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_Sebaceous_cyst t1_isubf7t wrote

Reply to comment by signedpants in PPD audit: Review identifies flaws that affect crime response by Easy-Reading

Yup. Had someone hit my parked car with me in it. Was my first car accident so I called out of instinct and was told I would have to go to the station to make a report. Cop berated me with questions about North and south like you’re the cop you should know. I don’t carry a compass around. Anecdotal but I felt like a suspect for just sitting in my parked car lol.

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TiberiusDrexelus t1_isug2pb wrote

> I don’t carry a compass around

not to victim-blame in any way, but Philly is the easiest city to orient yourself in; just figure out where City Hall is on the skyline, and remember where in the city you are in relation to City Hall

it's what I miss the most while living in the suburbs

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_Sebaceous_cyst t1_isugbaw wrote

I have a sense of direction but that’s not the first thing I’m thinking of when I was just in a car accident.

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TiberiusDrexelus t1_isup2bp wrote

certainly not, especially after they made you leave the scene to report it

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ThreePointsPhilly t1_isup50w wrote

It breaks my brain trying to think how I should orient myself with this method.

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TiberiusDrexelus t1_isuqlwl wrote

>be in Graduate Hospital and need to get to Temple's North Philly campus, despite not knowing how to get there, but knowing that you're in the southern half of the city

>look at skyline, see City Hall ahead of you and to the right

>think "ok I'm looking north, City Hall is to the east, so I'm southwest of it"

>think "I need to travel east a bit, and then North till I hit Temple's campus

works really well if you know the grid too

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Away_Swimming_5757 t1_isxi7ln wrote

City Hall is central. If you're west, north, east or south of City Hall, should be able to inform the other directions any corners and traffic. It's very simple once you think about it and will benefit you in life to make note of it.

(For example, knowing if you're getting picked up on the NE of a corner, rather than just saying the intersection.

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ThreePointsPhilly t1_isyddfd wrote

I get it. Just the “anywhere in the city” part makes my brain hurt. If I’m standing in Ridge Avenue in Roxborough I’m gonna have to really think of how to orient myself.

Maybe I’m just bad with directions.

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hairlikemerida t1_isvel26 wrote

How on earth would the cop know what directions the accident occurred at? Just because the streets go a certain way doesn’t mean anything. People back up in intersections all of the time or even sometimes go up a street the wrong way if something is blocked off.

Asking cardinal directions is entirely standard. And yeah, actually, if you’re driving, you’re carrying a compass. All cars have one built in that displays on the dash constantly.

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f0rf0r t1_iswdwnk wrote

wtf no they don't

new ones maybe

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hairlikemerida t1_iswesk7 wrote

Uh, yeah, they do. All cars have a little display, whether it’s on your dash, infotainment system, rearview mirror, whatever, showing which cardinal direction you’re traveling.

It’s not an actual compass that spins around. Although those were certainly more common in the early 2000s.

ETA: Obviously, cars without digital capabilities in any way, such as vintage/classic vehicles are not likely to have this. But all 2000s and later vehicles should have a compass display somewhere.

It will just state the direction. Nothing else. So ‘NW’, ‘S’, ‘NE’ would be what is displayed.

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f0rf0r t1_iswfg8u wrote

Bro an absolute fuckton of cars did not have this and probably still don't (you can still buy ones without all the infotainment bullshit, although it's harder). I mean I generally know where I'm going and google maps is more useful than any of the built in shit anyway but I have never owned a car that had a compass anywhere on it lol.

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hairlikemerida t1_iswg1r3 wrote

This is not some elaborate piece of technology.. It’s the direction and temperature. If it’s not on your cluster, screen, whatever the hell, it’s most likely this.

It seems a lot of cars were phased into this in the early 2000s. Most new cars do not utilize the rearview mirror display.

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f0rf0r t1_iswi0vs wrote

lmao yeah my dad's truck had one of these and they were pretty common but that's not the point - lots of cars didn't, which is why these aftermarket units even exist! you are confidently making an assertion that is demonstrably wrong, online! one of the classic blunders.

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Away_Swimming_5757 t1_isxjiwr wrote

Agreed. It's a very standard question and drivers should be expected to be mindful of the directional details of their accident so the report can be made accurately.

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