You can always tell who\u2019s from Lubbock and who\u2019s just visiting by how they give directions. Outsiders use street names and mile markers. Locals? We use a mix of extinct landmarks, personal memories, and pure chaos. I mean, who needs all the fuss of the GPS when your cousin knows how to get there and will direct you on the phone while eating a sandwich? Fail-safe, every time.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve ever told someone to \u201cturn left where the Hastings used to be,\u201d congratulations. You\u2019re fluent in Lubbock navigation.<\/p>\n
Photo by Vitaly Gariev<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>1. Landmarks That Don\u2019t Exist Anymore<\/p>\n We don\u2019t care if the business has been gone since 2007. To us, it\u2019s still the landmark. Directions like \u201chead toward where Gardski\u2019s used to be\u201d or \u201cturn right past the old mall entrance\u201d make perfect sense to everyone here. Outsiders just stare blankly while we point toward ghosts. It’s our special thing.<\/p>\n 2. The Myth of the \u201c15-Minute Drive\u201d<\/p>\n Ask any Lubbock local how long it takes to get somewhere, and the answer is always the same: \u201cOh, about 15 minutes.\u201d Doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s two blocks away or all the way to Ransom Canyon. We\u2019ve committed to the lie. 15 minutes, or nothing at all.<\/p>\n 3. When \u201cDown the Loop\u201d Means Exactly That<\/p>\n \u201cDown the Loop\u201d is both everywhere and nowhere. It\u2019s east, west, north, south \u2014 just pick a direction and start looping. Eventually, you\u2019ll either find your destination or end up at Sonic, which is honestly still a win.<\/p>\n Photo by Darwin Vegher<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>4. \u201cAcross Town\u201d Means Something Completely Different Here<\/p>\n In a big city, \u201cacross town\u201d is a two-hour ordeal. In Lubbock, it\u2019s a mild inconvenience and an excuse to grab a fountain drink for the road.<\/p>\n 5. We Navigate by Food and Gas Stations<\/p>\n We don\u2019t say \u201cgo north on Quaker.\u201d We say, \u201cgo past the Allsup\u2019s, turn where that weird Subway used to be, and if you hit the old smoke shop that never carded anyone, you\u2019ve gone too far.\u201d It\u2019s not cartography \u2014 it\u2019s cuisine-based survival.<\/p>\n Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>6. Intersections That Define Eras<\/p>\n Everyone has their \u201cintersection.\u201d For some, it\u2019s 50th and Slide \u2014 where they got their first ticket. For others, it\u2019s 82nd and Indiana \u2014 where they wrapped their dad’s Mustang around a pole on a joy ride.<\/p>\n 7. Directions That Include Feelings<\/p>\n Only in Lubbock will someone give you an emotional weather report as part of a route. \u201cYou\u2019ll feel lost around the cotton fields, but keep going \u2014 you\u2019ll see the windmill and know you\u2019re close.\u201d Sure…Thanks, Yoda.<\/p>\n The Truth About It All<\/p>\n The truth is, Lubbock\u2019s not that hard to navigate. It’s just one big old grid system. But our directions still seem to tell a story. Every \u201cused to be,\u201d \u201cturn by,\u201d and \u201cpast the Sonic\u201d is a little piece of our shared memories of yesteryear.<\/p>\n Sure, Google Maps can get you there faster, but it can\u2019t tell you about the Dairy Queen that burned down when the 16-year-old fry cook knocked over a drink, the field party of ’02 behind it, or the time someone\u2019s truck got stuck in a ditch avoiding a loose cow.<\/p>\n That\u2019s Lubbock navigation: part map, part memory, all heart.<\/p>\n Keep scrolling for more silly Lubbock fun in the galleries below…<\/p>\n The Most Infuriating Intersection in Lubbock Right Now<\/p>\n I just CANNOT with this spot in town. <\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Chrissy<\/p>\n Phrases You Always Hear in West Texas <\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Chrissy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You can always tell who\u2019s from Lubbock and who\u2019s just visiting by how they give directions. 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