The other day, I was walking from my office to the Metro station, where I catch the bus home. A guy stopped me to ask directions. The conversation went something like this:
Guy: How do I get to Walter Reed hospital?
Me: Walter Reed?
Guy: Yeah, the hospital.
Me: I'm not sure that's within walking distance, so you might want to take--*
Guy: I'm pretty sure it is.
Me: Um, OK. I'm not sure. I think it's that way.** (gestures)
Guy: I don't think it is.
Me: Really? I thought it was on 16th Street, which is over there. (gestures again)
Guy: No, I think it's that way. (gestures in the opposite direction)
Me: Um. Well. OK. (shrugs) Sorry!
Guy: (walks off in direction he gestured)
Bizarre. I guess he wanted confirmation? But we were near the Metro station, where he easily could've asked. But it's like, Why bother?
* Turns out we were about 1.2 miles from Walter Reed, so I guess that's walkable.
** We were actually both right. Walter Reed is pretty much directly due south from our location. To get there, you could've gone either the way I had gestured or the way he went. Still. Weird.