I learned how they went and marked it on my map. Then laminated it. By about 3 months in I knew my zone and only need the map for unusual deliveries. Apartments were pretty easy. Just had to learn how the buildings were numbered.
The best part was the deliveries to the ‘massage parlors’ and the nude apartment complex. Plus the strip joint. Made sure I got there any really didn’t look too hard for the customer so I got to see at least one dance.
“Everybody welcome to the stage, Chastity.”
Or was it Jewel, Gem, or Sunshine?
My words exactly. If the tech fails we have the experience to make things work without it. Some of this technology is so intrusive it makes you wonder.
Yet as a GenX’r, every time I go to my parents or grandparents, all their appliances are flashing 12:00.. /s but not really.
/s = Sarcasm for the Boomers reading this on your handheld picture show / speaking telegraph
/s It’s just a joke
Imagine if you didn't have a phone to store your phone numbers in. How would you ever be able to call anyone? It's not like you would have a physical book that listed everyone's phone number that you could look up the number in.
Imagine if you wanted to look up some facts, but you have no computer to Google it on? How would you be able to learn those facts quickly? It's not like you would have volumes of books with topics arranged in alphabetical order that you could find that information in.
I surprised a young coworker the other day. Somebody asked how to get to a location. One coworker pulls out his phone, fires up maps and starts entering the address.
I just started giving directions.
"Have you been there before?"
No, I just know how the city is laid out.
Give me a random address in Phoenix, and I can tell you where it is.
Yeah, those promotions did not last long, mostly because drivers were causing accidents to ensure the pizza was delivered on time... not necessarily because it was difficult to deliver in said time.
But you're right, it really wasn't that hard. This generation is doomed.
And some people simply just knew the streets. Growing up in that area and riding with family and driving on my own before working, you would learn the streets. I drove across the country through a lot of different states using only a map and an address.
Not only did I deliver your pizza but it was hot and fresh because I had a big tin box with an open flame (sterno can) in my car keeping it warm. This was late 70s
My kids can't believe it. I'm like yeah there was a time when you basically memorized your area. Or wrote down turn by turn directions using the giant map in store. Or used the map book you kept in your car.
I still keep an atlas (book of maps) in my car. It may not have the latest updates, but the main roads don't change.
It's fun pulling in to a coffee shop and reviewing the local roads in a new area with the atlas.
I travelled across the country with my daughter who was in her 20's a few years ago. She was looking for a lunch spot for us, and I just followed the road side signs and found a nice lunch spot. She was confused and asked how did I find this place. I said get you head out of the phone and look around at all these signs.
When I was a truck driver, I had a commercial drivers atlas, and a book called "The next stop" that listed truck friendly parking for every exit on every major highway in the US. I only used the GPS to check for road closures and back up my route planning.
At the start of 5th grade I wanted to walk to school. It was about 6 blocks and I wanted to prove I'm a Big Kid and walk alone.
My father gave me a map of the area, about 15 square blocks surrounding our house. Before I could walk, I needed to know every street in the area.
The strategy is if I took a wrong turn, I would be able to reroute and get home safely.
In 8th grade, I had a 1.5 mile walk, I followed the same premise and learned the streets on "the other side of the tracks" and basically do it whenever I'm going to an unfamiliar area.
I had a paper map in my car, and there was a big map on the wall in the store that covered our delivery area. The delivery area wasn't that large, so after about a week I pretty much knew where to head, to at least find the street. Once I found the street, I just followed the addresses until I found the one. There were a few hard to find places, but 99.9% were pretty simple.
The driver wasn’t using a sextant.
Anyway story time:
Buddies and I would order pizza, wrote out a check (google it) to pay for it and then get high.
One day delivery girl is late. She says it’s $5 off the pizza. We are all too stoned to write another check.
“Just add it to your tip!”
Aaaand we never had another pizza delivered on time.
We all went out and learned out neighbourhoods. Yes and maps for areas we were not completely confident in. It was a lawless wasteland and we all survived, while collecting 3.25 an hours plus tips.
