I can’t remember if I mentioned Google Maps the other day. I meant to, but then probably forgot, but if I’ve forgotten that I didn’t forget and this is a repeat, then read it anyway and then forget about it, because this, like a lot of what I put here, is pretty unmemorable.
Now I’ve forgotten what I was going to… oh yes. Sat navs and Google’s map service. I’ll say that again, Google’s map “service.” I was coming down the road the other morning when I met a lady looking for the museum and trying to get there via her phone and Google Maps. I took a quick look at the screen, and it bore little similarity to reality. In the end, I took her there as that was easier and quicker than explaining the route. It reminded me that I passed by the other day and took a photo of the opening times.
It’s becoming a ‘thing’ now, to see people reaching the village square with their noses buried in a phone, glancing up, looking around and then following their phone again. ‘Are you lost?’ you ask, to which they reply with a firm, ‘No,’ and carry on being lost. On some occasions, as reported by Neil from his position of helpful barman, someone will be so adamant their phone is right, that they will stare at a building and swear there should be a lane there. ‘Clearly, there isn’t,’ doesn’t stop them from complaining that the village hasn’t been built according to their map, and off they go to get lost elsewhere.
The problem might be that the maps don’t have the steps marked on them. So, the best one is when you see someone on a hired moped, and they weave their way along past Sotiris’ supermarket to arrive at the Kali Strata Restaurant, and then look very confused, left, right, can’t go up or down, then their passenger shows them their phone as if to say, you can go that way, the phone says so.
The moral of the tale is, if in doubt, ask, don’t rely on a map on your phone. Besides, when you’re exploring, what would you rather see? The scenery or the screen?
