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Problem driving and getting lost

I am so glad to learn about this agnostic thing. My entire life I have had to deal with it. People make fun of me for having to draw maps for “simple” directions and even family members don’t get it. “Go down about a mile, turn left at the second stop light, go 4 streets down, turn right at the old tree,” etc, makes me crazy lost. I try not to drive at night now, unless only where I am familiar.

I do heavily use street view, and google earth. I hoard paper maps and atlas, even though maps change over time- especially in urban areas where subdivisions- whole towns seem to spring up over night. I hate new neighborhoods. The city grid is dead in the USA. No more north south east west. Now there are confusing mazes of twisting cul d sacs, and dead end streets. Once stuck in there, you’re hopelessly lost.

Some voice ap directions are not helpful. On heavily trafficked expressways, where there is a confusing amount of lanes, exits, and you don’t know what lane to choose. Driving around O’Hare Airport is like that. You have to know where to turn off so that you are in the proper lane. I screw up way too much.

I avoid expressways wherever possible, but the apps always give the most direct fastest route— on expressways. So that’s where paper and online maps come in. I devise my own route.
 
I have a very keen sense of direction, honed by years of bike riding, running snd walking. It hsd also helprd that i look out the window if im not in control of the vehicle.

I also love maps.

Usually, if i go somewhere once, i remember how to get there, even after a few years.

So going somewhere new, or in a different city, etc. I look at a paper map or google maps, then check google earth yo see what the place looks like and for any landmarks to recognize along the way. Then i will draw my own version of the route (thats the fun part)
 
On the Inside said:
I have a very keen sense of direction, honed by years of bike riding, running snd walking. It hsd also helprd that i look out the window if im not in control of the vehicle.

I also love maps.

Usually, if i go somewhere once, i remember how to get there, even after a few years.

So going somewhere new, or in a different city, etc. I look at a paper map or google maps, then check google earth yo see what the place looks like and for any landmarks to recognize along the way. Then i will draw my own version of the route (thats the fun part)
Click to expand...

I draw my own maps too after carefully studying too. But I never remember how to get to a place.p after uptime passes. It always look fresh, new and different.
 
Mary Anne, what you said about new neighborhoods being more cnfusing because they are no longer made on a grid, this is because more homes can be put into a piece f land that way. They create some common “green space” aka parks or dog parks and homes being off set from each other gives a feeling of some privacy. Even though yards get smaller and smaller. Anyway, that isnt a judgment on my part but it makes it harder to find my way around. Esp when they name a street, for example, Maple Street, then off of that, Maple Circle, Silver Maple, RedEffnMaple lol.
Im in a fast growing area, stores (land marks) come and go, strip malls get razed to the ground, left bare for years, then suddenly there will be a medical facility or something there. Buildings pretty much look alike, stucco in neutral colors, no large trees and every corner has a McDonalds and/or convenience store that looks the same as every other. *sigh*
At least I’m not alone, but sorry we have to deal with it. Thank goodness for Google.
I’m going to plan an easy trip with few turns to test out some of these ideas. Or next time I visit Mom, although Ive been there so many times it wouldn’t be the best test, although i DID get lost for brief moments recently.
 
I get the impression a lot of you don't really venture out that much. Me being in the local area would be no problem. It's further afield - towns and cities I do not know well - that's the problem.
 
I stay home as much as possible only going out to take care of Mom (she’s 89), dental cleanings, vet visits and misc other things. It’s just to stressful, and then it takes at least a day to rest and recover from it.
I get groceries delivered every two weeks and of course if something is on Amazon I order it online. I dont think Ive been into a store by myself for at least 10 years.
 
Street view is fun. I was in San Fransisco a few years ago for a conference, and i was staying in Japan town, with a 2.5 mile walk to the conference site by the Presidio. I followed my route on Streetview. About halfway through, the camera car driver pulled into a Taco Bell for lunch!
 
I have always been able to find my way around, and if I had ever been somewhere once, could always find my way there again. I rarely got lost, and if I did it would have been somewhere totally unfamiliar to me.

Yet the area where my wife previously lived was totally confusing to me. I got north and south, east and west completely mixed up right from the start, and right up to the day she moved out, I could still not find my way around, or work out where I was when she was driving. I could make sense of it when looking at a map, but was totally confused while out and about.
 
Your second paragraph! I can sometimes find West because of the higher mountains in that direction, but if i cant see them because of buildings or poor air quality, I’m lost. Well, I’m lost anyway but home is usually towards the West, so at least i have a general direction to go towards!
 
It is really odd because I'm usually absolutely reliable in direction-finding, but in that location, I'm totally upside down and back to front.

I went out to the supermarket one evening to grab some supplies, and went totally the wrong way. And that was despite the fact I could see the sunset, and still went east away from it instead of west. I was so convinced my sense of direction was right that I ignored very basic evidence I was wrong!
 
BraidedPony said:
Mary Anne, what you said about new neighborhoods being more cnfusing because they are no longer made on a grid, this is because more homes can be put into a piece f land that way. They create some common “green space” aka parks or dog parks and homes being off set from each other gives a feeling of some privacy. Even though yards get smaller and smaller. Anyway, that isnt a judgment on my part but it makes it harder to find my way around. Esp when they name a street, for example, Maple Street, then off of that, Maple Circle, Silver Maple, RedEffnMaple lol.
Im in a fast growing area, stores (land marks) come and go, strip malls get razed to the ground, left bare for years, then suddenly there will be a medical facility or something there. Buildings pretty much look alike, stucco in neutral colors, no large trees and every corner has a McDonalds and/or convenience store that looks the same as every other. *sigh*
At least I’m not alone, but sorry we have to deal with it. Thank goodness for Google.
I’m going to plan an easy trip with few turns to test out some of these ideas. Or next time I visit Mom, although Ive been there so many times it wouldn’t be the best test, although i DID get lost for brief moments recently.
Click to expand...

Completely agree with you. I hate modern developments, and the insanity of street names (like you said). I also get lost in very old non grid cities like Washington DC. I would be hopeless in London, or Tokyo.
 
Driving makes me nervous, my spatial awareness makes it even worse.

I get loss all the time as well. Tired of getting judged for not wanting to drive then having to explain myself.
 
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