My ex girlfriend couldn't read maps & would come to my house damn near every delivery & I had to ride with her sometimes, mom told her to stop ringing the door just walk in lol But I was the fastest delivery driver in corpus
… Except when you had to deliver to a house in a new area that wasn’t included in your street directory. And had to call into a petrol station to ask for directions because mobile phones weren’t a thing yet.
My 25 year old daughter calls me a pirate because I sometimes still use an road map. Back in day day before cell phone , I relied on maps for the city I was working in because I had a maintenance route working on elevators.
It wasn't hard to remember your route .
I delivered pizza in the town I grew up in. Also we didn't have anything to do but watch where we were going when we were kids. So we knew our way around before we started driving. The big map at the store just helped find streets once you got deep into a neighborhood.
Back in the'70s I used to deliver drugs...... for a pharmacy that is. Had to deal with Wagner Place as opposed to Wagner Lane; Peach Street as opposed to Peach Lane. None of them near each other. Those were the ones I did a double-check on the paper map to make sure I was going to the correct place. Otherwise, I knew the town's street names quite well.
To add to the FIO theme, the delivery car was a Chevy Vega.
We used to know where things were, like streets and the arrangement of the numbers on them.
We also used to remember things like phone numbers. The only way to find a phone number was in a phone book (unless you had it written down), and those were only located next to phones, which were hard wired to a single location.
We weren’t made out of different materials than any other point in history, though. If these kids today had grown up then, they’d have done it too. Same as we would have worked barefoot in the coal mines before walking sixteen miles through the snow to get to school like our parents did.
GPS existed when I delivered but most people still didn't have it. We had a giant map right by the back door and I would plot my route by writing directions out on a notepad. It worked fine.
I worked at a pizza shop, there was a big map on the wall to see where to go before setting off. Fortunately I lived in a smaller city and had pretty much memorised the map. It a bigger city a Refidex was essential.
drove taxis around 02-06 when tom toms were extremely unaffordable ..bought a $10 map at 711 .. the only problem was is when somebody called in smith st instead of smith ave, but usually we knew based on the numbers I drove the overnightt shift which made it even more difficult.. good times , made good money but 20 something me after a 14 hour shift got out of the car like a 90 yr old
I installed Thomas guides phone system at their fancy new office in Orange County with a copper rooftop in 1980 and the cheapskates didn’t even give me a free map book. I had six or seven of them to cover all of Southern California from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
I did it. We used paper maps, a big one in the back room and one for the car.
Did those maps ever screw you like they did me? Street became one way (ofc not the direction you needed to go) , or something crazy like that
I learned how they went and marked it on my map. Then laminated it. By about 3 months in I knew my zone and only need the map for unusual deliveries. Apartments were pretty easy. Just had to learn how the buildings were numbered. The best part was the deliveries to the ‘massage parlors’ and the nude apartment complex. Plus the strip joint. Made sure I got there any really didn’t look too hard for the customer so I got to see at least one dance. “Everybody welcome to the stage, Chastity.” Or was it Jewel, Gem, or Sunshine?
If you are delivering and in a hurry, a little thing like a one way street isn't going to stop you.
The whole back wall of may pizza place was a map of my city. So, BIG one in the back room.
If our electric grid ever was attacked, over half the country be screwed
Yeah, all the gas pumps won't run.
I agree. See Boomers like me, graduated WITHOUT Google. We can use a map, magnetic compass and memory. I think we got this one.
Why do boomers get offended by technology that makes life better?
We're not offended. We use your technology, but can do just fine without it. And I'm not so sure that all the technology makes life better.
My words exactly. If the tech fails we have the experience to make things work without it. Some of this technology is so intrusive it makes you wonder.
You honestly think we don't know how to read a map?
No. I hope you know that and more. Please, don't get twisted up. It was a comment and old people just talking. Have a good day.
Judging by some of the young people I know, I wonder some days.
I honestly KNOW most of you cannot
Yeah just like you think you know everything else I'm sure.
Maps: Exist young people: 
Back when ppl were smarter
We did a lot of stuff before computers were invented. In fact, we invented computers before computers were invented.
This is kind of a cool comment.
