Did you want help, or did you want to be a $#*t?

[Silvercat]

I'd hesitate to use Mapquest.

I like Mapquest because it gives landmarks and it's easier to avoid streets (rather than dragging the route like on Google), but yeah, double check that sucker.

[EricKei]

I'm one of those guys who bucks the trend -- I'm the family Navigator...and the company Navigator and googlemap route-maker guy ^_^

If anything, I'm the opposite of the SC in the OP -- I cannot STAND to go somewhere new without both googlemapping it AND pestering someone at the destination for specific directions to make sure the two match up (They haven't before -- one client (and now friend) I went to is in a really rural area, and no two map sites can seem to agree on the incorrect location of his place >_<).

The sad part is, I seem to get an inordinate number of people who give me only vague directions...Even when I tell them I've never been to the area in question. I still get directions like "turn left at the corner store" (not which one, just "the corner store") or "it's behind where the kiwky mart used to be". ARRRRRRRRGH. To be fair, there was one time when such a bit of information was not only critical, but extremely useful: "turn right where the gas station used to be" --- see the attached image to find out why that one was really helpful.

~~ gas station pic ~~

My own brother, in particular, is really bad about this. He has this strange thing where he cannot comprehend that I might NOT be familiar with an area that he knows like the back of his hand (e.g., the French Quarter) >_< It gets frustrating.

I always referred to going "down" to visit my parents, because they lived several hundred miles south of us. He insisted that we went "up" to them because they happened to live at a higher elevation.

You should try New Orleans. Not only to people use "up" "and down" in lieu of "north" and "south" for places outside of town, they use this for in-town areas:

"Towards" this ..... means this direction:
...the lake ----------- north
...the river ----------- south
...uptown/the airport ---- west
...downtown ----------- east

People whom I would normally expect to use cardinal directions will often give me a blank stare if I try to give them directions using N/E/W/S (yes, that is where the word "news" allegedly comes from), so I usually just use the local terms, instead.

[Miss Fatale]

I try to give them directions using N/E/W/S (yes, that is where the word "news" comes from),.

According to dictionary.com, "news" comes from "new," which in turn comes from Proto-Indo-European. That it comes from the directions appears to be a folk etymology.

[Andara Bledin]

If anything, I'm the opposite of the SC in the OP -- I cannot STAND to go somewhere new without both googlemapping it AND pestering someone at the destination for specific directions to make sure the two match up (They haven't before -- one client (and now friend) I went to is in a really rural area, and no two map sites can seem to agree on the incorrect location of his place >_<).

I tend to use a combination of map and satellite to get to places. However, most of my travel is to well-settled areas, so I don't have to worry much about obscure locations.

^-.-^

[wolfie]

I'm one of those guys who bucks the trend -- I'm the family Navigator...and the company Navigator

But all of that means nothing unless you're also the Lincoln Navigator.

[EricKei]

But all of that means nothing unless you're also the Lincoln Navigator.

Nah, I'd only need to be that if I got a job conducting history tours ~_~

[wolfie]

Nah, I'd only need to be that if I got a job conducting history tours ~_~

If you did get a job conducting history tours, I'd head down to take the tour - if only to see how you'd become one of these.

[EricKei]

if only to see how you'd become one of these.

Psh. Have you never seen Turbo Teen? The technology is out there. Besides, I'm too un-skinny to end up as a sports car ~_~

[Kristev]

Now I've called somewhere and asked directions a time or two. Not everyone has the money for a gps or a tomtom.

[EricKei]

Aye. I prefer maps, whether goggleish or paper. My roomies tend to get on me about that, tho I have often been justified in doing so, as the one I give rides to most often (she is disabled and unable to drive) has absolutely zero sense of direction.