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Directions from pedestrians
I'm constantly amazed by the directions I get from pedestrians when I'm on
a bike. My "lost" period started out well -- a gentleman gave me very colorful but accurate turn-by-turns (for _one_ street - it needed it) with advice on what the idiot drivers would do, and where, and how to react. But then I started heading home. I had been exploring the wilds of New Jersey and my plan was to catch the PATH train home. Yahoo, of course, had screwed something up and had the PATH station in Hoboken right on top of something called the Bergen light rail. Incidentally, I'm pleased that this light rail station, 9th & Congress, has become an essential part of a gravity loop. It's a vertical rise of about 200 feet, with a large elevator taking non-train passengers, including cyclists, up and down. So anyway, that's where I was directed when I asked where the PATH stop was. So when I got there, I asked someone at the actual light rail station how to get to the PATH, and he said to take the light rail two stops. Then I said, but where is it? And he said, oh, it's all the way on the other side of Hoboken. He clearly didn't think the distance was bikable, and I didn't tell him how far I'd already come. The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees (I found out later) rapidly and I wasn't thinking clearly, and I was almost going to buy a ticket and wait on the freezing platform when I realized that Hoboken is only _one_ square mile. No two points in the city could be more than 1.4 miles apart. I'm now going to write 1,000 times "have a good map at all times." --ag |
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#2
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Directions from pedestrians
Andy Gee wrote: I'm constantly amazed by the directions I get from pedestrians when I'm on a bike. My "lost" period started out well -- a gentleman gave me very colorful but accurate turn-by-turns (for _one_ street - it needed it) with advice on what the idiot drivers would do, and where, and how to react. One of the pleasant surprises during our first bike tour of Britain (many years ago) was the interest the Brits took in our adventure, and the care they took with directions. It seemed common for them to give us detailed directions, then summarize with a brief repetition: "So, again, that's left at the first light, two blocks on, right at the chemist and look for it on your left." One middle aged woman even walked a block out of her way to be able to point out the tricky beginning part. I like the summary review a lot, and I try to remember to do that for others. - Frank Krygowski |
#3
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Directions from pedestrians
If you're lost, first choice by far: stop a cop. They are consistently
well informed. "Andy Gee" wrote in message .198... I'm constantly amazed by the directions I get from pedestrians when I'm on a bike. My "lost" period started out well -- a gentleman gave me very colorful but accurate turn-by-turns (for _one_ street - it needed it) with advice on what the idiot drivers would do, and where, and how to react. But then I started heading home. I had been exploring the wilds of New Jersey and my plan was to catch the PATH train home. Yahoo, of course, had screwed something up and had the PATH station in Hoboken right on top of something called the Bergen light rail. Incidentally, I'm pleased that this light rail station, 9th & Congress, has become an essential part of a gravity loop. It's a vertical rise of about 200 feet, with a large elevator taking non-train passengers, including cyclists, up and down. So anyway, that's where I was directed when I asked where the PATH stop was. So when I got there, I asked someone at the actual light rail station how to get to the PATH, and he said to take the light rail two stops. Then I said, but where is it? And he said, oh, it's all the way on the other side of Hoboken. He clearly didn't think the distance was bikable, and I didn't tell him how far I'd already come. The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees (I found out later) rapidly and I wasn't thinking clearly, and I was almost going to buy a ticket and wait on the freezing platform when I realized that Hoboken is only _one_ square mile. No two points in the city could be more than 1.4 miles apart. I'm now going to write 1,000 times "have a good map at all times." --ag |
#4
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Directions from pedestrians
Ron Wallenfang wrote:
If you're lost, first choice by far: stop a cop. They are consistently well informed. Taxi drivers too. -- Paul M. Hobson Georgia Institute of Technology ..:change the f to ph to reply:. |
#5
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Directions from pedestrians
On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:10:27 -0500 in rec.bicycles.misc, Paul
Hobson wrote: Ron Wallenfang wrote: If you're lost, first choice by far: stop a cop. They are consistently well informed. Taxi drivers too. and postal persons, also. in rural france, they sometimes were on bikes! |
#6
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Directions from pedestrians
My rule of thumb: the more peds you ask, the closer they'll get to
accuracy. Ask "where's the bus station?" and someone will get you started. Ask the next available person and you'll get either verification or fact. And so forth. Oh yes, copious thanks, even HAND --Karen D. |
#7
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Directions from pedestrians
wrote
One of the pleasant surprises during our first bike tour of Britain (many years ago) was the interest the Brits took in our adventure, and the care they took with directions. It seemed common for them to give us detailed directions, then summarize with a brief repetition: "So, again, that's left at the first light, two blocks on, right at the chemist and look for it on your left." One middle aged woman even walked a block out of her way to be able to point out the tricky beginning part. I like the summary review a lot, and I try to remember to do that for others. - Frank Krygowski On my visits to the UK people have always been extremely gracious about giving directions to lost tourists, to the point of walking up to me and offering when I looked even more lost than usual. It's a very pleasant custom. -- mark |
#8
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Directions from pedestrians
Not necessarily the case in NYC -- matter of fact, I can't remember the last time a cop gave me directions in the City. They're often on loan from other precincts, etc. Very odd, but there you have it. And no, postmen and women are hardly better. I've come to rely on myself and my maps -- my luck, in other words! -- so I probably didn't give "statistics" a chance for an NYPD cop to give me directions, but, oh well, I'm glad they were honest in not knowing instead of attempting to help and send me off wrong. Ron Wallenfang wrote: If you're lost, first choice by far: stop a cop. They are consistently well informed. |
#9
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Directions from pedestrians
Dennis P. Harris wrote: On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:10:27 -0500 in rec.bicycles.misc, Paul Hobson wrote: Ron Wallenfang wrote: If you're lost, first choice by far: stop a cop. They are consistently well informed. Taxi drivers too. and postal persons, also. in rural france, they sometimes were on bikes! Not in NYC! Taxi drivers almost never speak English (oh, you know what I mean) and letter-carriers are 50/50. |
#10
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Directions from pedestrians
Speaking as a Brit...
wrote One of the pleasant surprises during our first bike tour of Britain (many years ago) was the interest the Brits took in our adventure, and the care they took with directions. It seemed common for them to give us detailed directions, then summarize with a brief repetition: "So, again, that's left at the first light, two blocks on, nah, we don't talk about "blocks", unless the folks you spoke to had been watching too much US TV, coz our towns are generally not laid out in a grid right at the chemist and look for it on your left." Traditionally we navigate by pubs. Right at the King's Arms, Left at the Old Bull etc. |
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