There are many signage dialects other than Anglo-Saxon mainstream. For example, neighbouring countries on the European continent may differ in horizontal and vertical location as well as arrow direction of freeway sign posts for going straight (up versus down) or taking a turn to the left or right. Also the order of consecutive destinations differs from the nearest placed above/below/mixed. Directions like North/South are mainly found in the Commonwealth and very helpful for the topographically astute. 

Very interesting answer Hein. Yes wayfinding is such a sociocultural activity as you say. It's a fascinating issue / subject area in relation to wayfinding and much understudied. 

Recently, the GPS in our car sent us on a multi-mile loop. One where the beginning point was identical to the ending point. Obviously, we did not take it. Instead we switched to the GPS on the iPhone.

For example:

1) People, despite being social beings, are also on individual spiritual and physical journeys that warrant individual forms of orientation - especially in transit spaces;

2) Cultures develop own spatial notions and ways to reference space;

3)  Spaces like airports increasingly subject travelers to competing signage and functional variety, e.g. for shopping and security. The post 1989 and post 9/11 airport has increased in size and complexity. However, different areas are subject to different behavioral codes, e.g. go stand in line and take off your belt and shoes for control vs take your time for a neck massage or comfortably buy duty free....the overwhelming amount of contradicting stimulus makes overall navigation difficult and psychologically challenging;

4) Representatives of every environment tend to code and signal their spaces according to their profound understanding of local space and this understanding is very different from that of people who merely transit a context. I would argue that this holds also true for non-spaces like airports with the difference that the representatives of the environment are agencies and organisations rather than individuals.

Whenever I travel I have connectivity problem in airports and cities. This is because there is no universal Wi-Fi system, as companies are more concerned about the business than the permanent connectivity of their users. I believe that business agreements should be made to provide these services while traveling, avoiding to acquire a new plan for a short time of validity with other companies of the country that is visited.