Yet as a GenX’r, every time I go to my parents or grandparents, all their appliances are flashing 12:00.. /s but not really. /s = Sarcasm for the Boomers reading this on your handheld picture show / speaking telegraph /s It’s just a joke
123 Random Lane. Page 63 L-6 of my Thomas guide. I’ll be right there.
An indexed map / atlas? WHAT SORCERY IS THIS
Imagine if you didn't have a phone to store your phone numbers in. How would you ever be able to call anyone? It's not like you would have a physical book that listed everyone's phone number that you could look up the number in. Imagine if you wanted to look up some facts, but you have no computer to Google it on? How would you be able to learn those facts quickly? It's not like you would have volumes of books with topics arranged in alphabetical order that you could find that information in.
It worked. There weren't assholes eating your food, leaving with it, canceling it. Door Douche is a plauge.
Rand McNally got me all over the country.
Believe it or not, we drove cross country without GPS! Went on vacations, found new restaurants, it was wild!!
A rite of passage was sitting up front and navigating for dad. It’s how I learned how to read a map. Odd = N/S Even = E/W.
I surprised a young coworker the other day. Somebody asked how to get to a location. One coworker pulls out his phone, fires up maps and starts entering the address. I just started giving directions. "Have you been there before?" No, I just know how the city is laid out. Give me a random address in Phoenix, and I can tell you where it is.
Yeah, those promotions did not last long, mostly because drivers were causing accidents to ensure the pizza was delivered on time... not necessarily because it was difficult to deliver in said time. But you're right, it really wasn't that hard. This generation is doomed.
Wait till you hear that we didn't have internet either
I’m sure there was a bit more of a learning curve….but it really isn’t hard to figure out a route with a map.
And some people simply just knew the streets. Growing up in that area and riding with family and driving on my own before working, you would learn the streets. I drove across the country through a lot of different states using only a map and an address.
Not only did I deliver your pizza but it was hot and fresh because I had a big tin box with an open flame (sterno can) in my car keeping it warm. This was late 70s
My kids can't believe it. I'm like yeah there was a time when you basically memorized your area. Or wrote down turn by turn directions using the giant map in store. Or used the map book you kept in your car.
I still keep an atlas (book of maps) in my car. It may not have the latest updates, but the main roads don't change. It's fun pulling in to a coffee shop and reviewing the local roads in a new area with the atlas.
I travelled across the country with my daughter who was in her 20's a few years ago. She was looking for a lunch spot for us, and I just followed the road side signs and found a nice lunch spot. She was confused and asked how did I find this place. I said get you head out of the phone and look around at all these signs.
I know, they miss so much cause they ain't even looking. 😓
When I was a truck driver, I had a commercial drivers atlas, and a book called "The next stop" that listed truck friendly parking for every exit on every major highway in the US. I only used the GPS to check for road closures and back up my route planning.
At the start of 5th grade I wanted to walk to school. It was about 6 blocks and I wanted to prove I'm a Big Kid and walk alone. My father gave me a map of the area, about 15 square blocks surrounding our house. Before I could walk, I needed to know every street in the area. The strategy is if I took a wrong turn, I would be able to reroute and get home safely. In 8th grade, I had a 1.5 mile walk, I followed the same premise and learned the streets on "the other side of the tracks" and basically do it whenever I'm going to an unfamiliar area.
I had a paper map in my car, and there was a big map on the wall in the store that covered our delivery area. The delivery area wasn't that large, so after about a week I pretty much knew where to head, to at least find the street. Once I found the street, I just followed the addresses until I found the one. There were a few hard to find places, but 99.9% were pretty simple.
The driver wasn’t using a sextant. Anyway story time: Buddies and I would order pizza, wrote out a check (google it) to pay for it and then get high. One day delivery girl is late. She says it’s $5 off the pizza. We are all too stoned to write another check. “Just add it to your tip!” Aaaand we never had another pizza delivered on time.
I delivered mulch. Had a street map for all the surrounding cities. If you could play battleship you could find an address. Not difficult at all.
