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6月23日 Got Lost with "Neverlost"Before the popularization of GPS system in rental cars, I used to rely on maps printed from Yahoo maps or specific driving directions provided for trips out of town. I was not a fan of Mapquest because I didn't have much luck with it. Directions tended to be more roundabout and I don't like their logo. Yes, I didn't mistype that previous sentence. The fuzzy wuzzy logo does not hit a spot with me. Anyways, car rental counters always provided the handy maps for easy reference, as long as your destination wasn't too remote.
During my recent trip out of town, I decided to give the GPS system Hertz offered. The onboard navigational system was named "Neverlost," but I sure wasn't as confident as Hertz's marketing department. Prior to "Neverlost," I had the pleasure of interacting with that piece of equipment. For those of us who swear by maps, GPS is our worst enemy. I cannot count the number of times when I was on the brink of trashing that device due to its poor route selection. I knew better ways of getting to the destination that would avoid traffic and the like. One of my most despised message from the GPS is "When possible, please make a legal u-turn." Guess what, when you're on a freeway, you can't make a u-turn until the next exit. If you're not too lucky, the entrance back to the freeway may not be easily found. Secondly, if the driver is someone who worships the GPS, the secondary struggle is convincing the driver that the GPS is mistaken. Oftentimes, the dispute revolved around the statement "Just obey the GPS!" I'm afraid GPS wasn't one of the Ten Commandments. Finally, my all time favorite is when the GPS decides that you're stuck somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle and you can forget about finding your way home.Well, for the most part of my trip, the GPS delivered. "Neverlost" got me through a 1.5 hour drive from the airport to my destination and so on. It almost won my heart until it let me down when it got lost in Center City Philadephia, around Rittenhouse Square. It must have been the off-the-map parking lot where I left the rental that confused the device. I was pressed for time to catch my flight, and "Neverlost" had conveniently chosen this moment to show me it frailties. The timing couldn't have been more appropriate. Thankfully, I kind of remembered where I drove from, so I actually found a freeway entrance with signs pointing me towards the airport. Once on the freeway, "Neverlost" was found again and that was after I fiddled with it as I was merging on the freeway. Well, maybe it had to make sure I returned it to its rightful owner so that it can continue to provide sporadic services to its other lucky patrons. 1月26日 Trips with FriendsFor some people, travelling is something to really look forward to. It represents a break from the normal weekend/weekday routine and special activities/events that are not available in the normal environment. The planning process can either be a complete headache or totally joyful. It's a headache because it requires (1) coordinating with people and their schedules, (2) making sure you are comfortable with the various price points during the flight/hotel/car rental booking process, and finally (3) agreeing upon the activities in which to engage during the trip. Of course, plenty of that has to do with how much on the same page you are with your travel partners, especially when it comes to travel budgets. It's a total joy because as you explore the options of available actvities, you uncover different exciting activities such as shopping/gambling/sight seeing/eating. Being the negative person that I am, I generally dislike planning trips or participating in trips. This is why I only go on trips with people I know well and vice versa. That way, if I am too quiet or too whiney, my closer friends are willing to cut me some slack or set me straight. Of course, because I am aware of my tendencies, I generally go with the flow...as long as the flow is not entirely against my wishes. However, when I consider certain activities as undo-able -- such as skiing without the proper paraphernalia -- I will not budge and will not participate. Sometimes the true test of friendship is a road trip, when you are constantly at each other's faces -- arguing like siblings over what to eat, what music to listen to, etc. It's either you return from the trip as closer friends or take a semi-permanent break from the friendship. I've never ever taken the latter path...but then again, I don't travel much with friends. |
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