We’ve come to rely so blindly on technology that we forget that the services we rely on, like Google Search, or Autocorrect are not infallible: Google has been known to make mistakes and Autocorrect is my worst enema.
Other modern conveniences that I’ve come to regard as indispensible are easily confused, like my smart phone’s GPS system: I still remember the trip to Milwaukee where I was driving down a busy suburban street when GPS said, “When possible, make a legal U-turn.” Without thinking, I did. A hundred yards later GPS said, “When possible, make a legal U-turn.” And of course I obeyed. GPS told me this four more times in rapid succession which, in addition to making me dizzy did not significantly advance my journey.
Perhaps I can excuse GPS for getting me lost in strange cities, although I can do that quite well on my own, but how to explain the time when I was in Arizona and my GPS system could not locate the Grand Canyon, which is a fairly large and obvious destination? It was after my Grand Canyon debacle, that I decided that even with GPS I need to always have a paper map nearby.
This is why when I was in Detroit several weeks ago on a business trip, as I picked up my rental car I made a mental note to request a map on my way out of the car lot. As I pulled up to the security gate a very pleasant young lady asked if I was traveling for business or pleasure. The question caught me off guard. “Does anyone come to Detroit in Decemberr for pleasure?” I asked blankly and Nicole nodded in the affirmative. “You’d be surprised,” she said.
I was so taken aback at the idea of anyone going to Detroit for fun that I lost my train of thought. Thankfully Nicole was on track. “Would you like a map?” she asked pleasantly and I was instantly grateful
“Yes, I would,” I said.
Her smile never wavered. “I’m sorry, we don’t have any,” she said.
“You don’t have any maps?” I asked her, and she shook her shook her head mournfully. “But you just offered me a map,” I said.
Nicole nodded apologetically. “My supervisor says we have to offer everyone a map.” She regarded me curiously. “That’s good customer service,” she said patronizingly.
“But you offered something you don’t have,” I protested. “That’s not good customer service.”
She shrugged. “My supervisor says I have to offer everyone a map anyway.”
“But you have no maps,” I said again and Nicole just looked at me. “You should tell your supervisor,” I said sternly.
“My supervisor knows,” she said. I looked at her without comprehension. “My supervisor says that no one ever takes maps anymore anyway so there’s no point in printing them up.”
“Then why do you offer them?” I asked again. “Besides,” I added as an afterthought. “I use maps.”
“Most people,” said Nicole, “I mean most young people, use GPS.” I just looked at her. “Don’t get me wrong,” she said, “ I mean older people use GPS too.”
“People like me?” I asked acidly and she nodded.
“Sometimes,” she said. Then she added, “but not always. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.”
I was not going to win this, so I gave up, shook my head and thanked Nicole. She gave me a big smile. “Would you like a bottle of water for your trip?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” I said.
“We don’t have any,” said Nicole.