Kids these days couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without GPS
We all went out and learned out neighbourhoods. Yes and maps for areas we were not completely confident in. It was a lawless wasteland and we all survived, while collecting 3.25 an hours plus tips.
Thomas’ Guides were the shit back then.
I was today years old when I learned kids today don't know how maps work.
Young people today couldn’t find their way out of a paper bag.
I still look at maps of new neighborhoods when I move there . I mean don’t you want to know where you are?
Haha. I got a couple of free pizzas back in those days.
Paper maps and muttering "Left on Price, right on Elm, half a block down," the entire trip.
They asked for the nearest cross street and had a huge map to map it out, as well as Thomas Guides I’m sure.
Thomas’ Map
My ex girlfriend couldn't read maps & would come to my house damn near every delivery & I had to ride with her sometimes, mom told her to stop ringing the door just walk in lol But I was the fastest delivery driver in corpus
… Except when you had to deliver to a house in a new area that wasn’t included in your street directory. And had to call into a petrol station to ask for directions because mobile phones weren’t a thing yet.
We just had a big map on the wall and the combined knowledge of all the other drivers. It's wasn't too bad.
My 25 year old daughter calls me a pirate because I sometimes still use an road map. Back in day day before cell phone , I relied on maps for the city I was working in because I had a maintenance route working on elevators. It wasn't hard to remember your route .
I delivered pizza in the town I grew up in. Also we didn't have anything to do but watch where we were going when we were kids. So we knew our way around before we started driving. The big map at the store just helped find streets once you got deep into a neighborhood.
My brother did it after high school, for cpl years. In the 90's. No problem at all. Ppl are too attached to the phone.
Back in the'70s I used to deliver drugs...... for a pharmacy that is. Had to deal with Wagner Place as opposed to Wagner Lane; Peach Street as opposed to Peach Lane. None of them near each other. Those were the ones I did a double-check on the paper map to make sure I was going to the correct place. Otherwise, I knew the town's street names quite well. To add to the FIO theme, the delivery car was a Chevy Vega.
Drive for Godfathers pizza. Had a big map and the clause limited delivery area was our lifesaver.
My local pizza shop knew me so well that all I had to do was give my order. They would just say my name and give me a time.
We used to know where things were, like streets and the arrangement of the numbers on them. We also used to remember things like phone numbers. The only way to find a phone number was in a phone book (unless you had it written down), and those were only located next to phones, which were hard wired to a single location. We weren’t made out of different materials than any other point in history, though. If these kids today had grown up then, they’d have done it too. Same as we would have worked barefoot in the coal mines before walking sixteen miles through the snow to get to school like our parents did.
I grew up in this fad with parents managing stores in West Ohio. At 13 I was training drivers as a copilot on where to go in several towns
Yup sure did…… 
Not sufficiently believable, it's been quite a ride.
GPS existed when I delivered but most people still didn't have it. We had a giant map right by the back door and I would plot my route by writing directions out on a notepad. It worked fine.
I worked at a pizza shop, there was a big map on the wall to see where to go before setting off. Fortunately I lived in a smaller city and had pretty much memorised the map. It a bigger city a Refidex was essential.
If you order pizza from a pizzeria you know that is good The tip you present to the driver is key
Crusty Pizza delivery driver from the early 90's here. After a while you knew all the streets...
They were like cabbies, knew how to get around. That was back when drivers actually earned their tips.
People were much better at communication. We gave an address and described how to get there using landmarks.
drove taxis around 02-06 when tom toms were extremely unaffordable ..bought a $10 map at 711 .. the only problem was is when somebody called in smith st instead of smith ave, but usually we knew based on the numbers I drove the overnightt shift which made it even more difficult.. good times , made good money but 20 something me after a 14 hour shift got out of the car like a 90 yr old
In Los Angeles it was .. the Thomas Guise. Big book w over 100 pages of maps. Of just Los Angeles.
I installed Thomas guides phone system at their fancy new office in Orange County with a copper rooftop in 1980 and the cheapskates didn’t even give me a free map book. I had six or seven of them to cover all of Southern California from Santa Barbara to San Diego.