... why you're a roadgeek? Do they have an interest in what you do? Do they know what a "roadgeek" is?
I know my mother and a friend of mine don't understand why I ride around with a camera and video the roads. I tell them it's fun, you know? Seeing different roads conditions, signage, etc. I told them there are a great deal of people who like "roadgeeking."
Be well,
Bryant
I don't think people that know I'm a roadgeek fully understand the extent of my roadgeekery and what it means to be a roadgeek. My parents are encouraging though, they are going to take me to my first road meet in May (Youngstown, OH).
^^ Good deal. Enjoy!
Be well,
Bryant
QuoteI know my mother and a friend of mine don't understand why I ride around with a camera and video the roads. I tell them it's fun, you know? Seeing different roads conditions, signage, etc. I told them there are a great deal of people who like "roadgeeking."
My friends don't understand it either. In fact, they say that taking photos and driving is like talking on a cell phone. My thought has been that taking pictures of road signs still requires attention to the road as a phone call would probably not have anything to do with roads and be a distraction.
most anybody who knows me knows I am a signgeek...
my mom admits this is her fault since when i was young she would take me to the corner stop sign (which was yellow) for walks...(I tell her it could be worse...she could have taken me to the corner mailbox or fire hydrant!)...my brother doesnt understand it (as my late father would say 'Your understanding is not required...your acceptance is appreciated!'
my coworkers at both jobs know about it and a couple of them make fun of me when i get packages at my second job...or when i am asked "Get any new signs over the weekend?"
*shrug* i deal with it...
My mother gets sick of hearing me talk about the roads. :confused: Not many people know that a dashed line is ten feet long! :)
My parents, sister, and my friends at school don't understand why I am a roadgeek or the term 'roadgeek'.
Most of my friends tend to understand but are completely befuddled as to why anyone would find roadgeeking fun.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on April 11, 2009, 12:02:32 PM
Most of my friends tend to understand but are completely befuddled as to why anyone would find roadgeeking fun.
Yeah. Most people have no idea why it would be "fun". I can't really describe it either. It's just interesting!
My wife understands my being a roadgeek, and loves it since she's terrible with directions (her words). My daughter made me so proud when we went to southern California and recognized I-5 signage. She asked if it was the same I-5 that we drive to grandma's (which we do when we drive from Portland to Salem). Not bad for a 4 year old, and certainly a roadgeek prodigy... :nod:
They usually do not understand what it means... "how do you know that, and WHY?" is a common phrase. I was talking to my mother yesterday about the Panamericana and the Darien Gap (we were watching some television programme about survival), she didn't understand why I knew about that.
Roadgeek set-up. :)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi43.tinypic.com%2Fzk33hz.jpg&hash=e3db76e6189057fd284b1edc766582d542eb4196)
What's that, a GPS?! :pan: :-D
:-o A GPS!
Nice set up there, Chris.
^^ :-D at deathtopumpkins' post.
Be well,
Bryant
Uhh...GPS...their evil...I got one for my mom's car and it couldn't show SR-531! :pan:
I hate when my mom insists on using GPS when I know the best way to get there!
My mom's car has a GPS unit build into it -- it's an '08 Acura TSX. We've only used it, maybe, three times. Even then, I had a general idea of where we were going. One time that we did use it, though, it couldn't find W. Broad Street in Fairburn (GA). Roosevelt Highway (US 29) turns into W. Broad Street through Downtown Fairburn. The GPS kept giving us Broad Street... in Savannah! :banghead:
Be well,
Bryant
^ Jeez, those things really are bleh.
^^ Indeed. Indeed.
Be well,
Bryant
I make lots of trips in my area taking photos of signs.
My wife could care less.
My mom thinks its an interesting hobby.
My brother thinks I'm the biggest idiot in the world.
My son gets annoyed when I stop for a shot.
I find that many do not understand roadgeekery at all.
A lot of people find it anti-social and weird that I actually enjoy taking 12 hour drives by myself just to photograph roads.
It's not seen as something that is "normal" within society. But if somebody isn't interested in it I'm not going to subject them to a roadgeeking drive because I frequently double back, take routes that make no sense, and crazy things like that that would be intolerable even to somebody in the car just for a "road trip"
I've found that t here is nothing I can say to scare a girl away faster then by talking about my love for roadgeeking.n
^^ I have a female friend. She finds it "abnormal" as well. But she always knows that she can to me for directions to most places in Metro Atlanta. :D
Be well,
Bryant
^^This is definitely true. I get calls from women on a fairly regular basis asking for directions :/
I think you have to luck out into finding a lady who will at least tolerate your geeking...
my SO>... well, there are issues that do aggravate me from time to time...but one thing i DO value from her is that i can have over 300+ signs in the apartment we share and she doesnt really bat an eye when a new one comes in...
although i annoyed her once when she asked me how many signs did i plan to collect and my reply was "A state-named Interstate, US and State shields from every state in the country..."
her response "What about those wooden Connecticut signs?"
my reply: "Oh...only a hundred thousand of each and every kind!"
(POING!)
Yeah there aren't that many girl roadgeeks :-( Besides for some reason outside of school everyone forgets that I exist and never calls me for some reason :-( :-( even though once my German teacher asked me for directions to Chesterfield Towne Center(US 60 at VA 147/SR 653) in Chesterfield County. :nod:
I just have a photographic memory,...that's my excuse. :biggrin:
When I tell people I'm a roadgeek, they often look at me totally confused--as I put it down on my fraternity bio, it prompted a question from one of our national officers during initiation. Many people I know don't really understand the whole roadgeeking thing, but they at least understand why it interests me (I'm a civil/traffic engineering grad student).
My reputation for being a roadgeek and an engineering student does prove somewhat useful for these friends and family members though. My mom often calls me from Vegas asking about certain routes to take during peak periods (even though I live in Reno now and she grew up there). Friends ask me about why certain things are the way they are on the roads, or how traffic signals work. A couple weeks ago a friend was lost and called to ask about the street numbering system used in Vegas. It is kinda cool knowing that I'm the first person people think of when they have a random road question that needs to be answered.
Ah, everyone accepts the road junkie in me after awhile. Those who continued to think it was weird are silenced once I tell them that my road knowledge got me a career in map making.
Being a railfan is just as challenging. No one understands. But, to each their own.
GPS...I don't get it. State hwy maps are FREE!!! :nod: My brother bought a GPS and used it to go to my sister's house (Washington, DC to Carey, NC). It told him to turn on HWY 64 (good info). However, when my brother got to the INTERSTATE 64 exit, my brother took that exit and wound up WAY lost. It cost him about 3 hours, but he said he saw some great scenery! :-D
^^ That sucks. :-D
Be well,
Bryant
Thus GPS=Epic Fail. :-P My GIS class just started using them, and I've already noticed plenty of errors, from horribly misspelled towns to whole freeways missing. The unit was bought brand new 2 years ago, yet does not show the Chesapeake Expressway (VA-168) as being finished...