How come nobody knows north, south, east and west?

fergiesfolly · 26-01-2019 11:14AM

Them " Can you show me how to get to Church Street?"

Me. " Sure. Taken out your phone and open Google Maps"

pleas advice · 26-01-2019 11:25AM

Moss grows on the north facing side of trees, or stones, but a rolling stone gathers no moss,

EdgeCase · 26-01-2019 11:35AM

Americans who live in grid cities tend to give directions like "go east on 32nd for 3 blocks". European cities tended to have evolved organically and rarely follow organised grid patterns, so you have no idea what way you're facing, other than relative to landmarks.

That's why nobody really gives directions like that as they would be utterly useless information for getting around.

BuboBubo · 26-01-2019 11:53AM

Well First Off... wrote: »

My sister struggles with her lefts and rights.

Me too, the curse of being ambidextrous

Monkeynut · 26-01-2019 11:55AM

SEPT 23 1989 · 26-01-2019 11:55AM

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Them " Can you show me how to get to Church Street?"

Me. " Sure. Taken out your phone and open Google Maps"

Them. Robs phone

Atoms for Peace · 26-01-2019 12:09PM

Never eat shredded wheat.

hatrickpatrick · 26-01-2019 12:33PM

Ninthlife wrote: »

Use pub names, always worked for me.

One of my friends recently gave directions to a newly Dublin-integrated culchie by saying "It's around the corner from where Tripod *used* to be" (referring to DTwo). This seems to be a uniquely Dublin way of giving directions, referring to landmarks long since demolished or renamed and expecting non-Dublin folk to have any clue what we're talking about

Maybe this is a form of gatekeeping to keep Dublin for the Dubliners and confuse anyone who doesn't belong?

Feisar · 26-01-2019 12:53PM

sk8erboii wrote: »

Who actually cares? Do people with useless/easily learnable skills no one cares about try to make themselves feel superior?

Similar to posting on a msg board to make oneself feel superior?

Feisar · 26-01-2019 12:55PM

But how do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Timberrrrrrrr · 26-01-2019 12:56PM

Feisar wrote: »

But how do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice

Oink · 26-01-2019 01:09PM

“Stay on the leeward side for 2nm, you’ll want to change tack on o’connell st. Catch the nor’easters but watch for the a$$ pirates of Drumcondra. Then ‘tis plain sailing but watch for the wenches of Swords, they’ll cut your throat when you’re spent.” is how I give directions.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 26-01-2019 02:01PM

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Who has ever given directions like that?

2pac and Biggie used to be at it the whole time, and look where it got those two nerds...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-01-2019 02:32PM

Schwarzer Kaffee wrote: »

NSWE can be very useful in Ireland when used in conjunction with other directions. For example if you're on the phone and someone is giving you directions, sometimes you don't know if their imagined perspective is in sync with your actual perspective. Therefore a left for them could actually mean a right for you. Using a few NSEW statements referenced against landmarks as a failsafe can be very useful to avoid wasted time going in the wrong direction.

Of course. And getting directions in Tyrone for somewhere in Donegal will involve telling you to head for the South in a Northerly direction.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-01-2019 02:41PM

Schwarzer Kaffee wrote: »

Unfortunately sime people have no comprehension of NSEW.

I think you missed the point.

26-01-2019 03:35PM

When I was in the army rangers they taught us a simple method: catch a migratory bird (crow works best), cover its eyes with a small bird-size blindfold, spin it round so it's dizzy then toss it in the air. Whichever way it flies is true north.

AntiClimax · 26-01-2019 03:57PM

Schwarzer Kaffee wrote: »

Unfortunately sime people have no comprehension of NSEW.

Careful, the last person who sided with the OP got banned.

BorneTobyWilde · 26-01-2019 04:13PM

UK to the north, Iceland to the South West. It's all very easy to remember

Balanadan · 26-01-2019 04:28PM

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

UK to the north, Iceland to the South West. It's all very easy to remember

What facking planet is that?

blade1 · 26-01-2019 05:12PM

Balanadan wrote: »

What facking planet is that?

Nearth.
It's like earth but East is North.

greencap · 26-01-2019 05:59PM

its because we dont have a sun, and the americans do.

they check the time, they look up, theres the sun, so that way is east/west.

we look up we get rain in the eyes and grey, dark grey or extra dark grey.

Capt'n Midnight · 26-01-2019 06:54PM

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Well First Off. wrote:

It's such a useful tool to use if you don't know the names of the streets. You can say "I'm on the street parallel to Church st on the east side"

Who has ever given directions like that?

You too can live Where The Streets Have No Name.

super_furry · 26-01-2019 06:59PM

Never eat shredded wheat.

Akrasia · 26-01-2019 07:19PM

Emerson Glamorous Poodle wrote: »

Not many streets or roads around here with a simple North South or East West orientation. Here it would be "go north north east and I'm standing on church street on the south by south west side".

not to mention all those crazy streets with bends on them

Thespoofer · 26-01-2019 07:26PM

I always go by the satellite dishes on people's houses.
The majority of them ( the grey sky dish) face south east. Its helped me on a few occassions.

I know its not much use when you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere but it can be useful.

Say my name · 26-01-2019 10:18PM

Boring answer here..

But on a clear starry night look for the plough.

At the front of the plough at the bottom of the blade is a star called Merak above that at the top of the blade is a star called Dubhe. Draw a line with your finger from Merak to Dubhe and continue that line outwards till you come to the next brightest star.

That's the North Star.
That star never moves in the night sky in the northern hemisphere and is always north of where you're standing.
It's easy working out South, East, West from that.

AntiClimax · 27-01-2019 12:05AM

super_furry wrote: »

Never eat shredded wheat.

How many times do I have to hear it?

AntiClimax · 27-01-2019 12:09AM

I remember once giving someone a lift home in Dublin. We were going a different route home for him than the way he usually went. To establish a basic idea of where he was I said to him "are you inside or outside the M50?". He replied "I'm on the M50"!. I said "no, but is it inside or outside?". A pause followed and again he said "ah, it's on the M50". I said "just say 'I don't know' if you don't know. How can your house be built on the motorway"!

Capt'n Midnight · 27-01-2019 12:42AM

Thespoofer wrote: »

I always go by the satellite dishes on people's houses.
The majority of them ( the grey sky dish) face south east. Its helped me on a few occassions.

I know its not much use when you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere but it can be useful.

Even better if they have a TV aerial too as then you can triangulate where you are.

blade1 · 27-01-2019 07:24AM

If Kanye and Kim don't know where North West is, they'll have lost their child.

How come nobody knows north, south, east and west?

Comments