The simple things you never knew

Quote:

I always thought it was stupid that german motorways share the same name for both directions. I never knew if I was driving in the right direction when I was not familiar with geography of that area.

Over three years after getting my drivers license I finally figured out that I just have to look at the numbers printed next to the name of the exits. When my exit has the number 40 and the numbers go 50... 49... 48 everything is fine. If it is 43... 44... 45 I´m obviously driving in the wrong direction.
I think they don´t tell you that in driving school because it´s so extremely easy to get.

Here in the states, the inter-state highways (and most numbered state routes), have a small sign underneath the route number indicating East/West/North/South-bound direction of travel.

Speaking of the American Interstate System, up until a few years ago, I didn't know that there was a method to the madness of interstate numbering:

Major interstate route numbers are giving one or two digit designations. Even numbered routes run east-west, and odd numbered routes run north-south. The lower the route number, the further southwest you get. So, for example, I-10 runs east west along the southern border of the U.S., and I-5 runs north-south along the west coast with I-95 running north-south along the east coast and I-90 running along the northern border.

Major interstate routes that run through dense urban centers frequently break off into beltways around the city, or spur routes into the city. Beltways are given an even numbered prefix, while spur routes are given an odd numbered prefix. For example, I-95 runs right through Wilmington, DE; Philadelphia, PA; and Trenton, NJ. Just south of Wilmington, it breaks off into two beltways: 495 and 295. I-495 just bypasses Wilmington. I-295 is much longer, and goes around the collected urban centers of Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Trenton. Up around Trenton, I-95 shoots off a spur across NJ towards Point Pleasant Beach, and its given the designation I-195.

Jam it back in, in the dark.