h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Driving Directions - A921052
Author: Tango - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! - U32077

This is from the Flea Market, didn't take much editing, so i hope its ok now.

Tango

I think you need an apostrophe in "average persons lack of map-reading ability."

I also have a pet dislike of "s/he" as a neuter pronoun. I can't pronounce the word and so I stumble over it when I'm reading.

I will add the ', thanks for pointing it out. I also dislike s/he but i cant think of another one, can you?

Tango

You could alternate. Or use the one which applies to you (I generally use 'she' because I am one).

A770960 suggests "sie" (which strangely enough is german for she...) so that's what i'll use. Anyone got anything to say about the content itself?

Tango

We don't use genderfree pronouns in the Edited Guide. They were used in Lucinda's entry because that's what the entry was about.

Re content - very good, I like it.

On oral directions, you could mention that directions from locals will usually involve landmarks that either have been removed about 5 years ago, or that you could not possibly identify - pubs and shops with no visible name are a classic for this...

If you are in a car beware of asking directions from people who don't look like they ever drive. Where I live there are lots of one way streets which as a cyclist and pedestrian I can legally ignore. When I'm asked for directions I can send you in the right general direction, but you might have to go down some of the streets backwards

A particularly fascinating set of directions that are now possible thanks to mobile phones are where you get hopelessly lost, phone the person you are trying to find and have to get directions from an unknown starting point. This generally involve - drive around until you see a big red warehouse...

Also, if by chance you do have good directions, you will when you come across an obligatory deviation for roadworks, taking you way off your route, the signs for which will peter out in the middle of an industrial estate...

Sprout

Mina - then what do we use? Should be consistency in the EG really.

sprout - Thanks, I will include you suggestions in the next edit.

Tango

Er, have a look at some other Edited entries, otherwise I'll ask Jimster when I'm back in the office tomorrow.

I've updated the entry, what do you think?

Tango

The method I use is to consult the map before driving and then write the directions down in large black letters using a felt tip pen on a piece of paper (usually A4), which I put with the map. This means that when i am driving alone or with the child in the back, I can see where I am going and check progress against the map. OK it sometimes involves pulling over to the side of the road to check that I'm right, but most often, I am!

I can see the thrust of this entry is 'Asking for driving directions', however as the current title is 'Driving Directions' perhaps it should include something like this.

Yeah, the entry is more about directions from other people, rather than from yourself. Maybe the title could be changed, what do other people think?

Tango

I'm going to break some peer review rules and say that I think the entry is too confusing, doesn't contain enough actual information and, most importantly, that the blob makes me nauseous.

Complain to the artist about the blob, not me. I must admit, i haven't heard of that PR rule, although i would be grateful if you would elaborate, what specifically is confusing?

Tango

I meant the one that goes: "Simply posting 'I hated this, it's rubbish', doesn't give the author much of a clue what they may be doing wrong. If you don't like it, try to make your criticism specific."

"Driving Directions are sets of instructions given to drivers in order for them to reach their desired destination." Change drivers to 'someone'. (The someone could be the driver, or the drivers wife or worse.)

"they are in widely used" right under the animated blob which shouldn't be moving.

"they usually leave out entire roads." could with pleasant results be expanded to "entire roads, which is a bad thing if the navigator depends on counting exits and hence takes the wrong turn, or, in the case where road names are available, decides that since the road isn't on the map they are already lost and must turn back." Hardly less confusing I admit.

The bit about scales is slightly funny but completely useless. Driving directions may cover looong trips (both in time and distance) or they may be just how to get from the hotel to the town museum in a one street town. No, I don't like those scale thingies. Or the German hand signals.

"Once you have found the warehouse, however, this can be a sucessful method of getting somewhere, because you can point out to the person on the phone, for example, that there are no left turns of this road, because you are driving along the coast, something you cannot do before the journey starts, or while stopped at the side of the road."

Why can't you point this out while stopped at the side of the road? Seems I didn't read the entry properly the first time since this is the only bit that confuses me this time.

I could potentially have more comments, but not right now, am getting .

