pesoneto

Utah street addressing is Cartesian. The only difference is that instead of using a pre-fix notation of plus-minus to indicate a direction from the origin, the post-fix notation North-South, East-West is used instead.

So here is an actual address, 716 W 630 S, Orem, UT. A person in Utah would expect that incrementing or decrementing either of the numbers in the tuple (-716, -630) would move the point on the map only slightly.

Yes, I am messing up and broke the rules of notation but did this on purpose to force the mind into normal Cartesian thinking. More strictly, I could have said (716W, 930S). But you get what I mean, right?

But try this in maps.google.com. Change the address to (716, 631) and Google says it can't find the address. Change it to (716, 629) and it suggests a bus stop in Salt Lake City. An error of nearly 30 miles.

There is no way to report this misunderstanding to Google.

One could argue Google's approach is correct. Except that, particularly in undeveloped areas associated with a city, people will guess at an approximate address expecting that the hearer will arrive at a location close to what was stated. A bit easier to express that giving latitude and longitude coordinates. But Google takes you to another city?