KEN'S KORNER - MAY 2004
SENSE OF DIRECTION
By Author, Educator and Big City Driver Ken Skaggs

Did you ever notice how some people just seem to have a good sense of direction and others simply don’t? There are a lot of people out there who can’t read a map. I found this out the hard way. Some don’t even know their left from their right! This is not to say that they are stupid. They could be very smart, about many things, but they just don’t have a good sense of direction.

Many times, I’ve heard people say that they simply aren’t very good with directions. Sometimes when I give someone directions and tell them to go north they have to ask if that will be a right or a left. Even comedians are always busting down guys who have to ask for directions. There must be a lot of guys like that. Not truck drivers, of course, but sometimes the people who give us directions (like company owners, receptionists, dispatchers, even friends and family) can be wrong.

I’ve been given bad directions more times than I care to remember. Sometimes, every turn is wrong. They said make a right, but it should have been a left. After a few of those turns, you figure out the pattern and start turning left where they said turn right and then you find the place. Or, sometimes they tell you to go north when it should have been south. I’m sure all of the drivers out there have had this problem a time or two (a week).

A lot of drivers out there seem to think that having a good sense of direction is just common sense - and it is, to them. They read maps every day, so they are obviously very good at it. I think a sense of direction is a skill that you learn through practice. It is not something you are born with. So, with that in mind, here are a few tips for those of you who need to sharpen your skills in this area.

First, it’s important to know which way is west. I say west because the Pacific Ocean is there and everybody ought to know which way that is. Wherever you are, if you can point your finger toward the ocean, you will always know which way is west, and can then figure out which way is east, north and south. As you drive around, try to keep that in mind. If you are driving away from the Pacific Ocean, you must be going east. If you can’t point toward the ocean (or some other landmark), then you should learn to be able to. Practice by beginning at a point where you can, then, as you drive, try to keep it in your mind.

Practice reading a map. As you look at it, picture your little truck driving on it. Imagine you are holding a miniature version of your truck between your fingers, and drive it along the route you are planning on the map. If it turns right, then you should turn right. This little exercise can be not only helpful but great fun as well (when you are waiting for a load and really bored).

Write it down. A few minutes spent looking at a map, or on the phone (and writing it down), will save you many more minutes of guesswork while driving. One wrong turn in a truck could cost you over an hour, if you happen to be in a heavy traffic area or on a highway that doesn’t have an exit for a while. By writing it down and being very specific about things like how far it should be and what street is before (or after) your turn, can save you a lot time.

As you are looking for an address, notice the number system by looking at a few of the addresses on the buildings you pass. Usually, it will be such that the even numbers will be on one side of the road and the odd numbers will be on the other side. If the address you are looking for is an odd number, it will be on the same side of the street as all the other odd numbered buildings. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are pretty rare.

When looking at an address, the number means something. The hundreds are the blocks and the tens and ones are the houses or buildings. Let’s look at the address 4525 N. Bell Road, for example. If you were looking for that address, you would know that this address should be approximately forty-five blocks north of the city center, about a quarter of the way down that block, and on the odd side of the street. Once again, there are always exceptions, but this is usually the case.

Numbered streets are a breeze. So many towns and cities have numbered streets like 45th Street, 24th Avenue, etc. and these make for easy address finding, especially when you see both streets and avenues. Usually, all of the streets are running east and west, and all of the avenues are running north and south (or vice-versa). And the address numbers will also correspond with those street numbers. For example, if you are looking for 2550 W. 14th Avenue, this number will probably be twenty-five blocks west of the city center, and fourteen blocks north or south of the city center (and probably right after you pass 25th Street). Notice the numbers as you pass these streets and you should see that when you pass 16th Street (for example), the first house on the right (or left) is almost always 1600 or 1601.

Sometimes maps are wrong. That’s right, you heard it here first. I’ve been looking at maps for a very long time, and I can tell you that about once a year or so I find something wrong. Of course, they are usually always right, but there are always exceptions. In fact, there are a few towns out there that make no sense whatsoever; they have addresses like 4757 right across the street from (or next door to) something like 280. Knowing where you are going, before you leave, is half the battle. Happy hunting and good luck.