

The short version is not nearly as good as the director's cut version of this story.

**bassybill** · #9 06-14-2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

The short version is not nearly as good as the director's cut version of this story.

I'm having trouble seeing exactly where you're coming from with this.

Big_Daddy · #10 06-14-2011, 09:26 PM

I have a pretty good idea of how long it takes to get to places in Canada and how far away they are. If I don't, I use GoogleMaps and will find out how long it takes based on places I know nearby.

Ex: I'll have to go to Millet (Alberta) to get my Restricted Firearms testing done. I have no idea how far away it is, but it looks to be about the same distance from Leduc as Leduc is from Edmonton. ...ETC.

NateS · #11 06-14-2011, 09:50 PM

i love my ability to direct my friends when i'm riding, or just hop in my car and drive there. once i've been somewhere once can get there, and if i've driven past somewhere else on the way i'll be able to get there, too. i'm the only one of my friends that can do it, it seems. My dad drives a lot for work, always has, and instilled that in me: "always know where you are."

Selta · #12 06-14-2011, 10:05 PM

I typically rely more on mental maps than GPS. If it's a long trip (i.e. hundreds of miles) I'll plot out a general map to the area I'm headed to, and have good mental maps of the start and end.
Overall I agree with you, though.

hrodbert696 · #13 06-15-2011, 04:07 AM

I don't think most people ever had maps in their heads. I do, but I was a map nut when I was a kid, collected them, I would kvetch at my dad for folding a road map wrong and messing it up.

Going "up" somewhere or "down" somewhere often doesn't mean north or south on a map. I always have to explain to my students that "Upper" Egypt is south and "Lower" Egypt is north because they're thinking in terms of upriver and downriver on the Nile, not north and south. Lots of cities have "uptown" and "downtown" neighborhoods where "downtown" is just the core of the city and "uptown" is away from it.

When I was in Germany, if you asked somebody how far away something was, they would give you a number in distance (it's so-many kilometers). If you asked an American the same question, they would answer in driving time (so many minutes/hours away). I don't think that's the GPS, but just differences in culture or education.

**bassybill** · #14 06-15-2011, 04:11 AM

I can assure you that most people in the UK would not refer to going "down" to Blackburn from Southampton.

Jools4001 · #15 06-15-2011, 04:37 AM

Although like most people these days I have my own sat nav, but I grew up without it so I've got a reasonable sense of direction (to the point where I do that bloke thing of never stopping to ask for directions from a passer-by).

My first ever encounter with sat nav was on my second or third trip to the SF Bay area. I used to go over there for work, spending a week out of every 6 somewhere in Silicon Valley so I eventually got to know my way around unaided. But on the second or third trip I was still unfamiliar with the place when the clerk at the Hertz rental desk offered me a car with one of their sat navs installed. This was in the late 90's so they were a big novelty back then and I jumped at the chance of playing with a new toy.

After a couple of days I noticed that I couldn't really tell anybody how I'd reached any destination. I had taken little notice of any landmarks or road signs and just slavishly followed the sat nav. It worked well enough in a thoroughly unsophisicated way by today's standards, but I must admit it dumbed down my natural sense of direction.

Mark Latimour · #16 06-15-2011, 05:21 AM

I really can't see where this thread is going.

DwaynieAD · #17 06-15-2011, 06:18 AM

around here people say "down" when referring to nearly any place. it drives me up a wall, or down a wall maybe; i'm not sure.

but i think it has nothing to do with having a sense of direction, its more of a phrase that people use

atleast for my area of the world

Phalex · #18 06-15-2011, 06:24 AM

My map gets quite confused when I'm indoors. I can walk three feet inside a south facing door, and suddenly have no concept of direction as it pertains to the outside world.

It also mostly works when I know where I am. I can familiarize myself with new surroundings, but still have only a rudimentary understanding of North.

IotaNet · #19 06-15-2011, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

... She said, "Is it? I just put the post code into my satnav and follow that." ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simo98

... My dad however, who grew up without any sat-navs or anything of the sort ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jools4001

... My first ever encounter with sat nav was on my second or third trip to the SF Bay area ...

Thread hijack ...

Before this thread I had never heard the phrase "sat nav." It's obvious that you guys are referring to what we Yanks call a GPS. I actually Googled Sat Nav and it looks like that's what the products are marketed as overseas.

I love the English language!

Hijack off.

Rocker949 · #20 06-15-2011, 07:23 AM

A good sense of direction seems to be something that someone is born with. Mine is not particularly very good, although it is way easier to get lost walking than driving. Once I got so lost in Ireland that I ended up damaging one of my shoes I had to walk so far. Being in a foreign country can make things harder, especially if English is not the language. I have probably been lost the most times in Germany. A way a city is designed can also make a difference. When I moved to New Orleans, I found it very easy to find my way around almost instantly, despite not having a good sense of direction.