LOST IN LONDON? YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

London is initiating the preparations for one of the biggest events in its history – the Olympic Games. The pressure is on and the British are ready to do all they can to organize a spectacular and unforgettable event. In the recent past, however, research conducted by Nokia proved some not very flattering piece of news: London is one of the most confusing cities on the globe!

What motivated Nokia to conduct such extensive research (involving 12,500 people) was not aimed to destroy the reputation of the world’s largest cities. The objective of the survey was to monitor how many people have difficulties in finding their way around cities and countries. In order to help those who have a talent of getting lost, Nokia is developing a chip which will be built in every cell phone and will offer a wide range of navigating possibilities. The results presented in the survey are quite puzzling.

First of all, London was voted as the most likely city to get lost in. One of the possible explanations may be the very diverse blend of architectures and styles, the structure of the streets, etc. However, an even more disturbing fact was revealed when locals were questioned: one in every three Londoners admit to deliberately giving misleading or even wrong directions when asked. That is not a very positive marketing article for London.

It would not be fair to single out only one city – Paris followed London in very close sequence, as well as Bangkok, Hong Kong or Beijing. Nokia hopes to change the helplessness of tourists or anyone who is not familiar with the city. The shift from regular maps to GPS navigators seems inevitable now; it will surely make everyone’s life easier – no job interviews missed, no arguments, less stress and no missed dates – which is a fact that many Brazilians have complained about.