This submission is made as an addendum to the book Community Mapping, with the permission of its author Milo van der Linden who came to Jamaica from the Netherlands and trained the August Town mappers. It also seeks to assist trainees to create a better understanding the dialog of mapping and to assist them, as Community Mappers, to give clearer directions as they provide data for open use and economic gain.

George Scott | [email protected]

Giving directions

There are two basic ways to give directions, the "route perspective" characterized by landmarks, and the "survey perspective" characterized by references to cardinal directions (north, south, west and east). The system you use depends on where you are and who you're giving directions to. It's usually best to use a combination of both ways.The most important thing is to be brief and clear!

Let’s examine 8 steps that will help to make it easier to give directions.

1. Think of the simplest route. Shortcuts may be faster, but they can also be more complicated! If the person is lost or has poor navigation skills to begin with, give them directions with minimal turns. For example: Make a left on Baker street, then a right at the light, and go straight all the way down that road until you get to the highway.

2. Specify distance. How far along a particular road does the person need to go? There are several different ways to tell them.

   • How many blocks or streets they'll pass. This works better in a city than in the country, because in the city there are more cross-streets to count, whereas in the country the space between them makes it easier to lose count, and some driveways look like roads of their own. For example: "Continue down that street, passing 4 side roads along the way."
   • How many traffic lights will they pass? This is good, but you must be right about the number! For example: "You are going to pass three traffic lights before the turn."
   • Distance in miles or kilometers. For example: "Go 3 miles (5 kilometers) on Holypoke Road"
   • How much time will it take? This is better for when they'll be spending a short time on that path; any longer than that, and your directions will become inaccurate depending on how fast the person drives. For example: "It should be about five minutes on the highway."
   • Give them a drop dead point. A drop dead point is a landmark that tells them that they've gone too far and have missed their turn. For example: "If you see the library, you have gone too far."

3. Indicate turns. If it's not a simple, four-way intersection, give a few extra details. Otherwise, tell them to make a left or right. Give them a street name and one landmark (a traffic light, a particular store). If the person you're giving directions to is good with cardinal directions (north, south, west, east) and/or the city you're in is laid out like a grid (with all the streets perpendicular, running east-west or north-south) indicate the direction, too. For example: "Turn a left at the traffic light onto Foster, heading east."

4. Simplify the directions. For example: "Turn left onto Baker Street" instead of "At Baker Street, turn left."

5. Say which side of the street their destination is on. For example: "My house is on the left."

6. Warn them about any confusing parts of the route. For instance, if a lane ends or is right turn only, or a road they need to turn onto is small or hidden, you might want to mention that. If there's a turn that you know people tend to miss, tell them how they'll know they've gone too far. For example: "The lane is going to merge before the turn, and Baker street will become Forest Street. But you will want to keep traveling down it once it becomes Forest Street."

7. Outline the entire route. Remember to be concise. Detailed directions are useless if you give so many details that the person driving gets confused. For example: "Make a left on Baker street, then a right at the second light, and go straight all the way down that road until you get to the highway, it should be about three miles (5 kilometers). Stay on the highway for three minutes and then get off on exit 7. We are the third house on the left. If you see the library, you have gone too far."

8. Have them repeat the directions to you. Whether or not they've written them down, make sure they heard you correctly and understand the route you laid out for them. For example: "Did you said left on Baker street, then a right at the second light, and go straight all the way down that road until you get to the highway? Get off on exit 7. And it's the third house on the left. But if I pass the library, I went too far." do not shout at them if they are confused.

When giving directions to multiple points, how do I determine what I should use as the original reference point?

Usually you would use the location where you are, or where they are starting out from as the original reference point. Then use Landmark (see section on landmarks below), Direction (using words like east, west, north, south, left and right), Distance (in familiar measurement units such as kilometres, miles, metres etc.). Point to or describe the direction, tell them how far, then describe a landmark (way point) to reinforce that they are on the correct path. Then repeat for the next leg and so forth until the destination is reached.

Tips in giving directions

Do not shout! Give directions in a clear, calm voice, early enough to give the driver plenty of time to understand, plan, and safely execute his or her next move. Shouting directions may cause the driver to react quickly, without taking time to do so safely.

