I've mentioned my love of Chicago's public transportation. So that morning, with tummy growling, I jumped on the bus and headed out to meet her.
As a newbie to Chicago, I pretty much rely on the trusty maps feature on my iPhone to get me around town. The convenient little bus at its top is my bff. It always points me toward the bus or train that is arriving next and will deliver me to my requested destination. Sure it isn't always perfect. Sometimes it takes me on a longer route or into a neighborhood that might be questionable. But it's simple and generally helpful.
Until it isn't.
On the morning in question, I typed Jam into the search box and quickly set off to the bus that would take me to my friend and our yummy meal. Except this time things went horribly wrong.
When I got off the bus, deep in the heart of the Ukrainian Village, I looked around and I couldn't find Jam anywhere. How had this happened? I followed the directions perfectly.
Did you know... You must ALWAYS use an address and not a business name in Google Maps
Turns out, Jam moved to Logan Square several months earlier. Although the address had been updated in their Google profile, their location had not been updated on Google's map.
Don't ask me how that is possible. Google is a total mystery to me.
Standing in the middle of the Ukrainian Village, late for brunch, my unwavering trust in the map app began to waver. I called my friend. She spoke with the hostess who admitted that this wasn't the first time this had happened. I'll be honest with you, this little bit of information both comforted and annoyed the hell out of me. She promised that the fix was simple. I needed to use the address instead of the restaurant's name. Unfortunately, when I did that I discovered that I still had another twenty minute bus ride to get there. And apparently cabs don't circulate in the Ukrainian Village on Saturday afternoons. Blargghhhhhhhh.
Thankfully, my very sweet and patient girlfriend got in her car and came to scoop me up. My, by this time, monstrous appetite and I waited for her at the corner gas station looking like a well dressed hitchhiker. But on this little adventure I learned a valuable lesson. ALWAYS use the address when fetching directions from Google maps. Your grumbly tummy will thank you for it.
