Sunday, November 18, 2007

Directions from the internet

Have you eve gotten directions from the internet? Do you use Mapquest? Or do you prefer Google Maps?

Well I actually used both for a shopping trip the other day.

I need to replace my rugby shirts that I have. They are really getting old and are starting to show it. So I thought I would go to Target and they would carry them. Last Sunday I got up really early and went to the Target close to my house. Turns out Target didn't carry them. Later in the week I stopped off at Macy's (there's a story on my way home from work). They had some. The shirt cost $90. Good to know I have such good taste but I'm not spending that much money on a shirt.

So I was stumped. Where else to go? Someone at work had been at a Kohl's and said they had a whole bunch of rugby shirts. But where's the closest Kohl's to me.

Thus came in the internet. I went to Kohl's site. I checked to make sure they indeed did have rugby shirts. Which they did. Then did the store locater and came up with one not too far away from me in Maryland. So I used both Mapquest and Google maps.

They both came up with the same basic route. I used the one from Google maps because the print out was in larger type. I will say there is nothing harder for me to do when driving then read directions and drive at the same time. I'm driving and driving. 13th Street in Washington becomes Sargent Road in Maryland. You turn on Riggs Road which runs into another road (which by the by is not mentioned in the directions). I finally pull over and take out my map and get a sense of where the hell I am. (Yes I should have done that before I left the house but it was 7 am.)

I finally get there. Find the shirts and they cost like $18 and look very nice. I look at my map again now that I know where I am and I figure out a much easier way to back to my house. I really don't understand why my route wasn't the route I got from either of the internet map places.

I have problems before with the internet maps. One time I was directed down a road which would get me to my destination once is was finished but that wasn't gong to be for awhile. I've also gotten directions that are just wrong. So the moral of the story look at you own damn map before you leave home. I sure wish I had.

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