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BartletForPrez t1_j9174gl wrote

Reply to comment by AmazinTim in I just wanted to ask a girl for directions on the subway, and she absolutely made my day by skyeyemx

Real New Yorkers all have this superpower of knowing exactly which direction they're going when the exit the subway. Doesn't matter which station. Doesn't matter whether they've ever been on that block or to that station. They just walk out of the station and are like "It's this way." "How the heck do you know, is that North? Where's the sun?" "It's this way." As a former suburban kid I will never not be amazed at how they do it!

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3DPrintedCloneOfMyse t1_j919fk0 wrote

The trick is to orient yourself to the subway you just got off of. Were you on a northbound train? Great, the direction the train left in is north.

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Darrackodrama t1_j91dtl3 wrote

Sometimes when you are in a new station and you talk 3 turns and a stairwell to get to street level you forget which way the train was running.

It helps to know if you are standing near an avenue and if there is a subway grate below. That is giveaway for me of north south vs East west and the rest is context

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snazztasticmatt t1_j91gfq9 wrote

I've said for years that I'm going to print out a bunch of cardinal direction stickers and throw them up on the stairs out of subway stations. Even when I orrient myself against the departing train, it would be so much easier to know that the staircase leads east or west or whatever

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57dimensions t1_j92a9c2 wrote

Yeah transferring between the L and the F at 14th st always throws me off because of the stair turns, I'm not sure why that station in particular gets me because there aren't even that many staircases, but I always have to triple check I'm getting on the right L train.

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photo-smart t1_j92npiv wrote

> It helps to know if you are standing near an avenue and if there is a subway grate below. That is giveaway for me of north south vs East west and the rest is context

I feel silly for asking, but how exactly are you orienting yourself based on the avenue and subway grates?

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Darrackodrama t1_j93niow wrote

For example if there is a subway grate below you and you’re on an avenue you know that train (usually the one you just got off of is running below you depends on the station though)

Then you can look down the block and see if the street number decreases or increases and get a sense of north south if you’re on an avenue !

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eekamuse t1_j91ljtv wrote

Yeah but try to remember then as you go up the stairs. "North north north, turning east now south south south, west, back to north. Walking,walking more stairs now we we're heading north again, wait,did I make a turn while I was walking? Fuuuck"

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whatshamilton t1_j91zkfo wrote

I orient myself to the road traffic. Even streets go east. Wanna go west on 22nd? Walk against traffic.

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ahkian t1_j91ydpg wrote

Also most subway exits tell you which direction you’re exiting in

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whatshamilton t1_j91zg0w wrote

They tell you which side of the street the exit is on. Not which direction you’ll be facing. You can come up the N exit but be facing S if the stairs are aimed in that direction. You need to know I’m the N exit, that’s the S exit across the street, so if I want to go East I need to turn left.

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Omphalos- t1_j917trw wrote

The subway exits have cardinal directions on the signs above, for example NE and SE exits at 42nd st.

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leg_day t1_j91ckdj wrote

> "It's this way."

And when you get it wrong, no, you meant to take the southeast corner stairs despite having to now cross two very busy stoplights because uhhhh shut up and cross!

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