I was on Chiswick High Street today trying to find a cash point that worked.
Eventually I found the Natwest and managed to obtain some cash and as I departed the bank, a chap stopped me on the street. He was wearing a Tesco supermarket jacket.
“Excuse me, mate,” he said. I turned round.
“Do you know where Cromwell Street is?” he asked, brandishing an envelope with a series of directions scribbled on the back.
“Errrrr,” I said. That’s the standard first-response from most people in the UK. I didn’t want to disappoint.
I thought hard.
Cromwell Street.
No.
“No, sorry…” I said. The chap made to turn. “But wait!” I exclaimed, “Let me just check for you.”
I whipped out my Blackberry.
“Google Maps,” I said, nodding at the chap.
He looked vaguely impressed.
My Bold fired up Google Maps and I looked on with delighted expectation as the handset found my location and began to swiftly display Chiswick High Road on the map, complete with a flashing blue dot.
Brilliance.
“So, Cromwell Road is it?” I say to the chap.
He nods.
I hit search and I type in Cromwell Road…
“Just a moment,” I say, watching the data-cursor thing at the top right of the Blackberry shoot back and forward, indicating something was happening.
I smiled as I saw one of the Google Map squares appear on screen.
“Just a momennnnnnnnnnttttttt,” I say, stretching the words as long as is possible, whilst I wait for the sodding 3G data connection to perform.
The chap and I stand there.
People go about their business.
I start to think, “This is bollocks.”
20 seconds went by.
“It’s… er….” I say, feeling like a total cock.
Goodness knows what this guy is thinking. All he wanted was a simple binary answer. If my answer was ‘yes’, then he’d also have hoped to get some kind of directions. He’d have been content with a ‘no’. Because he could have asked somebody else.
Unfortunately he selected me.
45 seconds later, after quietly swearing profusely at my Blackberry and my BOLLOCKS Vodafone connection, I apologised to the chap and said, “I think it might be up that way.”
He thanked me — I’m not sure what for — and walked off.
Gahhhh. How annoying!
My Blackberry, Google Maps and Vodafone totally failed me this morning: http://ping.fm/DMwqn
LOL! RT @Ew4n: My Blackberry, Google Maps and Vodafone totally failed me this morning: http://ping.fm/DMwqn
My Blackberry, Google Maps and Vodafone totally failed me this morning: http://ping.fm/DMwqn
I think that neatly sums up the fact that most technology is great to play with, but when you *really* need it you can be sure that nine times out of ten *something* about it will let you down. Maybe it's just me, but I reckon this happens far too often. Doesn't bode well at all for Normob adoption. One failed attempt with a device or app and they're likely to bail – forever.
great example of the gap between promise and reality. Hence the disclaimed on those iphone ads about not being in real time??!!!
yeah…. 😐 Sometimes I still feel like I'm back in 2005 hugging GPRS a lot.
LOL! RT @Ew4n: My Blackberry, Google Maps and Vodafone totally failed me this morning: http://ping.fm/DMwqn
Was the technology really the problem here?
With a paper map, Google maps, etc and a good knowledge of the area I still can't work out where this chap was trying to get to. Was he looking for the A4? (which becomes Cromwell Road about 4 miles east – in Earls Court) or Cromwell Street – 5 miles west in Hounslow?
If your Blackberry had worked perfectly would you have trusted it enough to confidently tell the guy that there was no road nearby named Cromwell Road/Street?
I could see one square on my device that highlighted Cromwell Road… and I suspected the A4 led on to that… but couldn't tell him for sure.
Definitely some element of user error too.
Classic!!! It happens in the best families ;-). It has happened to me a couple of times and my nine year old daughter has been v unimpressed when I try to find my way around Clapham. I have to say that my HTC did impress a Sao Paulo taxi driver when I managed to get better driving and walking directions in googlemaps for him. My boss was also impressed 😉
Ha! Should have used Nokia Maps – at least that way the whole of the UK is preloaded 😎
You see, Nokia Maps DOES have its advantages!!!
Ha! Should have used Nokia Maps – at least that way the whole of the UK is preloaded 😎
You see, Nokia Maps DOES have its advantages!!!