Terrible at reading maps, but good sense of direction

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I barely ever get lost when I've actually been somewhere. When I have to read maps I almost always get lost. Is anyone else like this?

I am the exact opposite.

I'm not very good at either.

I would do better with roadmaps if they were clearly marked with North, South, East and West. When I look at maps that don't, I can't tell in which direction the roads lead (as I noticed recently when I got lost in an unfamiliar area at night). The street signs here don't indicate that information either, so even people with good directional ability get lost sometimes.

After my experience, I discovered an article and comments about "directional dyslexia" in The Guardian which astonished me - so many people described difficulties that they have struggled with for years when driving.

I really envy you! I guess any ability is relative, eg I find driving easy, many don't unfortunately.

Here's part of the Guardian link where people who have directional challenges describe them, it was an eye opener for me:

http://www.theguardian.com/notesandquer ... 70,00.html

I do seem to have some navigational instincts that other folks dont have. Like I will realize that if its after noon and if the sun is in my face that I must driving west (many folks dont make that connection).

But having one of those cheap little plastic compasses mounted on your dashboard DOES help a LOT (if you cant afford to buy a GPS just pay a few pennies for a stick on compass for your dashboard and you get ninety percent of what you get from a GPS).

Once I was riding in the country with a friend who was driving who got lost. I pointed out that "that big airliner in the sky in front of us is moving downwards towards our left so that means Dulles Airport is to our left. And the sun is in front of us. So we must be going west, and we must be north of Dulles. So the way home must be THAT way, over our shoulders the opposite way that we are going". And I turned out to be right.

But some folks, including some high functioning folks, just cant read maps. A lady scientist friend of my mom could not handle driving directions, nor could read road maps. Very successful person, but had apraxia, and couldnt tell left from right.

I'm terrible at both, if I don't have a sat nav I'm f*cked.

I'm good with maps. My family depends on me most of the time when it comes in finding out where we are. But because of my brother having GPS now in his cellphone, I outlived my usefulness.

I feel like I have a bad sense of direction but good at reading maps. I rather read a map than have someone direct me to "go North" or something like that.

I'm good at reading maps, but without a map or a GPS I don't have a good sense of direction. I need a map - and to take it slowly - when going somewhere new. When I'm travelling on my own satnav is a wonder!

I'm fine with both. Even with few specific hints, I could end up tracking someone without asking directions.
Although I'll likely remember directions with certain places to remember on what the actual place looked like, than counting how many blocks and buildings I had passed through, and even less likely with it's names.
Now that I think about it, I barely bother with any names at all, despite passing it through on daily basis.

My sense of direction is usually dependent on the 'faux North' which is usually my house, the entrances/exits, or wherever I'm supposed to return afterwards.
I could use the Sun and the time on outdoors, too, but not as often.

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I'm great at reading maps. But my sense of direction is iffy, and I don't do well with verbal directions either.

I suck at giving out directions and I suck at remembering directions but if they show it on the map or write down how to get there, I am okay.