Yesterday, I had an unplanned adventure.
I left my house late yesterday and forgot my iPhone. I realized my mistake about half way to work, which was too late to turn back. “Ah well, I guess I can live without it for one day,” I thought.
What proceeded was a nightmare…
At about 9:15 AM, I left for my appointment located in an unfamiliar part of the city that is sprawling with factories, desolate parking lots, roads without sidewalks and broken payphones. Upon getting lost trying to find my destination (Mapquest, you suck), I started stressing because I couldn’t call my appointment to let them know I was running late. I also couldn’t call my office to make the call for me or get any assistance. Fun!
At exactly 9:50am (10 minutes before my appt.), I finally see someone that I can ask for directions. YAHOO! I asked, “Excuse me sir, could you tell me where Milton Street is?” To which the polite, but unfortunately rather unhelpful gentleman replied “No hablo Ingles.”
Knowing that a 45 minute pantomime session was out of the question, I sped off trying to find my destination. After five minutes of sweating (combination of nerves and high blood pressure) and more driving, I saw Milton Street. Thank you, God.
As I pulled the car over to make a U-turn to head back toward Milton Street, I hit a curb – not once, but twice. Instantly I knew my day had taken a turn for the worse. With the sudden pulling of the steering wheel to the right, my fears were confirmed: I had a flat. I had two flats.
At this point I only really had one option, so I grabbed my laptop and projector and hoofed it to my now nearby destination.
I recount this story on our blog because I want to stress how different my day would have been had I remembered my iPhone. I could have used my phone’s maps/gps to find my destination. I could have called my appointment to let them know I was running late or to get directions. I could have reached my office for help. Heck, I could have even called my sister who speaks Spanish and let her talk to the guy who could have given me directions!
I have heard a lot of people recently (not sure why) talk about how things were possibly better before cell phones, email, texting, and the gazillion other ways we communicate today with each other. People can feel or say what they want but I must admit, I would have loved to been able to text someone on my iPhone yesterday.
Was life better before cell phones? Do we rely too heavily on technology? What do you think?
Two main problems.
1)”Ah well, I guess I can live without it for one day,” I thought.”
2) You used mapquest
Right on both counts – huge misteps!
Is the question “was life better before cellphones” or “was life better before you had one gizmo that is a phone, GPS, and PIM?” I started in sales when cell phones were just becoming affordable (and transportable), and I would say they definitely have been a big help in sales as a COMMUNICATION tool. Previous to having a cell phone, when running late I had to make the decision should I be a little late w/o notifying my client or be a lot later trying to find a pay phone to call the client to let them know I’d be late. :^)
Also, before GPS, I most always gave myself enough time between appointments to find the location I was going to, which meant I most often sat in the car in the parking lot doing some work to use up the extra time before the appointment.
I think the issue is we have this technology now that lets us do more in less time, and the danger is if the technology fails, we do not have the time buffer to make up for it. I can’t create more time, but I always have a redundant/backup plan. Before I leave the office for any appointment, I print out a map and customer contact details, and, I keep maps in the car, even though I have a GPS.
Now, if I just had a backup plan for traffic jams – maybe a jetpack in the trunk?
That way I see it, we’ve always relied on technology. It’s what pasteurizes our milk to make us healthy enough to use modern transportation to get us to work to make more technology. Why stop now!
This is a very unfortunate situation that you were in, however I also must admit – IT IS a REALITY! Today we rely on our mobile communication methods so heavily, however I do not agree with those who say “life used to be so much better before…BLAH BLAH BLAH. I do not buy it –
I am always wondering what I would do on my hour and a half commute if I were not able to make calls and catch up with friends and clients that I normally am not able to while I am in the office.
Finding a new place to eat in the city, getting a review for it, getting the number, making a call / reservation, and finally navigating me to the location. All of these things have been enabled by our mobile devices and I would truly be lost without my Bberry!
Those who do not “believe” in using mobile technology or think that life was better before it was mainstream are doing a terrible disservice to themselves and their social life. I mean – how do you find your friends when you go out and want to meet them somewhere!? “Hey meet me in front of the Icecream shoppe in the food court at exactly 3:30, I’ll be waiting there for you” – yea good luck buddy
That being said – signing off!
Bhavik