Let's take that bit by bit:

>I meant the one that goes: "Simply posting 'I hated this, it's rubbish', doesn't give the author much of a clue what they may be doing wrong. If you don't like it, try to make your criticism specific."

OK, well, i forgive you.

>"Driving Directions are sets of instructions given to drivers in order for them to reach their desired destination." Change drivers to 'someone'. (The someone could be the driver, or the drivers wife or worse.)

If the instruction are not given to the driver then they are not much help, they may go via someone else, but that is beside the point. I think i will leave this as it is.

>"they are in widely used" right under the animated blob which shouldn't be moving.

Thanks, i will fix the typo, and remove the blob because to be honest i don't like it much either, i just feel uncomfortable making major changes that aren't 100% needed to flea market entries.

>"they usually leave out entire roads." could with pleasant results be expanded to "entire roads, which is a bad thing if the navigator depends on counting exits and hence takes the wrong turn, or, in the case where road names are available, decides that since the road isn't on the map they are already lost and must turn back." Hardly less confusing I admit.

For now, I think i will leave it alone, i don't want it to get *too* confusing, and i don't think that really adds much. If general opinion is in favour of the change, i will make it.

>The bit about scales is slightly funny but completely useless. Driving directions may cover looong trips (both in time and distance) or they may be just how to get from the hotel to the town museum in a one street town. No, I don't like those scale thingies. Or the German hand signals.

You have to remember this is a FM entry, as i have said i'm not sure how much i can change. The hand gestures was put in by the original author from a WW thread. Can I get some more opinions before changing it please?

>"Once you have found the warehouse, however, this can be a sucessful method of getting somewhere, because you can point out to the person on the phone, for example, that there are no left turns of this road, because you are driving along the coast, something you cannot do before the journey starts, or while stopped at the side of the road."

>Why can't you point this out while stopped at the side of the road? Seems I didn't read the entry properly the first time since this is the only bit that confuses me this time.

You can't ask at the side of the road, because you can not read the future and know before you get there that that will be the case. I don't think this is that confusing, to be honest, so i will leave it.

Thanks for you helpful comments.

Tango

A nice save from the FM!

I'd like to mention that in the states we often refer to distances by the amount to *time* it will take to drive it. Eg: 'It's about 10 minutes down the road once you leave the highway.'

And another point - asking directions from older folks is fraught with difficulty since they often mention landmarks which no longer exist. Eg: Drive down Route 39 until you reach the road where the old red barn used to be (I think it was the McClendon farm) and turn right there and then drive past were that big oak tree used to be before it got hit by lightning back in '65 and turn left.

Also, I've found that women tend to navigate more by landmarks (turn at the red house) and men tend to navigate more by distances (turn after 3 miles). But as with all generalizations, there's bound to be exceptions...



- Jimi X

>A nice save from the FM!



>I'd like to mention that in the states we often refer to distances by the amount to *time* it will take to drive it. Eg: 'It's about 10 minutes down the road once you leave the highway.'

Good point, i'll add that. Thanks!

>And another point - asking directions from older folks is fraught with difficulty since they often mention landmarks which no longer exist. Eg: Drive down Route 39 until you reach the road where the old red barn used to be (I think it was the McClendon farm) and turn right there and then drive past were that big oak tree used to be before it got hit by lightning back in '65 and turn left.

I think this is mentioned. Although it does imply that they don't *know* it's not their, whereas in your example they clearly know. I don't think it really needs changing.

>Also, I've found that women tend to navigate more by landmarks (turn at the red house) and men tend to navigate more by distances (turn after 3 miles). But as with all generalizations, there's bound to be exceptions...

Interesting observation, but i'm inclined to ignore it unless someone else has also noticed this. I can't say i have, although i wouldn't be suprised.

Thanks for you help.

Tango

There is another great bit of directing that has not yet been been mentioned:

"If you reach the fork in the road (or other notable landmark) then you've gone too far!" But the directer (director?) gives no return directions from this undesireable position. Meaning that when you do get there you'll either have to work it out for youself, or find someone else to pester.

And, of course, there is the much noted fact that only the first few oral directions will stick in your head, meaning that in five minutes you'll be lost again.


Geggs

Thanks for that. I'll do the next edit 2moro.

Tango