Caught myself saying this....... (Knoxville, Maryville: traffic, art, move)

[jabogitlu]

I fear I'm totally guilty of giving directions that way! Especially when I'm talking to someone that lives in the general area. Last weekend I was giving directions and actually had to say, "You know the big curve where Frog Bowman used to live, across from the barn that has church on Sundays?"

Yeah.. no, seriously, not kidding. <g> The stereotypes are true.

[NJDevil]

You rock nerd girl. I prefer to get directions by street names, not landmarks, but of course tons of roads here don't have street signs, so landmarks are necessary. It seems like here in east TN about 99% of homes have NUMBERS on them. I am SO happy about this. In snobby Sarasota, it was maybe 75%. In the rest of FL, good luck!

[creeksitter]

Oh we are the worst about that around here. We orient by businesses that moved away 15+ years ago.

I guarantee that in a couple of years one of you will have a co-worker mention that the boss lives at the Glove Factory. That nondescript metal building on Sutherland??? No, they live at the condos across from Neyland stadium.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

Yes, a stoplight is always a red light. Actual color is irrelevant.

"A ways" can be anywhere from a few blocks to clear in the next county. "A little ways" is pretty much the same thing.

"The store" is always a grocery store, of indeterminate name.

"Right after," "just before" and "before you get to" are totally subjective and will almost never agree with your definition of the term.

There is usually a church in the directions somewhere.

And it may not look like a church.

Thank goodness for Mapquest.

I've noticed, where I live, a lot of streets change names once they cross a main road. It makes it hard to give directions.

Also, I don't understand why major roads change names while you are driving on them, especially if you are in the same county when the road changes names three times. Did you ever approach an intersection and see like 6 signs in a cluster telling you the different names of the road if you make a right at the intersection. I don't read fast enough to take it all in as I cruise by. I thought maybe I was overly sensitive to this but even if you do Mapquest, you frequently run into directions where it tells you: Make a right onto (making these roads up) TN78N/US57W/I-44N/Huckleberry Hound Hwy. There are an awful lot of roads with more than one name.

[Capt. Dan]

And its a "Coke" no matter what youre drinking!

[RiverRat1964]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

could be because the cartographers don't realize that southern roads can have up to 15* names? I gave one example, but my parents' house in Columbia, TN is called Double Branch, but apparently at one time it was called Flint Valley road, and probably some of the old timers still call it that. Also, apparently every state route in Tennessee has a signed number and a "secret" number.
*just an estimate.

And don't even get me started on everything that's wrong with this picture:

^^I'm a truck driver, I think I've been there!!!

[jabogitlu]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Make a right onto (making these roads up) TN78N/US57W/I-44N/Huckleberry Hound Hwy. There are an awful lot of roads with more than one name.

It makes it hard to give directions into Gray, up here. Turn onto Bobby Hicks Hwy, or Sunset Drive, or TN 75, whatever you want to call it!

Then there's 11-E in Washington County, which, depending where you are, goes by Jonesborough Hwy, Market St., Roan St, 19W, SR 34 or 36!

[gemkeeper]

Supernerdgirl, that picture of Rt.411 is so funny.

We hit a spot returning home from Tn. on Rt. 129 when you actually have to make a left into what looks like a Kroger parking lot, an immediate right to get back out of the stumped 129.

There is a public building right where the highway should be so the detour circles it! The highway just ends there and thru the parking lot you go! Go figure.

Then there are the areas where one street if Atlanta Hgwy., crosses Atlanta Ave., turn down Atlanta Ave. and make a left onto Atlanta Place or a right onto Atlanta Drive!!!

Where are we?

[leavingFlorida]

Too funny! We have lived in small towns for so long and the only way I give directions is to say, go to the huge oak tree next to the white wood fence, turn right, then go about 1 mile and you will se a little store with a red roof.......etc etc. I hate maps!

[mjb62676]

As a complete map dork, moving to this area has been a real challenge for me. NO ONE seems to know any names of roads around here, so getting directions is near impossible for me. I've trained myself to know pretty much where the respective road names change, but still find it near impossible to either give or get directions from a local.

I guess it's understandable because as others have noted, the upkeep or even placement of street signs is inconsistent at best.


My favorite has to be the Highways that have different "directional" names, but are only looseley related to those directions.

11E and 11W and 25E and 25W come to mind.