I think that there are a lot of places in this land where it's unwise to ask directions.
Most people have a primordial instinct about that.
On a cross country trip (just for fun) starting in NY and headed towards DC, I decided to stop in Philadelphia and see the historical places; I took the next exit, went about a quarter mile and made one of the fastest U turns I ever made in my life.
Any impulse to stop and ask directions was essentially zero.