A Conversation for The Problem with Driving Directions
Asking the wrong person
Greybeard the Pirate Started conversation May 24, 2003
My job takes me to France quite frequently. I don't think I look French (no beret, no striped shirt, no gauloise 
), so why do drivers (of all nationalities) stop to ask me for directions so frequently ? And why do they get so annoyed when either I don't understand what they are asking or I don't know the way (unsurprisingly) ?
Asking the wrong person
Lukianos Posted May 26, 2003
Actually, in some cases it can be a good option to purposefully ask a foreigner or a tourist for directions. There are at least three reasons for that:
- Often they have a map at hand;
- In most cases they have paid particular attention to the places they've recently been to and how they've managed to get there;
- Their English is normally better than locals' (N.A. in UK)
Moreover, a foreigner can also give you an impartial opinion whether your destination is worth getting to at all.
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Asking the wrong person
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