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Directions from pedestrians



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 18th 06, 04:15 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 04:29 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 04:32 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 05:10 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 05:34 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 06:35 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 06:50 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 06:58 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 07:01 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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  
Old January 18th 06, 11:29 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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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