Until it finally fell apart I used to have my dad’s old Headlight road map from the fifties on my bookshelf, the only blue lines on it were river’s! Going back to the title of this thread it is amazing that most contestants on tv quiz shows have no idea of British geography, one lass a few weeks ago even thought that Germany was a county in England for goodness sake, and I suppose it is only because we have been used to finding our own routes around the country that we as drivers know where most places are?
As I have said before we have deliveries at home from parcel firms and I sometimes ask them which way they came, not many actually know and I suppose while ‘Vera’ or whoever keeps talking to them they have no need to know. Very sad I think but then I’m a dinosaur!
When asked questions, they are usually in terms of “what motorways and trunk roads do you need to get to xxxx town at the other end of the country”…?
A town you’ve likely never been to will be asked, but it will always be one fairly close to the main trunk routes. I’ve been asked how to get to places in greater manchester rather than out-in-the-sticks Yorkshire for example. I’m not very familiar with both areas, being from south of Watford gap and all that. I’m familiar enough to pass the test though.
"How would you get to Deeside"? was the question the most people got wrong I believe. I’ve never been there myself, but at least I knew it ain’t in bloody Scotland!
think it shows a certain level of professionalism if you can point out Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and London on a map and trust me the amount that are unable to is frightening.
Guessing that they want you to at least know where place X is relative to where you are. For instance, oh I know that’s just above Mansfield on the map, so I’ll aim for Mansfield and look for signs.
Starting to grasp a fairly good geographical map in my head. There’s only so many theatres/venues in this country so its get to a point where you know you’ve been there before but can’t remember it at all until you pull round the corner, see it, and go OH BLOODY HELL NOT THIS PLACE
trevHCS:
Suspect it’s a politically correct way to say - we’ll only employ people over 30 and who were born in the UK…although the over 30 bit is probably much more important going by what I’ve seen!
Questions at the interview should include:
Is ■■■■■■■ in England, Scotland or Wales? (50% of those I’ve surveyed seem to think it’s in Wales)
Is there anything other than wilderness above the Watford Gap services?
Can you point me to a decent motorway services sandwich (obviously a trick question as non exists).
If they can pass those questions then they’ve at least done some travelling and thus have some chance of ending up in the right part of the country with the load.
Some accents can make ■■■■■■■ sound like Cambria and Cambria is a reference to■■? Wales.
The only thing “above” Watford Gap services is sky so maybe the question was badly phrased.
I have taken many a fine sandwich from my lunchbox while on a service area. stretching the point I agree but hey ho.
Real test would be asking for clarification for example I know of a senior driver who was given verbal instructions to divert into a store in Shirley. He was in Worcester and went to Shirley , Birmingham. The clerk giving the instruction actually wanted him to go to Shirley, Southampton.
turned up at work one saturday morning, the M25 had been shut all night between leatherhead and m23 and was still closed and was asked can u get to gatwick without using the 25, course I can why ? none of our night drivers can get there. when I got back was asked how i’d done it. was only from heathrow, so not too hard.
malcob:
turned up at work one saturday morning, the M25 had been shut all night between leatherhead and m23 and was still closed and was asked can u get to gatwick without using the 25, course I can why ? none of our night drivers can get there. when I got back was asked how i’d done it. was only from heathrow, so not too hard.
Sounds like M25- A3 Guildford, A25 route towards Dorking and Reigate …then knock down the either A217 or A23… Gatwick…
Winseer: "How would you get to Deeside"? was the question the most people got wrong I believe. I’ve never been there myself, but at least I knew it ain’t in bloody Scotland!
The correct response would be “Flintshire or Aberdeenshire?”
Winseer: "How would you get to Deeside"? was the question the most people got wrong I believe. I’ve never been there myself, but at least I knew it ain’t in bloody Scotland!
The correct response would be “Flintshire or Aberdeenshire?”
Going back to the title of this thread it is amazing that most contestants on tv quiz shows have no idea of British geography, one lass a few weeks ago even thought that Germany was a county in England for goodness sake, and I suppose it is only because we have been used to finding our own routes around the country that we as drivers know where most places are?
