Did you all fail geography

[smileyeagle1021]

Seriously... 4 people tonight have called me lost beyond belief... why you may ask are they lost... because they took 80 EAST instead of 80 WEST.... Gah, I tell people, off of 15 take 80 WEST, towards the AIRPORT, take the REDWOOD exit which is the first exit.... yet 4 people tonight alone have called in saying... "I took the first exit... and now I'm on State street" ... that's because you took 80 EAST to PARK CITY

That said... we are a tourist town... practically everywhere in the valley there are freeway signs that will direct you either to Salt Lake or to the Airport... if the signs you are following don't say either Salt Lake or Airport, YOU ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY.
The last person that I just spoke to was lost because he got off on 215 thinking it was 80... I'd like to point out to boy genius that Salt Lake County has 1.2million people in it... we do have more than 1 freeway... gah, I halfway expect him to call me confused in a few minutes because he took the 201 west rather than 80 west.

[ibor132]

Even then, IME, as long as you're going generally the right direction you'll hit the airport signs sooner or later. When I was living there, I lived in Taylorsville, right near the West Vally border (about 4120 S 1600W, though I actually lived on a named street - it was like a block from the intersection of Redwood & 4100S). Anyway, everybody I knew had a different way to get to the airport...I always took 41st S to 5th W to I-15 north (I think that's right...I can see the route I drove in my head, but it's been a while) and followed the signs through the spaghetti bowl...my roommate did something similar, but often went a few blocks father in before picking up the freeway, and his sister always drove up to West Vally, then took I-215 in to I-15.

[thehippie777]

I have been though SLC, and I would pay attention. There are about uh...way more exits then here. We have a total of 7 exits here. 7.

We have signs on the interstate that say "*hotel* exit *#*. What are they doing that they take a wrong exit & call frantic saything they have no idea where we are.

Usually my directions include, "You have't reached us yet...keep going."

My favorite dumb road labeling trick our town did was make an East and a West street both starting with "King" that do not connect. The West street is a MAJOR street, of which everyone calls "Kings" instead of "King". Where is this "s" you all seem to see!? Anyway, people tend to ask if Kings is the one with *stores on a diffrent exit with West street*, and I have opted to tell them the East and West DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT connect. This freaks them out, and I have to tell them just to take *our exit*, it's not as weird as it seems.

And OMG "it's so hard to find this place!!!!!". I am horrible with directions, but even I found this place the first time I came here.

Sorry for stealing your thead... I will give it back for ransom. Demands coming later.

[smileyeagle1021]

Hippie, don't feel bad... my mother is terrible with street names... so she'll give directions like "turn left at the first light, right at the first right, right at the first intersetion, then take the 3rd left"

I once realized that the directions she gave to her house could take you to either her house, a Kohl's, or a Carl's Jr depending on which freeway exit you took (there are 3 for the same street).

[otakuneko]

As an aside, I once had a geography professor tell the class, "Americans are the worst in the educated world at Geography."

Doh!

[malmalthekiller]

I'm terrible with directions myself, but I make sure I have it all printed out or written down in advance of my trip.

I'm not afraid to admit I have no sense of direction whatsoever.

So I have people call up my store and ask for directions there, and if it's not the way I come, I have no idea what to tell them-and they get angry.

Or they come to the service desk and ask for directions to some other location. Sorry, I don't have GPS in my brain, I don't know.

I had a really rude customer come and demand the location of some restaurant (not my job, sorry), and was so angry when I told him I didn't know, so I gave him so bogus directions for being a jerk.

[freaktard]

As an aside, I once had a geography professor tell the class, "Americans are the worst in the educated world at Geography."

Doh!

I believe it! I've known people who who thought that:

1. Alaska is not a state in the USA

2. Hawaii is not a state in the USA

3. New Mexico is part of Mexico

4. Canada was on the other side of the world from the USA

5. Australia was in Africa

And did anybody happen to see on the news the other night, that Sarah Palin had to be told that Africa was a continent, not a country?

[wolfie]

I believe it! I've known people who who thought that:
4. Canada was on the other side of the world from the USA

Probably the person who caught a flight to Sydney NS (Nova Scotia, Canada, airport code YQY) instead of Sidney NSW (New South Wales, Australia, 2 airports QSY and SYD).

[Becks]

Hippie, don't feel bad... my mother is terrible with street names... so she'll give directions like "turn left at the first light, right at the first right, right at the first intersetion, then take the 3rd left"

That sounds like how *I* give directions.

And it works for me.

[smileyeagle1021]

That sounds like how *I* give directions.

And it works for me.

yes, but do you live somewhere were if you don't have any street names other than the freeway exit (which there are 3 for the same street) the directions will get you to 3 different places

[Nyoibo]

Probably the person who caught a flight to Sydney NS (Nova Scotia, Canada, airport code YQY) instead of Sidney NSW (New South Wales, Australia, 2 airports QSY and SYD).

It's Sydney NSW, but damn, I did not realise there was a Sydney NS and a Sydney NSW in the world, but I'd figure the fact that they're in different hemispheres would be a big give away, how do you mess that up?

[Broomjockey]

different hemispheres

Someone who sucks at geography could mess that up, conceivably. But despite how similar the Sydney, NS and Sydney NSW seem, you'd think that they'd clue in to the fact that it's actually Sydney, NS Canada, and Sydney, NSW, Australia. The two countries aren't really similar in name, appearance, or anything else, really.

[Becks]

yes, but do you live somewhere were if you don't have any street names other than the freeway exit (which there are 3 for the same street) the directions will get you to 3 different places

Possibly, but I see your point.

Well played, sir.

[thehippie777]

btw, when I said I was horrible at directions, I mean understanding others'. I have directed (beautifully I might add) guests to the hotel when they have somehow managed to get lost in the middle of the city.

For some reason if people tell me vague directions, I never get where I need to go. I need detailed beyond belief.

[Nyoibo]

Someone who sucks at geography could mess that up, conceivably. But despite how similar the Sydney, NS and Sydney NSW seem, you'd think that they'd clue in to the fact that it's actually Sydney, NS Canada, and Sydney, NSW, Australia. The two countries aren't really similar in name, appearance, or anything else, really.

I hate humanity.