people who are embarassingly bad at geography...

PureGoldF2K1 · #1 11-23-2004, 02:39 AM

Does anyone know these people?? People who live in the United States, yet have no concept of where anything is in the country?

For example, my younger sister, up until she was 15, believed that Chicago was a state.

Even worse, I discovered while watching the projections from this past presidential election with my boy, that he DID NOT KNOW WHERE WASHINGTON D.C WAS. Keep in mind that this is a 24 year old college graduate. (Also, a fraternity alumni...Delta Tau Delta, this is one of your own....)

I noticed that in D.C., Kerry had 90% of the popular vote and I commented how much that seemed to be. He looked at me and said "well, look at the rest of New England..its all for Kerry" And I kind of looked at him strangely and asked what New England had to do with it. And he said "Well, Pennsylvania is all Kerry..." I told him that PA is not considered New England (which he should know, having been born & raised in Pittsburgh) and what did PA have to do with it anyway...I was talking about D.C. Thats when it came out that he thought that Washington DC was located IN PENNSYLVANIA. He is FROM the state and he actually thought that the president, the white house, the capitol building, EVERYTHING was in PA. I was in shock, literally. I tried to get out of him exactly where in PA did he think DC was, but he kind of shut down..understandably lol.

Does anyone else know anyone like this???

Glitter650 · #2 11-23-2004, 02:53 AM

Regrettably *I* am like that... well I know that Chicago is a city and that DC is by Maryland, and it's own entity, BUT I also know I couldn't put everything on a map completely properly... especially the midwest and south. I haven't really visited there much. What can I say I've never had to take a geometry class and I'm a college grad.

lifesaver · #3 11-23-2004, 05:27 AM

I once had someone at the Post office on campus try to charge me an international rate to send something from Texas to Indianapolis. She said it was because it had to leave the US & go across a body of water. When I inquired which one, she repiled 'the mississippi,' at that point I couldnt carry on anymore. I took my package to a different post office. Specifically, FedEx.

Also dig those kids who think that alaska and hawaii are in the gulf of mexico because thats where they are ususally shown on a map of the continental US.

Tragic.

moe.ron · #4 11-23-2004, 05:30 AM

That is pretty bad.

AGDee · #5 11-23-2004, 07:41 AM

When we were college students, my boyfriend at the time worked at a Perry's Drug Store. He got into a huge argument with his co-workers about how many states there are. They insisted there were 52 and he insisted there were only 51!

#6 11-23-2004, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lifesaver

Also dig those kids who think that alaska and hawaii are in the gulf of mexico because thats where they are ususally shown on a map of the continental US.

Tragic.

Holy fucking shit, you have got to be kidding me.

I suppose it's either the Gulf of Mexico or the Baja Peninsula for me!!!

I may be isolated, but at least I know where my shit is, thanks.

When I was in grammar school and high school, geography was always incorporated into my social studies classes. It was offered in college, but it was moreso physical geography (topographical shit and the like), so I stayed away from it. I don't know if Geography is still offered in most schools as a class of its own, but after reading this, it looks like it should be.

KSigkid · #7 11-23-2004, 09:11 AM

I feel like geography is a subject that most people have little or no clue about. I remember my first day of AP History junior year of high school, the teacher handed out a map and wanted us all to put the states in their correct places. Out of a 20 person, class, only about half of us got the states correctly (and this was an AP class...pretty smart group of kids).

It's just not one of those subjects that is stressed in schools; I know in CT it was part of the early-level social studies courses, but once I got to middle school (7th grade) there was minimal emphasis on the topic. I don't think it would hurt to have more integration into the high school curriculum, but that's just me.

sigmagrrl · #8 11-23-2004, 09:18 AM

I kick ASS is geography. I still love it and would love to teach it someday (can you just teach geography??)... I am damn proud of my ability to read a map, navigate roads, and remember topography. If I've been someplace even ONCE I can get back there.

On the other hand, math kicked MY ass...

SOOO, I see geography as some people's math. Some get it, some don't!

Dionysus · #9 11-23-2004, 09:19 AM

That is really sad.

I'm a geography snob like many people are spelling/grammar snobs. I don't understand how people can live in a country where they don't know where all of the 50 states are.

sigmagrrl · #10 11-23-2004, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dionysus
That is really sad.

I'm a geography snob like many people are spelling/grammar snobs. I don't understand how people live in a country where they don't know where all of the 50 states are.

I'm a grammar/spelling snob too

!!!

Lil' Hannah · #11 11-23-2004, 09:22 AM

For the most part I know where everything is, but honestly if it doesn't touch the Atlantic I don't know too much about it. Like I look at a map and I never realized how far north Nebraska was and things like that.

Dionysus · #12 11-23-2004, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
I kick ASS is geography. I still love it and would love to teach it someday (can you just teach geography??)... I am damn proud of my ability to read a map, navigate roads, and remember topography. If I've been someplace even ONCE I can get back there.

On the other hand, math kicked MY ass...

SOOO, I see geography as some people's math. Some get it, some don't!

Rock on! Why more than 90% of women can't tell east from west?
No, I don't think you can teach geography only. My mother used to teach it, but she taught it on side with world history.

Lady Pi Phi · #13 11-23-2004, 09:37 AM

When I was in highschool we had to read this book in our history class. "Preparing for the 21st Century". Can't remember the Author's name. I think It was Paul Kennedy.

Anyway, he had a statistic in there (now keep in mind that he is an American Author and this book was piblished about 10 years ago) that 1 in 7 Americans couldn't find their country on a map. That's a pretty astonishing figure, now I don't know how true it is, but I was still shocked.

_Opi_ · #14 11-23-2004, 09:55 AM

Just don't ask me where vermont is...

moe.ron · #15 11-23-2004, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by _Opi_
Just don't ask me where vermont is...

It's where that hippie band Phish started.