Things that frustrate us all

[Faintly Macabre]

I discovered recently that Google doesn't know you can walk from Birmingham International 'bus station (also railway station etc.) to the NEC (site of Comic-Con and that kind of thing) under cover. It wants you to go to a different 'bus stop and walk a lot further in the open. Luckily, I knew - I've done it before (and I read signposting)


It's not the first time this has happened. As far as I can see, Google and its ilk are very good on "common" routes and journeys but frequently questionable on the less travelled and, particularly, on pedestrian (rather than car) routes. A (paper) street map and local knowledge is better any day.

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

As a former Doordash employee, I can tell you that Google Maps is great... for the middle 98% of a journey. Getting you to the main road and to your destination after you've left the main roads... it's spotty.

 

[B.J.]

I hate it when Google Maps or Waze decides to "cut a corner" and routes you through a neighborhood or small alley instead of just going a tiny bit further to the major intersection and the main road. One of many examples: I was going to my son's football game on Friday, and it had us turn off the major 4-lane highway and going through country roads and small neighborhoods for 6 miles. When we got there, we could see the same 4-lane highway from the stadium! It would have been only about 1/4 mile further to drive if we stayed on the main road.

 

[Captain Marsh]

The new technician Just Doesn't Get It!
And I'm not talking about fixing flat tires, I'm talking about not being able to read the room.
I'm at the front counter trying to bill out a customer and he's standing behind me, tapping me on my shoulder, wanting to check in from lunch, saying "Hurry up. I don't want to be late."
I finally turned to him and snapped, "I'm with a customer. Go use the computer in the shop to check in."
Then he had the nerve to yell at me for being rude.
And it's not the first time he's done it.
I'll be on the phone or with a customer and he'll come up and stand beside me saying, "Hey, I need your help."
I can't be pulled away from the front desk.
He needs to learn how to do it himself.

True. But you really don't know what's going on with people.

I mean for all I know that person who is unable to unable to read the room may be unable to read social cues. There is actually a disorder out there called Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and it is very much underdiagnosed. This is frequently comorbid with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism. Some people with this have (depends on the person with this disorder):

-Trouble interpreting maps, puzzles, geometry, or visual patterns. Difficulty copying shapes, judging distances, or orienting in space.

-Clumsiness, poor hand-eye coordination, difficulty with tasks like tying shoes, riding a bike, or using scissors.

-Good at rote memorization but difficulty with higher-level math that requires conceptual or spatial reasoning (fractions, geometry, word problems).

-Trouble reading facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language. May miss sarcasm, humor, or unspoken social rules.
Common Signs in Daily Life

• Appears verbally advanced (large vocabulary, strong memory for facts) but struggles with comprehension of abstract ideas.
• May take things literally and miss figurative or metaphorical language.
• Difficulty recognizing patterns or main ideas in reading or conversation.
• Poor sense of direction, easily lost, or struggles with spatial navigation.
• Social awkwardness—may interrupt, ask repetitive questions, or fail to notice when others are bored or upset.
• Resistance to change, anxiety in new situations, or difficulty generalizing skills to new contexts.

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

^ A lot of those symptoms/behaviors are also related to Autism Spectrum Disorder, AKA Asperger's Syndrome, AKA High Functioning Autism, AKA Neurodivergence.

Whether I qualify as any of those depends on who you ask.