To think that most people on a plane don't know where they are going?

[sallysummer]

When I talk to people they often have an appalling knowledge of geography - not knowing where Poland is, confusion which ocean is which etc; geography is my area of employment.

I think I could get on a plane and ask people to show me where they are going on a map and they couldn't - why do people not know where places are?

My aunt was going to Malaysia with a friend who'd booked the holiday. She told us in all seriousness that she was looking forward to her Caribbean holiday...

That's not a one off either!

geography is my area of employment

Where do you get paid to use geography? [interested]

Sort of related but it drives me MENTAL when some asks if a country is in a time zone ahead or behind us, why does someone need to pause to think about it, like seriously it really isn't that hard, you just need to know if it's to the right or left of us on a map, how do they not understand the concept of time zones and direction of travel?!

Geography doesn't get you general knowledge of places these days. I've got an a level at A grade (before this A* malarkey) and an A at GCSE. Not once did they ask us actual place/map related questions.. It was all gentrification and cliff erosion. Tbh unless you make it your business to find out about places, it is perfectly possible to reach adulthood without a clue. I imagine a lot of people don't have the time or inclination.

When I did geography at school we weren't taught about countries/cultures/where everything is on the globe. We were taught about sustainability, long-shore drift, tectonic plates and agriculture. I've educated myself a bit since school through documentaries and online games mostly.

Anyone fancy a challenge? I got 103/197. It's been a couple of years since I've revised them!

www.sporcle.com/games/g/world

Of course it's just listing the names so it's not like having knowledge of the countries, but you can't care about a place you never heard of so it's a start!

Sorry op, but I know exactly where I'm going when I'm on a plane. Never in my life met anyone who would come up with any of the gems detailed above. I think they're the unusual ones, and not the norm.

You're better than most people. Well done.

And for the record, I am absolutely rubbish at geographical general knowledge. Just doesn't stick for some reason. I can name and locate (roughly) all the countries of Africa thanks to a sporcle quiz and that's about it.

I never did geography at school. It was a revelation when I found out France is below the Uk & not alongside

If I was to fly say from Heathrow to South Africa, then no I wouldn't be able to name each country we are flying over. If you ask me to place Usbekistan on a map I will struggle. Is it that hard to understand that not everyone knows each country, river, mountain range? and you know what, that's fine...

LittleMissComper I did that quiz twice, a year apart and scored the same both times! I can’t get more than 164, it’s infuriating!

I was talking to a 37 year old last week who's booked a wedding "in the Caribbean". The place they've actually reserved is in the Seychelles

Speaking with her 40 year old brother about a recent holiday to Florida, he replied "that's on the US west coast isn't it?" ... and he's actually been to Florida twice

You really could weep sometimes

user09239423

Have you never watched a weather report 😂

I was told that I couldn’t possibly be from Africa as I wasn’t black and questioning why I was talking about packing something warm when I went back for a break ..

A general knowledge is never a bad thing ...

When I went to Poland I almost passed out with the heat. Why wouldn’t people think it’s hot? It’s boiling

littlemiss that doesn't have Scotland or England listed as countries! Just the UK.

Why do I need to locate my holiday on a map? I care more about the weather and culture and food; that, I would look into it. Which seas surround it and which continent the country are in are irrelevant to me. My geography is ok but if I didn’t already know I don’t think I’d care to find out.

YANBU- I can definitely see where you are coming from OP!

If I'm travelling somewhere, I always look it up on google maps, check the weather etc...I just like knowing these kinds of things!

I would not be surprised if there are people who cannot point out on a map where they are travelling to...it would make me judge them for sure, just shows a general lack of awareness/interest in the world around them.

But that's just me

My OH seems to think that Malaga airport is the only one in Spain..

I'm rubbish at knowing where things are. I have really crap spatial awareness too so that doesn't help. DH is forever amazed because we'll be in town and I'll say oh, we're near such and such, and we'll be in a totally different compass direction, or so on.

I don't find it especially useful to know and it doesn't interest me. If I need to know I'll look it up. Not everyone as to know everything. I probably know more than the average person on some other topics.

I can't read a map to save my life. I'm dyslexic, and to me it's squiggles. Until fairly recently, I could tell you all about the political, social, and economic histories of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in boring detail ... but I didn't know which side of England Ireland was on.

I think it's good to know where you're going on holiday, but naive to assume that means you can read a map.

to be fair, its 50/50 as to whether I could show you where a bus was travelling on a map, there's a chance I couldn't even show you where I was walking to. Some people just really suck at using maps.

If none of your friends know where Poland is, I suggest you stop hanging out with morons.

(On the other hand, for many years I thought Billericay was in Ireland )

To answer an earlier comment from Mel.... , A very well known politician has a degree in Geography. Hopefully when on a plane she knows where she is going ? Or maybe that's the problem