I live on the edge of a tourist district. Well, not so much a tourist district as a shopping district for tourists. Some historical stuff, too, like the BPL and Copley Square. The Back Bay Orange Line stop is right here too. But mostly it's a shopping district with two big malls and Newbury Street.

Boston is notorious for having twisty turny streets that can get tourists all discombobulated, so when I see someone looking all confused with a map in their hands, I will ask them what they're looking for and try to get them on their way. While my neighborhood is quite beautiful, it's a residential place and not something that's a real tourist destination, unless you're here to eat and drink, or maybe for a casual hook-up.

As I was returning home from walking the dog, there were three people -- an older couple and an adult daughter -- standing at the corner, each pointing in a different direction looking at one of those happy meal maps of the city. The ones that have eccentric tall buildings you're supposed to visit, like that Gap Outlet store or Saks and little stars for things like Museum of Fine Arts. Clearly, they were lost.

I asked what they were looking for.

In, I think, a Tennesee drawl, momma says "Prudential. I thought we were on Boyslton".

"No, this is Columbus."

"How do we get there?"

"Inside or outside?"

"Outside!" she said with a hrumpf.

Pointing up the street, I say, "See that church with the green copper top? That's Boylston. Go to that and turn left. Walk down the street and it will be on your left in the middle of a bunch of construction."

"We just came from that way."

"---"

"Can't we go this way?" indicating a back way through Tent City and the SW Corridor Park.

"You can if you know what you're doing." It's not difficult, but you end up on the back side of the Prudential and, as tall as it is, it's not at all obvious how to get in from there. That, and the South End and Back Bay streets don't line up, so it's very easy to get twisted around again, and even those that do line up are bisected by the corridor, so it's not at all clear which way to go. "I'd say go back to Boylston."

"This looks like a more direct route," she said clearly becoming agitated, "I think we'll go this way," and dismissed me with a wave of her hand.

"If that's what you've decided on, then that's the way you should go." I said and turned to leave. "Just keep a tight grip on that camera and pay careful attention to who's around you."

Her eyes got all buggy and she said, "What?"

"Good bye."