Using buildings or store names as a reference is not always a good idea, since the store could close or buildings torn down.

If you are guiding someone while they drive, do not point and say things like, "there it is" or "go that way." They cannot pay attention to their driving and look at which way you are pointing at the same time. Instead, say things like, "it is on the left, about half a block further," or "turn left at the next corner."

Start by giving the destination address and make sure they record that first. A mailing address is a more universally recognizable standard for location, and should the person get lost en route, they could use other resources to find their way.

Use the word right only in reference to the turning direction, not a distance indicator -- Try to give directions such as "Turn left immediately after the light", not "Turn left right after the light." This language can be confusing to a person who is trying to remember which direction to turn.

If you are guiding someone while they drive, pay attention to which lane they are in. If the next move they need to make is a right turn, and they are driving in the left lane, suggest changing into the right lane well before the turn, so they can make that turn safely when they get to it.

Draw a simplified map if paper and pencil are available.

If the person is present with you, have him or her turn in the direction s/he is headed, and use hand signals to reinforce the directions. The more senses you use, the more likely the person is to remember.

Don't give too much information. It only creates confusion. Just focus on what is essential.

Women tend to use landmarks; men tend to use direction and distance.

Warning!

Don't give directions if you are unsure. You can get someone even more lost!

Landmarks

A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.

In old English the word landmearc (from land + mearc (mark)) was used to describe an "object set up to mark the boundaries of a kingdom, estate, etc."  Starting from approx. 1560, this understanding of landmark was replaced by a more general one. A landmark became a "conspicuous object in a landscape".A landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by explorers and others to find their way back or through an area.  For example, the Table Mountain near Cape Town, South Africa is used as the landmark to help sailors to navigate around southern tip of Africa during the Age of Exploration. Artificial structures are also sometimes built to assist sailors in naval navigation. The Lighthouse of Alexandria and Colossus of Rhodes are ancient structures built to lead ships to the port.

In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure. In American English it is the main term used to designate places that might be of interest to tourists due to notable physical features or historical significance. Landmarks in the British English sense are often used for casual navigation, such as giving directions. This is done in American English as well

How to Read a Map

Three Parts:1. Choosing the Right Map; 2. Understanding the Map; 3. Using the Map to Get You from A to B

If you want to know how to get from point A to point B without getting lost (and your GPS is on the fritz), no need to ask for directions: just pull out your trusty (and probably dusty) map! Knowing how to read a map isn't difficult. The symbols, topography lines and direction helpers all might require a little understanding, but the answers are all right there! We'll show you how to find the key to finding your way!

Part 1 - Choosing the Right Map

1. Choose the right map. A wide variety of maps are available for a wide variety of uses. For example, there areroad mapsfor drivers with highways and byways.Tourist mapsfor sightseeing, with famous landmarks or conspicuous celebrities.Topographic mapsfor hikers or back country, featuring paths and campgrounds.Sectionals, or maps for pilots that feature air routes, terminal areas, plus landmarks and tall things which airplanes would be wise to avoid. A good generalfree online mapfor certain parts of the world is Google Maps. However, this may not be available to you when needed, so it's important to learn how to read printed maps too.

Part 2 - Understanding the Map

1. Check the map's orientation. Most maps are drawn with north located at the top. Sometimes this may be depicted using a compass rose (An example is shown to the right here.). Or, it might simply be stated to be the assumption of the map. If there is no indication to the contrary, presume it is north at the top.

2. Understand the scale of the map. The map scale shows you a ratio of map distance to real distance. These differ in size from map to map. Look for the scale, generally located on the side or bottom of the map. It will look something like 1:100,000, which denotes that 1 unit on the map is the equivalent of 100,000 units in real life.

In general, the following scales work best as stated: Get a 1:25,000 map for walking; Get a 1:190,000 map for driving; Get a 1:24,000,000 map for seeing the whole world. To determine how far your destination is, use a ruler and the scale to measure how many miles it is from point A to B.

For example, if your map's scale is 1:250,000, and the distance from point A to point B is 6 inches (15.2 cm), the total distance is 6 * 250,000 = 1,500,000 inches (3,810,000 cm). One mile is 63,360 inches, so the distance from point A to point B is 1,500,000 ÷ 63,360 = 23.7 miles (1 kilometer is 100,000 cm, so the distance from point A to point B is 3,810,000 ÷ 100,000, or 38.1 km).

