Yeah one of my pet hates is maps on display boards which are put up with North at the top regardless of the direction you are facing to read the board.
At an Ironage hill fort I visited recently you had to keep turning round to try to understand the site, if only they put the map on the other side of the post or up the other way.
People just aren't taught how to use maps properly these days.
Maybe those GPS displays will help the penny to drop.
Del

Duh, it's called a 'heading up' map.

Used in aircraft all the time on the NAV displays.

What's the big deal?

The big deal is that most people are too thick to work it out and they think it's 'right' to have North to the top.
You and me are ok..it's everyone else that's daft.
Del

I like a north up display when I want to see the big picture (or if I am driving north), but it's a pain in the a$$ when navigating.

I have always said that one way to weed out the idiot drivers is to give them access to their own aircraft.

After it stops raining metal it will be okay to come out. ;-)

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that turns a map to understand it. I always thought I was "different".

I'm bringing good news to everyone, as I announce my latest patent called "The Pivotator 3000".

It is a sofisticated GPS mounting system for those on the road, developed using the latest design technologies (like Solid Wrecks and Easy Jam), it will be released to the public this fall. Read all about it here.

Yahlasit

You can thank Ptolemy and Mercator for that.

when was the last time you saw a gas station hand you a free map?

Last time I was in the Tesco filling station.

Tesco in the UK hand out map books of the whole of the UK*, complete with details of all their stores and filling stations (very handy). They're A5-ish size, in colour and so what if they're an advertising gimmick. When I'm in an unfamiliar part of the country and need fuel ... _{Ican'tfindthedamnthingandsoresorttofollowingmyinstinctsandfind...yupaTescofillingstation!!}

They're ok for navigating town to town on major roads...what more do you want for free??

Oh, they follow the convention of north at the top. I find a combination of mental exercise and rotation of the display medium works for me.

*They'd get odd looks if they handed out maps of, say, Russia...

Maps are drawn with North at the top. Get used to it. I have spent many a day or even weeks with a map and compas backpacking and have learned to use both.