Cardinal Directions

Chipotle · 11-01-2021 09:35AM #1

It amazes me that so many people are clueless when it comes to cardinal directions.

I remember i was driving to a supplier of kitchen counter tops, they are a few kilometers from a town. They weren't on google maps at the time so I knew I could aim for that town and ring them for directions from there. So I get to the town and ring them. They proceed to tell me to go to the crossroads and turn left and follow that road. Just to be sure we're on the same page and my left is the same as their left I ask if they are North or South of the town. A very simple question but they couldn't tell me, they just didn't know. It turns out they were South of the town.

So, the question I'm asking is do you have a sense of which way is North, South, East and West?

11-01-2021 09:48AM

If you are ever lost look for the nearest house with a satellite dish.
They point SE

So from their you can figure out the rest.

Wesekn. · 11-01-2021 09:50AM

Chipotle wrote: »

It amazes me that so many people are clueless when it comes to cardinal directions.

I remember i was driving to a supplier of kitchen counter tops, they are a few kilometers from a town. They weren't on google maps at the time so I knew I could aim for that town and ring them for directions from there. So I get to the town and ring them. They proceed to tell me to go to the crossroads and turn left and follow that road. Just to be sure we're on the same page and my left is the same as their left I ask if they are North or South of the town. A very simple question but they couldn't tell me, they just didn't know. It turns out they were South of the town.

So, the question I'm asking is do you have a sense of which way is North, South, East and West?

Put the eircode into maps

Your Face · 11-01-2021 09:53AM

Use your watch to find South during the day.

Use the plough at night to find North.

biko · 11-01-2021 09:55AM

I would have a vague sense but directions like that are not used here, "go to the crossroads and head south".

That said, it's a bit strange someone don't know if their place is north or south of a town.

Guill · 11-01-2021 09:57AM

Your Face wrote: »

Use your watch to find South during the day.

Use the plough at night to find North.

I understand using the plough to find Polaris.
What's the watch trick?

sydthebeat · 11-01-2021 09:57AM

Surely in order to give someone directions you must first need to know what direction they are coming from??

Allinall · 11-01-2021 10:01AM

Was looking for a particular road in Leicester years ago.

Driving down a long straight road, I pulled in to ask a guy standing at a bus stop.

Without batting an eyelid, he said

" Carry on down this road, and the road you're looking for is the third last turn on the left"

I had taken off before it dawned on me!

11-01-2021 10:02AM

Anyone giving directions in the form of north, south, etc is the issue here.

Guill · 11-01-2021 10:04AM

Best directions I ever received were when I was heading to a place near Trim. I got lost and rang the guy I was to meet. He gave me a list of directions and one of them was "Turn left at the white horse".

I was expecting a pub. Nope. It was an actual white horse standing in a small field at a T Junction.

Got me there though.

atilladehun · 11-01-2021 10:04AM

Chipotle wrote: »

It amazes me that so many people are clueless when it comes to cardinal directions.

I remember i was driving to a supplier of kitchen counter tops, they are a few kilometers from a town. They weren't on google maps at the time so I knew I could aim for that town and ring them for directions from there. So I get to the town and ring them. They proceed to tell me to go to the crossroads and turn left and follow that road. Just to be sure we're on the same page and my left is the same as their left I ask if they are North or South of the town. A very simple question but they couldn't tell me, they just didn't know. It turns out they were South of the town.

So, the question I'm asking is do you have a sense of which way is North, South, East and West?

I've given up trying to use it in conversation. They look at me like I'm coding or separating the atom or something.

Like the person said about satellites, I always keep an eye for cues that help.

When I lived in Australia my instinct was so off. I knew it was opposite but it kept throwing me.

Your Face · 11-01-2021 10:17AM

Guill wrote: »

I understand using the plough to find Polaris.
What's the watch trick?

Hold the watch flat and face the hour hand at the sun.
The point half-way between the hour hand and 12 o'clock marking on the watch is South.

ohnonotgmail · 11-01-2021 10:21AM

Your Face wrote: »

Hold the watch flat and face the hour hand at the sun.
The point half-way between the hour hand and 12 o'clock marking on the watch is South.

I tried that once with my casio watch and it didn't work.

silliussoddius · 11-01-2021 10:30AM

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

I tried that once with my casio watch and it didn't work.

Was it night time?

kowloonkev · 11-01-2021 10:36AM

I don't see how getting a direction of 'go north' would really be that helpful as we are not riding camels.

Just use the usual landmarks of every town in Ireland and stop being awkward.

Chipotle · 11-01-2021 10:40AM

kowloonkev wrote: »

I don't see how getting a direction of 'go north' would really be that helpful as we are not riding camels.

Just use the usual landmarks of every town in Ireland and stop being awkward.

Giving a direction of North relative to a landmark is helpful.

When you know that the destination of North of a town for example, it eliminates the risk of going left at the crossroads which is the wrong left because the person giving directions was assuming you were on the other side of the crossroads. So you should have gone right.

Also, if you give someone a long list of directions, one wrong turn could result in getting completely lost. Being aware of cardinal directions can mitigate that risk and get you back on track.

Mrs OBumble · 11-01-2021 10:41AM

Anyone in Galway who doesn't know the difference between the east and west will be run out of town.

Though the difference between The West and Westside and the west side of town is a bit more subtle.

Rhyme · 11-01-2021 10:45AM

kowloonkev wrote: »

I don't see how getting a direction of 'go north' would really be that helpful as we are not riding camels.

Just use the usual landmarks of every town in Ireland and stop being awkward.

I've found North and South to be handy when it comes to rivers. A few times with visiting family I've had to relay that in Dublin city, the Liffey flows East so with that information they know what side of the river they are on. With that information and what bridge they are near and where the Spire is, they can find any general location and then use landmarks to zero in.

eg. if at Samuel Beckett Bridge with the Liffey between you and the Spire, the Grand Canal is behind you.

Snotty · 11-01-2021 10:47AM

Its amazing what people love to feel superior about :rolleyes:

Chipotle · 11-01-2021 10:48AM

Snotty wrote: »

Its amazing what people love to feel superior about :rolleyes:

Who says anyone feels superior? I suspect you may be projecting your insecurities.

11-01-2021 10:50AM

Snotty wrote: »

Its amazing what people love to feel superior about :rolleyes:

Oh, the irony.

Esel · 11-01-2021 11:10AM

Thread going south now...

Gregor Samsa · 11-01-2021 12:08PM

I noticed a strange thing about Clare when I move here.

There's a North Clare, a West Clare and an East Clare. People here will use those terms all the time in relation to the location of places in the county.

There is no South Clare.

Rhyme · 11-01-2021 12:26PM

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

There is no South Clare.

It's like the West part of Craggy Island.

Cardinal Directions

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