3. Note the latitude and longitude. If you're traveling to the next town, this isn't so important. But if you are sailing, flying, or touring long distances, this might be useful.The latitude refers to the distance in degrees north or south of the equator.The longitude refers to the distance in degrees east or west of the Greenwich Meridian Line.

Each degree is divided into 60 minutes, with each minute representing a nautical mile (or 1.15 land miles/1.85km). This means that one degree is the equivalent of 60 nautical miles or 69 land miles/111km.

The latitude is represented by the numbers on the side of the map.

The longitude is represented by the numbers at the top and bottom of the map.

Where the latitude and longitude cross at your location is your point of reference?

Latitude and longitude points are often used when there are no landmarks or roads to help determine a location.

Tip: If you have trouble remembering which is which, the longitude lines are "long." The diameter of the longitudinal lines is roughly constant, whereas the latitude lines get progressively smaller, the further they are from the equator.

4. Learn to read contour lines. How high or flat the land is is represented on the map with contour lines. Each line represents a standard height above sea level.

When contour lines are close together, this means that the gradient is steep (the closer together, the steeper the gradient becomes). When the contour lines are further apart, the gradient is flatter, so the further apart they are located, the flatter the ground on the map.

5. Examine the legend. Most maps have a legend or key of symbols on the map itself. Get familiar with how your map represents data—that is key to understanding the rest of the map. In general, maps do the following:

   • Lines in varying sizes, colors, and unbroken or broken lines depict roads, from lanes to freeways and all in between.

   • Mountains tend to be shown as brown or green, and are height-dependent: darker at the bottom, lighter or white at the top.

   • Rivers, lakes, the ocean and other water bodies are generally shown in blue.

   • Forests, woods, parks, golf courses, or other large bodies of trees or green space are usually depicted in green.

   • Towns and city limits are often shown in a pastel pink or yellow, and the size and boldness of their names indicate relative population size or importance.

   • Buildings tend to be shown in gray or black colors.

Part 3 - Using the Map to Get You from A to B

1. Figure out where you are. You have your map and you're ready to use it. Now you need to figure out where you are before you can plot where you're going.

You can do so by matching what you can see in real life with what is on the map. Common features that help identify your location on a map includes road names, landmarks and prominent natural features, like rivers.

If you have a compass, align the map with the direction shown on the compass. Or, use the sun or markers to help you do this.

A good way to find your location if you are unsure is to find two landmarks. For example, if you can see a prominent tower in front of you, and a city at 45 degrees to your left. Find those two landmarks on the map. Align the map so that the point in front of you is at the top of your map, and draw a straight line from that point down. Then draw a line from the diagonal landmark, till it intersects the first landmark. The point that they intersect is roughly your location. Look for closer landmarks to zero in on your position.

2. Find your destination. Now it's time to figure out where you want to go.

If you just want to go from one place to another, all you need to do is to plot that single route out.

If there are several places you intend to go to, you may want to plan your route in such a way that you visit all the places in the shortest possible manner. You can do so by going to the nearest places first after which you will go to the further places.

3. Use the map's index. Some maps, such as a Thomas Guide, have indexes stating the location of certain places on a map. This location could be grid numbers or pages.

Take note of a map's scale so that you can estimate your travel time, and if you are taking longer than you expected, you can stop to recheck your map. Don't forget to check the map's legend so will know what you are looking at.

4. Plot the route out. Now that you have figured out where you want to go, plot the route for your first leg of your journey.

You can also use a pencil, if you don't want to permanently mark up your map.

Travel to the desired spot with the map. Keep tabs of checkpoints along the way—if you miss a turn, you could be seriously off course before you realize it.

Tips

A series of similar features makes navigation difficult. For example, it would be difficult navigating around New York City based on building names or in a marshland by water bodies. Try to make mental notes of what is not that common in the area to help guide you along your route.

Try to stay on marked roads or trails. While cutting across apparent green spaces may be the shortest route possible, they may be filled with obstacles ranging from fencing and walls to soggy ground or dense vegetation.