I've been approached in a few places, as well as offered help to those who are staring at a map in some strange place. One of the most interesting was in Punta Arenas, Chile, where a couple was looking up and down the streets. I asked if I could help them find something, as I had a map with me. They were just looking around, and we got to talking and we found out we were both from Toronto. We chatted for 15 minutes about our South American experiences (mine as a backpacker, theirs as cruisers).

I've also approached a few non-locals for advice. A couple of weekends ago a nice swiss couple was able to tell me which way North was after coming out of Grand Central station in New York City.

Greg