Question about sense of direction...

[LaraDarling]

Not really AIBU but wasn't sure where to post this. Guess it's more of an 'am I unusual' type question.

I'm 27. I've been driving for a year. I've lived in loads of different cities (6 to be precise) due to uni/an inability to stay in one place for too long. I'm now settled in a small town and have been for 6 months. I regularly visited my boyfriend in the town across for a year or so previously but always got the train as I had a pass, and lived 20 miles away at this point so it was cheaper.

He knows his way around everywhere. Like the back of his hand!! I've only been driving in this area for 6 months and use my car once in a blue moon. I still don't know how to drive to the town across (again; I always get the train)

He's asked me to drive him there tonight and as he is super critical of my driving (he picks at me and tells me every ten seconds I'm doing something wrong) I'm worried he's going to take the piss out of me using a sat nav.

Is it normal to not remember routes? To have such a bad sense of direction? It's really worrying me having to drive him tonight...

If he is a pain to drive just tell him to get himself There.

My sense of direction is pretty poor, my partners is much better so if he knows the route he directs me happily if I am driving. If he complained he would be using his sense of direction to walk!

I'm the same! I spent over a year as a learner driving round the city where I took my test. Had no bloody clue where I was going even on my last lesson!!

A satnav was my best investment. A lot of the time I probably could get somewhere myself but the satnav is my comfort blanket and means I can concentrate on the road rather than worrying about getting lost.

Oh, and if your OH judges you for using your satnav, either tell him it's for traffic info or tell him to find an alternative means of transport if he doesn't like it!

@Sirzy last time I drove him I went the wrong way at a roundabout. He shouted at me and told him I don't listen (like I went the wrong way on purpose...). I pulled over and told him to drive!!

@CrispsForTea glad I'm not the only one!! At least I'm a safe driver - I can think of worse problems to have. If I was in my childhood home town that I spent the first 18 years of my life in I could get you anywhere!

Er the wrong way on a roundabout? That has nothing to do with a poor sense of direction....it is downright dangerous. No wonder he reacted.

buster I am thinking the OP didn't mean she went the wrong way around the roundabout, just just took the wrong turn off it.

I hope!

Driving the wrong way round a roundabout is not a safe driver.

I presume op meant the wrong exit.

I would get lost in a paper bag. I drive somewhere and then I'm unable to get back out again. I have been working in my area for 3 years and I can only get to a handful of places from memory. (Work in the community)

I went the wrong way, as in I took the wrong exit and was going the wrong way for the intended destination, not the wrong way around the actual roundabout! Blimey I would have taken the keys out of ignition and walked home if someone did that whilst I was in the car! Sorry for the confusion.

1. Does your boyfriend drive?

If yes, go to 2. If no, tell him to fuck off.

1. Is your boyfriend insured to drive your car?

If yes, go to 3. If no, tell him to fuck off.

1. Do you want to keep him as your boyfriend even though he's a jerk?

If yes, go to 4. If no, tell him to fuck off.

1. Get him to drive and you drive back in blissful silence. Well, with your satnav.

I have a fantastic sense of direction. I also however, have an abysmal memory for road names or places in general. Can’t be good at everything...

I'm the same and I've been driving for nearly 2 years. And I have lived in various areas of the same city for about 18 years
In my city there is is a dual carriageway ring road so it is pretty quick and easy to get from one place to another. The problem is that the buses don't use this ring road, they go everywhere through the city centre and I used to travel everywhere by bus. So I know my way to most places through the city centre (via bus routes) but it's the long way to get there iyswim. Thank God for sat nav!
My DH used to drive me mad as a passenger, he would get really stressed with me for making mistakes. But now that I'm more of a confident driver he is fine. He knows his way around the city so he helps me with directions and occasionally I am in a situation where I'm unsure of what to do so he helps me out with that as well. I think he just found it stressful when I didn't have much confidence because it made him worried about me.

Nope not unusual. I use the satnav to get everywhere. The only routes I know confidently off by heart are my work route and to my mum's. Why is your bf so critical? Tell him to make his own way there! Don't put up with that shit when you're doing him a favour! I am also rubbish with left and right - I know it exasperates DH sometimes but he never has a go at me over it.

I think most people learn a route with a bit of repetition, so the fact that you don't often drive these, is probably why you don't remember. I find some routes easy and others I never seem to fully commit to memory (ones where you change motorway several times at my nemesis - I think I remember by the look to junctions, and they all look similar if motorways!).
I had a friend who had lived near my house for years, and had no idea there was a second road between here and the nearest town, til she followed me home one day , so I think some people also learn one route, then stuck to it very rigidly.

If you're bothered enough, you could go exploring by car (without boyfriend), just to become more familiar with the roads - I like doing that, because I'm extremely nosey . But I don't think you're too odd, and you can always use a satnav.

I don't remember routes every time either and have a virtually non-existent sense of direction. Its a problem for me, so I don't drive and do work in one specific area. I have techniques to get round it.
I sort it out by drawing maps and really having to concentrate; I really think it is the way our brains are wired.
Maybe explain to the BF that we are all different!

I think people remember differently. I have an amazing sense of direction but a horrible memory for faces or names.

Thanks everyone! I have an amazing memory for things that have happened, for example if you said something trivial to me 7 years ago I will probably remember. I've also done 3 university degrees so my memory can't be too bad! Maybe I'm just not good at the practical stuff...

My mum is awful with directions. Before she gave up driving if she was driving if she had to drive somewhere new I'd have to go on about 10 practice runs with her before hand.
The worse time was when she went the wrong way did a u turn then came out and went the wrong way again because she'd forgot what direction she'd come from.
I'm really good at directions but not a confident driver. I find sat navs distracting and a bit scary. On balance I think I'd rather be a confident driver like you than be good at directions.

I have a terrible sense of direction, just cannot remember routes. I'm totally dependent on Sat nav for many occasions. I feel slightly embarrassed about it but mostly very fortunate that sat navs exist to make my life less stressful! I've been driving for 13 years and in this city for 9 years!

Oh I have an absolutely terrible sense of direction. No idea which way is north or south. Struggle to follow a map if it isn’t the right way up. Can’t remember where I came from. I still have sat nav on to get to work even though I’ve been there for a year. But it matters not one bit. I have a phone and I get where I am meant to go. It doesn’t reflect anything wider (although I’m also a bit rubbish at parking which I do suspect may be related). But honestly it doesn’t matter or mean anything. Follow the sat nav and if your boyfriend is mean (as opposed to gentle teasing) throw him out of the car!

I don’t drive specifically because I can’t direct myself. I get lost just walking. YANBU. He needs to practise some kindness and humility.

I never forget someones face or their name... I have zero sense of direction, we canny be good at everything. I get lost driving places i have been to loads and always rely on the satnav.

I’ve got some sort of anti-directional sense - I can be 100% relied upon to go the wrong way. Bloody love satnav, it’s changed my life. My partner has a brilliant sense of direction but doesn’t drive and is never anything other than helpful and good humoured in the passenger seat.

You don’t have a sense-of-direction problem, you have a boyfriend problem. He sounds unpleasant.

I am dyspraxic and have absolutely no sense of direction. How are you with graphs/DIY/Cycling? Are you clumsy?

My sat man is my bestie.
Tell your boyfriend to keep his nose out of your business. If my bf takes it into his head to give me unsolicited advice I quote Malcolm Tucker at him “ remember if i need your advice I’ll use that special signal we agreed, which is ME BEING SECTIONED UNDER THE FUCKING MENTAL HEALTH ACT”