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I agree that too many people rely on a GPS which can put you on a bunch on unnecessary turns and many times makes your trip longer. It does amaze me the amount of grown adults that cant read a map or even spot there own house on a map.
It doesn't surprise me that many adults don't know how to read a map. People will learn what they are interested in. Sadly, maps isn't on the list of things that alot of people want to learn.
Heck, some of my best trucking war stories involve directions (or lack thereof...) My favorites are the shippers or consignees that have no idea about truck routes, bridge/overpass clearances or hazardous cargo routes... (In all fairness, I usually have better luck if I contact the Shipping/Receiving Dept.)
Hey, great thread. I think last year's Miss South Carolina pretty much summed up the current problem of reading maps. "Americans can't identify the US on a map because they don't have maps..."
It's like the year 2505 Idiocracy happening today.
I love maps. Especially old, handcrafted maps. When I moved to a new city two years ago the first thing I did was look at the city grid map in the phone book and study it. Within a week I was getting around OK. With that said, I was looking for a local business and couldn't find it. I called them on the phone and asked "which corner of the intersection are you on?". I couldn't get a straight answer - I was asked where I was coming from, etc. No comprehension of NW, SW, NE, SE.
Hey, great thread. I think last year's Miss South Carolina pretty much summed up the current problem of reading maps. "Americans can't identify the US on a map because they don't have maps..."
It's like the year 2505 Idiocracy happening today.
I love maps. Especially old, handcrafted maps. When I moved to a new city two years ago the first thing I did was look at the city grid map in the phone book and study it. Within a week I was getting around OK. With that said, I was looking for a local business and couldn't find it. I called them on the phone and asked "which corner of the intersection are you on?". I couldn't get a straight answer - I was asked where I was coming from, etc. No comprehension of NW, SW, NE, SE.
I love maps too. I like reading and studying them.
I personally know many Europeans who are clueless as well. It's not only an American problem.
I love maps, always did. If I had to live alone on an island and could only bring one book, I'd choose an atlas.
A few years back, I met a teacher from Frankfurt, Germany on the Travel Forum on CompuServe. This teacher had five weeks of vacation a year and she use all her vacation to travel to the US. At least once a year, she would drop by my place in Cleveland to visit me.
One time, I asked her where she had been in Cleveland. She went out to her car and brought in a Cleveland street map. She had highlighted all the streets that she had driven on her several trips to the city and basically had the good and bad areas of town mapped out. Her designations were very accurate. We jokingly stated that she had an invasion plan.
Since everyone here is a mapophile, what do you think of those DeLorme state atlases?
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) My favorites are the shippers or consignees that have no idea about truck routes, bridge/overpass clearances or hazardous cargo routes... (In all fairness, I usually have better luck if I contact the Shipping/Receiving Dept.
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