9 replies to this topic

[farh1n]

What would you do if you got lost in an unfamiliar city?
As for as my self i will find police station and report them, that i have lost and want to go that place, if there is no sign of police station then i will ask any person, if even he don't know then i will start cry.
Because nothing left behind to ask, what will you do in that kind of situation? Cry? or ?

[Tetraca]

I'd go to a local shop and purchase a map. Then I could navigate myself to somewhere where I would know where I am. Even easier is if I had a GPS system with me already, or if it's readily purchasable buy it.

[9block]

Lol. I would find a bar or pub, have some drinks/food and relax. Enjoy it as it would be a story for another day. Hopefully meet some english speaking friends and party all night.

I think this topic would be more interesting if the question was...

"What would you do if you were lost in a non-english speaking country, in a city of which name you couldn't pronounce, and you only had roughly twenty dollars."

Answer: Hope for the best.

[TikiPrincess]

As one of those obnoxious American tourists who can't be bothered to learn to speak a foreign language and expect everyone else to learn to speak some proper English, I've gotten into situations where I get lost while traveling. It was even worse when I was in Europe and spending one or two nights in a country, and then going to another hotel in another country that spoke another language. I couldn't get by on my mediocre Spanish when I was in France or Germany or Italy. So I would always grab a matchbook or stationary from the hotel I was staying and then run to the giftshop and purchase postcards of the places I wanted to see and a map. This way I don't even have to talk, I just show them a picture and they can point it out on a map. If I get horribly lost, I hail a cab and show them the hotel name and address posted on the matchbook or stationary.

Almost every hotel has an employee who speaks some English, if not fluently, so rather than bother the police, I would try a hotel first. They deal with travellers all the time and usually know their way around the city. The concierge is your best source of information, so try him or her if that person isn't occupied.

[hateheals]

get drunk and then wait to be taken into police custordy where they can deport me back to where i am from......

[t3jem]

well, since I have a gps hiding in my back seat, if i got lost i'd just whip it out and tell it where to take me; however, I hardly ever get lost, just.. sidetracked . If I didn't have a GPS though and I was in a different country, i think i'd probably go to the nearest hotel and ask them, but if I went traveling I'd have some way to communicate with everyone.

[9block]

hateheals, on Jul 23 2007, 11:22 AM, said:

get drunk and then wait to be taken into police custordy where they can deport me back to where i am from......

lol I definately agree with you there. That sounds like the best idea... hopefully ya dont pick up any charges though.

[salamangkero]

Wow, everyone's got nice points on the topic. Allow me, however, to play the Devil's advocate.

1. Buy a map at a local store - that is, of course, assuming all the cities in the world have convenience stores that actually sell maps. I could only wonder if someone gets lost in a "non-mainstream tourist spot"
2. GPS - can't think of anything
3. Get drunk, wait for the police - In some places, drunk people tend to be robbed first before the police gets to them, that is IF the police gets to them. Over here, for example, a peerless intoxicated person could very well wake up the next day in an alley, in the same chair he/she sat on or, worse, in a motel with... *shudder, shudder*
4. Ask the concierge - again, not all cities have hotels. Rural areas that can't even boast pristine white beaches or uber-spectacular views don't usually have hotels, or motels, for that matter so people who do the approach #3 could also wake up in the middle of a rice field
5. Ask someone - People sometimes have a tendency to play pranks, especially on people who are of the "wrong color" or don't speak the same tongue as they do

Admittedly, they're all wrong but I suppose the fifth approach would be okay. Only, one has to choose which person he/she asks. People with responsibilities to customers, such as security guards, concierges, street cleaners and, to a degree, peddlers, can often be quick and reliable sources of directions.

Of course, the first approach would still be the best or the second one, if you can afford it. After all, in this age of Google Maps or Wikimapia, what kind of person in his right mind would enter an unfamiliar city unarmed, so to speak? (That is, armed with knowledge, not weaponry)

[DarkSpike]

First i would ask someone where the next shop is and then I would buy a map to find any station (bus or train)and if there is no reason for me to stay in this city, i would do everything to get the hell out of there and back home

[Tenshi]

Lol depends on how I got lost and where I was headed. If I got lost while touring the location, before I get out of the hotel/home I would learn where I was landmarks, how to pronounce the place ( very important because you can end up in another place with a roll of the e ) and then get out to explore. So if I did get lost I simply need to ask them how I could get there fast. But if I was suddenly bumped off somewhere, I would first contact the place I was staying at for some help BUT again if I was robbed and had nothing I would beg for some money , make the phone call or use the internet to find out where I am.

I travel a lot alone because I love getting lost and then finding my way back. So it is easy for me to stay calm in these kind of situations