DOTS Ita Directionally challenged edition

"glemon" (glemon) 06/03/2019 at 19:07 • Filed to: None

2

6

sorry, I don’t have much for pictures today, I mostly looked at boats, so I guess this is down on the Sea.

Here is a lovely little skiff it looks like a guy could have a Hemingwayesque adventure trying to catch a big fish on.

This is apparently a “Venice Boat” far from Venice, they use it to take you to a restaurant on a nearby island. Can you tell I kind of like old things?

I took pictures of two Opels that I was not familiar with today, but they looked pretty boring, so they will stay in the unpublished file.

Random thoughts: I am directionally challenged, not like one of those people you hear about who get lost going to the grocery store in their own neighborhood, but no “sense of direction” I really don’t even know what that is, cause I don’t have it.

I am in a place I don’t know, a language I can’t read, and streets that don’t stay at all straight. It can be a little daunting, even with not always reliable GPS. Speaking of which, I specified a rental car with said GPS, they gave me a Tom Tom Go, what is this, the aughts?

Anyway back to directionally challenged, take two or three turns in a car and I don’t know what direction I started in, or what direction I want to go (I do a little better when walking). I also can’t remember highway or road names in strange places, a series of take this road then that quickly flits in and out of my mind, little help. I can go to a store and remember the marked price of everything I bought, even if a big list, for a short time, but can’t store directions in my head, how does that work?

I have a theory it is like language, if you don’t learn it at a young age you never do. I grew up in a smaller town where most everything was grid pattern and lettered (east west streets) or numbered (north south). Didn’t need to develop any navigational skills, and can’t seem to now.

Eventually as I learn an area I can visualize a map in my head of the area and can place myself on the map and never get lost again. Does anybody else do that?

I can also read a map fine, but that doesn’t help much when I am driving in city traffic.

Anyway, just wondering if any of you have similarly “specially abled” in this area and how you work around it (no points for the answer “GPS”. Though that raises a good question, do those when grew up with it generally not develop any navigational skills because they don’t have to?

TheRealBicycleBuck > glemon 06/03/2019 at 21:37

0

Maps are the secret. Also, living in a public survey system state helps. Don’t know what that is? Everything is laid out in blocks, east-west streets are numbered and north-south streets are named. Easy.

In older areas with roads that follow contours, the trick is to find easily visible landmarks. Also, never forget where the sun should be found at different times of day. Basically, pay attention to the world around you and not just the street you’re on. Don’t forget to look behind you so you know what the scenery looks like when it’s time to backtrack. This is really important when you are making turns onto a different street.

That’s what works for me. Oh yeah, and GPS.

glemon > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/04/2019 at 04:07

1

Thanks, I did use the sun a couple days ago when we went into San Gimignano, it was afternoon, sun was too the right as we walked into the city from the parking lot, so must be to the left when we go back, worked great, don’t know why I don’t do the more.

I do love maps and GPS...

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > glemon 06/04/2019 at 09:39

0

Research into where our sense of direction comes from is pretty interesting.  It turns out that humans may be able to sense the earths magnetic field.  There are also huge variations in how sensitive people are, and therefore wildly varying senses of direction from person to person.

glemon > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 06/04/2019 at 10:42

0

Yes I have been with people driving around in a strange city, they want to get somewhere and simply say, I think we need to go this way, and start taking a road and it works—I can do that too, but will more likely than not be wrong. Some people I think pretty much always know their NSEW either through an innate sense of direction or never loosing their bearings by tracking turns. My wife does landmarks and visual features, but that is not much help if you haven’t been there before.

If you are ever in a group of people and have the conversation about which way North is. The interesting thing is not so much that you get different answers, but you can tell them people that can answer without thinking react to the people who can’t figure it out like “how the hell do you not this” and the people who can’t figure it out even after pondering a while look at the people who know like “how the hell do you can you know that and be so sure without thinking about it?”.

Lastly, as I noted, I grew up in a public survey system city, so while it is certainly makes it easy to navigate, I didn’t learn much in the way of advanced navigational skills because I didn’t need them.

I always think it is interesting how the mind works perceiving things and solving problems.  Best Regards 

functionoverfashion > glemon 06/04/2019 at 11:01

0

I always study maps pretty extensively before traveling, so I know generally how things are laid out. It doesn’t mean I have to memorize the map, but just having been exposed to the street names, neighborhoods, major roads, landmarks, and also general compass orientation, all helps.

My father was a surveyor most of my childhood and always loved maps, so I’ve spent far more time than most learning about navigation and mapping. Clearly that helps.

Especially now with google maps and streetview, you could really familiarize yourself with an area before visiting. Sometimes I do that, but it does take away a little of the adventure, too. And of course, not everything is detailed perfectly in google maps.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > glemon 06/04/2019 at 11:34

1

Many years ago I had an argument with my brother in law. There was a large group of people out in the middle of nowhere on a four wheeler ride. We stopped for lunch and he pulled out his cheap pin on compass and pointed north. I looked at him like he was nuts and said north was in the opposite direction. After a few minutes of arguing someone pulled out their GPS to check us, and it turns out his compass was off by 180°. Ever since then I’ve never trusted those little globe compasses that you pin on to your jacket.

Apparently I’m one of those people with a good sense of direction. Ironically I suck at giving directions because I never really think about getting to where I want to go, I just go there.