Simple question about road directions reveals how well you know someone

The way a driver responds to a simple direction given by their passenger apparently says a huge deal about the kind of person they are.

One basic logistical question could reveal just how well you truly know someone, and even if you knew them at all to begin with.

The poignant perspective was offered by former Triple J radio host Erica Mallett in a viral video shared to TikTok earlier this month.

The 28-year-old claimed “you can’t ever really know someone until you’ve asked them this question”.

“If we’re driving in the car, and I’m in the passenger seat and I’m giving you directions and I say, ‘please take the next left’, is that the one coming? Or the one after it?”

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Erica Mallett shared a way to determine how well you know people. Picture: TikTok/erica_mallett

Just ask them when they would turn if told to take the next left. Picture: TikTok/erica_mallett

The “divisive” question got thousands of people talking – with many arguing why they either thought the turn would be the closest option, or the one that followed it.

Viewers swiftly became involved in a passionate debate in comments to the video, which followed an earlier one posted by Ms Mallett that exposed how people viewed time.

One thing drivers tended to agree on was that there was always an element of doubt when receiving a “take the next turn” direction.

“Yeah this confuses me, I always ask ‘this one coming or the next?’,” one wrote in a comment.

Many argued the “next left" request was in obvious reference to the first road that appeared.

“Next left is the first one coming up. Take the second left is the one after,” one said.

“The one coming would be the next one. If it were the one after it would be ‘not this left but the next’,” another said.

“Literally said next left, so it's the next left that comes up. Doesn't matter if it’s 10 metres or 100, it's the next,” a third said.

Others however felt just as strongly that the “next left” was the one after the upcoming turn.

“If it was the one coming you’d say ‘this left’. The one after is the next left,” one argued.

“Next is after the upcoming,” another said.

Someone else said misunderstanding the question caused them to fail their driving test.

“I had a driving instructor try to fail me cause she said the next right, and I took the next right turn and she said she meant the next one after,” they wrote.