A little travel rant.
A few months back, Yahoo changed the way that they provided driving directions. I don’t know if they changed providers of data, or look and feel, or refactored the database or something.
But I can give you a one line review: Driving directions from Yahoo fucking suck.
I thought it was me, when Jen and I went to Ft. Worth to see the firework (no, that’s not a typo) I just thought downtown Ft. Worth was confusing, and although I believed the directions were bad, I just figured it was a one time glitch. Nope. Apparently ALL Yahoo directions suck now.
I received this while in Denver this morning, trying to find a training facility. It should be noted that these are directions for going from one end of the block to the other. I did not know how close the training facility was at the time (my comments in blue):
1.Start at 7675 E UNION AVE, DENVER on E UNION AVE - go < 0.1 mi We already have problem number 1. Do you think it would be too much trouble if they told me WHICH way to go on East Union? I mean, really. If I knew which way to Monaco, then I would not need the fucking directions, would I? (This is not, by the way, a bug. NONE of the Yahoo driving directions tell you which way to go anymore. This omission just ate our lunch in Ft. Worth.)
2.Turn L on S MONACO ST - go 0.2 mi This seems pretty straightforward, right? WRONG. East Union does not intersect Monaco, at least they don’t anywhere near here.
3.Continue on a local road - go < 0.1 mi What in the fuck does this mean? At one point during the Ft. Worth escapade, I was convinced this meant “drive through a parking lot.” This time, it actually meant “turn left at the first light.”
4.Continue on E BELLEVIEW AVE - go 0.1 mi Belleview? When did I get on Belleview? However I got here, though, I should “continue.” Seriously, these directions are so bad, that in hindsight, I would have done better driving around randomly looking for the sign that said “Oracle.”
5.Arrive at 6501 E BELLEVIEW AVE, ENGLEWOOD This last step is helpful. Without being told to arrive, I’m sure I’d drive right past the fucking place.
Correct, useful, and accurate directions would have read: 1. Begin heading west on E UNION AVE.-.2 mi. 2. Turn L on E BELLEVIEW AVE.-.1 mi 3. 6501 E BELLEVIEW AVE is one block ahead on your left.
(Keep in mind, I could have walked to this facility. Yahoo’s directions seem to get worse with the number of steps involved. This was just the example I had this morning.)
I do not know if MapQuest is any better, but I am sure as hell going to find out. Does anyone else know of a source for driving directions on the Internet that does not suck ass?
9 Responses to “A little travel rant.”
Sorry you had such a bad experience your first day there…hopefully the day got better?? Though I’ve honestly never tried to get directions from Mapquest involving any part of Denver, I’ve always had great success with their directions in the DFW area. I’ve never been a fan of yahoo maps/directions.
Good luck!
Awww…. it wasn’t so bad. Learned a lot, and even got to class on time. But this is several experiences in a row I have had with really bad directions from Yahoo. I’d been planning this rant for a while, but this morning sent me off the deep end.
Egads! I stopped using Yahoo maps years ago. Mapquest isn’t the Oracle, certainly, but God knows it’s better. Give ‘er a whirl. I didn’t get lost once while putzing around eastern Maryland, thank you mapquest!
But then, of course, I do have a brilliant sense of direction.
Aren’t you a girl? Are you allowed to have a brilliant sense of direction?
Ouch! It’s not really a matter of being “allowed” or not, though. Yes, I’m a girl; yes, I have a brilliant sense of direction. I didn’t know those two were necessarily mutually exclusive.
Nothing personal, and not to make a sweeping generalization, but I’ve never met a girl that could find her way out of a driveway. They just don’t function that way.
That’s ok. They have other talents. And they smell nice.
Well then, perhaps it’s time you met ME — ’cause I can proudly say that, despite my best efforts to get myself lost (after all, that’s when you find the coolest stuff!), I’ve never been. Lost, I mean.
That said, I do have other talents as well. And smell nice, too.
Turek, meet Liz. Liz, meet Turek.
/wave