Giving directions

[AriRashkae]

Here was a fun one from my gas station days.

I worked at 1 end of C** street. A bit past me, going towards the town center, was North C** street. At the other end, was Old C** street.

I got this one couple who were looking for an animal trainer that worked at the end of Old C** street. They were nice enough, but it was winter, and got dark early, and Old C** didn't have a light anywhere near its sign. It is very easy to miss if you don't know exactly where it is.

The thing about OC was that it was squished between the railroad bridge over C, and a car dealership. it ran behind the dealership to a converted factory and looked at first glance like an unused or poorly maintained delivery drive, since they caught all the windblown crap that hit up against the bridge

Basically, They had missed their street, traveled almost to me, and stopped at the rival station a few blocks before me. Attendant actually knew (roughly) where OC was, but failed to mention that it was literally immediately after the train tracks. As in, you pass the dealership, you've gone too far.

So they drive back down in the right direction, take the left at the lights (about 100 ft. past OC ), turn around, and ask rival station's branch at that end. Attendant tells them the first guy was full of crap, and send them to NC.

By the time they finally got to me, he was frustrated and about to call the whole thing off, and she was nearly in tears. They lit up when I told them I knew exactly where they needed to go, and showed them on a map that it really was at the other end of C street. I even explained about the train tracks, the hard to see sign, and to turn around if they got to the lights 100 feet past it. Since it was slow, I even let them photocopy the page (all we had were the huge Cover-1/3-the-state Spiral Bounds for $40. I need a new one, come to think of it) and highlighted the route.

I thought they were both going to kiss me. They even got there on time, since they'd left early, knowing they were unfamiliar with the area.

[Andara Bledin]

And I always enjoy this, "Do you know the zip code for Canada?" Well for one they don't have zip codes like us and I'm more then positive that they have more then one mail code.

While it is strictly true that Canada doesn't have a ZIP code, they do have postal codes (which is what the rest of the world calls them), and they work precisely the same as ZIP codes, so saying they don't have them is technically correct, but not the whole truth.

But, yeah, they probably have as many postal codes as we do, so asking for "one for Canada" is incredibly silly.

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[simpleyme]

I work in a convenience store
people stop in and ask me where some place is I give them good directions only to have them tell me no ,my directions are not right

I had a guy get mad at me because I could not tell him where the place is in town that sells seed potatoes
for some reason I am supposed to know these thing

I will admit that I threw out the local map and phone book I had by my register ,people would keep me tied up for a half hour ask to use the phone borrow paper to write down addresses pester me to no end then leave the store without buying anything

[Aethian]

While it is strictly true that Canada doesn't have a ZIP code, they do have postal codes (which is what the rest of the world calls them), and they work precisely the same as ZIP codes, so saying they don't have them is technically correct, but not the whole truth.

But, yeah, they probably have as many postal codes as we do, so asking for "one for Canada" is incredibly silly.

^-.-^

Heheheh no postal codes and ZIP codes are technically different. ZIP means Zone Improvement Plan. Which was introduced by the US Postal Service (was US Post Office Department) in 1963. Before then think of Elvis's song, "No Such Number, No Such Zone." When the ZIP codes were introduced the mail was separated out more effectively then just sending all mail to one state to then be broken down to where mail can just be sent to the main zone processing plant. IE all ZIP codes starting with 490 will go to one plant and then broken down to the last two digits.

But yes I'm sure they have just as many different postal codes as we do ZIP codes.

[It's me]

Canada has postal codes like this "A1A 1A1" with "A" being a letter, and "1", well, a number. My favourite is "HOH OHO"... which is, of course, Santa's Postal code!

Right now we are in Myrtle Beach on vacation. We had a nasty time finding our hotel, which is on Ocean Boulevard. Of which there are three. And there at *least* three roads called "17". With along with more that one "2nd St. S." etc.! Very confusing, especially in the dark!

[Andara Bledin]

When the ZIP codes were introduced the mail was separated out more effectively then just sending all mail to one state to then be broken down to where mail can just be sent to the main zone processing plant. IE all ZIP codes starting with 490 will go to one plant and then broken down to the last two digits.

I'm now wondering how that is functionally different than how a Canadian postal code works...

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[RecoveringKinkoid]

I used to talk them in over the phone. Lots of business travellers and in-town conventions usually mean someone driving around downtown lost trying to find the Kinko's.

It was like trying to talk down an airplane. "Where are you at on Gervais? Did you cross a bridge into town? Go a couple blocks now and tell me when you see the big intersection. Are you getting into the right lane? Okay, turn right on Assembly. Get in your left lane and look for the Wendys."

Nobody was ever stupid enough to be anything but very, very nice and very, very grateful to me. I guess they figured, rightly so, that I could get them hideously lost if they didn't.

[Aethian]

I'm now wondering how that is functionally different than how a Canadian postal code works...

^-.-^

Reality...hardly anything other then it's the first part of the postal code that determins it's processing plant where as we in the US are still under postal zones. Basically it's difference is in their history of the words. My whole point in my statement that Canada doesn't have ZIP codes is because they don't have zones. Yes they have codes but not zones like the US once did.

[pssorens]

I always get in trouble when i give directions because the roads around the ranch i grew up on in the middle of no-where ( the point where Montana, North Dakota, and Canada meet) had no names at the time except for a few so I navigate by compass directions and landmarks rather than street names, gets other people real lost though

[Monica]

I am not good at street names. I know how to get places, I just don't pay attention to street names.

[purplecat41877]

I just don't pay attention to street names.

Same with me. I go by landscapes.

[boringscreenname]

I'm not good with road names either, I use landmarks.

Given that I work at a semi scale, truckers are always asking me where the nearest truck stop or CAT scale is. They are never happy with my answer, we don't have any in our area.

I also hate being asked for directions to a specific highway or interstate, because I only use one and don't have a clue how to get to the other ones.

Once we had a guy call and ask for directions to our warehouse. He was in Texas we're in Ohio, sorry can't help you.

Once I had a tanker come in carrying Liquid Nitrogen, which is not a commodity we deal with. For some reason his paperwork had our company's name, but a totally different address.

We're the only warehouse in the city, and there's only one other warehouse with our name in the state of Ohio, and it's on a different side of the state.

I tell the driver all of this and he still insists we must have another company with the same name, and that I should know how to contact them, since I work for their company after all. I repeat the whole spiel again, then he insists that someone inside the warehouse must know how to get ahold of our other non-existent warehouse.

Fortunately someone inside recognized the address, and was able to give him directions. It turns out they had written the wrong company name on his paperwork.

[Andara Bledin]

On the 'street names vs landmarks' thing; they did a study a while back and found that women are more likely to remember landmarks and relative directions, while men are more likely to know street names and cardinal directions.

I've always used all four, myself, with emphasis on street names and relative directions. *shrug* I've always known I wasn't normal.

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