Plaid Summer Tour: Google—the new local.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Google—the new local.

The tour is creating a new axiom for us: When it comes to directions, never trust a local, unless it’s one you know, because Google maps has bailed us out more than the ‘locals’ have. It’s rare that we have time to wonder around and discover new places. Usually, there’s just no time for it, and that means calling up Google quickly as we drive around lost. (We nixed the idea of a Garmin since we’re already on laptops anyway doing a bunch of stuff, besides, typing is easier that way rather than reaching for something on the dash.) For the most part, Google’s been 99.376584% accurate, especially when you’re bouncing down the streets of San Francisco or Vancouver on the fly and need to find gas, a diner or laundromat. It can be your worst enemy too when one way streets magically appear that weren’t on the map.

But compared to the ~~hotel~~ motel ~~concierge~~ front desk woman? It’s waaaaaaaay better. Like when the nearest (insert thing you need) is supposed to be “Up the diagonal street” and is actually in the opposite direction—two blocks over. And the one she first said turns out to be a dry cleaners. Google? Had it like that. (*snaps hand in, um, snapping gesture*)

Better than Google though are still the locals you know, like friends of the Plaid crew, many of who live in the area, and who told us all the places to go. More importantly? They told us the places not to go. Especially, the truly ‘sketchy’ places. The definition of which someone you don’t know in a Yahoo! forum exaggerated and which actually turns out to be fine.

Labels: tour route, van