San Diego, Google Maps, and the MTS Bus System Part 2
Continued from San Diego, Google Maps, and the MTS Bus System Part 1
Yes, Google Maps is not perfect. In fact, San Diego's hilly areas was a problem for the satellite-based service. I know no one actually walks anywhere in the Rancho Penasquitos and La Mesa area, but I enjoyed the weather so much I attempted to traverse the residential and commercial areas on foot. The Maps service not only gave me a somewhat roundabout route that took an extra 1.25 miles, I didn't realize I was walking through an extremely exclusive area of San Diego. In fact, the well-manicured garden made me feel like I was underdressed for strolling around that neighborhood.
Note: From a cartographer's perspective it is difficult to chart a walking path through hills since both Bing Maps, Here Maps, and Google Maps only recognize government identified roads and streets, not local foot paths and shortcuts. Even though I received sympathetic looks from drivers in the area as I trudged the merciless highways and hills, it was good exercise and an enlightening urban trek. A young mother who had dropped off her child at a local school even gave me an encouraging nod and probably would've offered me a lift if I hadn't rushed away so quickly in embarrassment.
Contrary to what my high school buddy and her whole family advised, the San Diego MTS is actually pretty comprehensive. Visitors can get pretty much anywhere using the comfortable trolley. The bus stops are pretty much idiot proof even if you didn't have a data plan or SIM card for your stay (though it does help if you're impatient and want to SMS the service to get the arrival times). The $5.00 day pass is used even by the locals ($7 if you don't have a Compass Card yet), and is an absolute bargain compared to day passes in other countries such as Hong Kong and Japan.
After the San Diego trip, I understood why there are few apps dedicated to places like San Diego. Most visitors just need Google Maps and the advantageous San Diego Compass Card. Also, if you didn't write down an itinerary, the free San Diego Guide from the tourist center at Balboa Park gives you a list of most commonly visited locales (La Jolla is worth the trip and the coupons are worth using).
Yes, Google Maps is not perfect. In fact, San Diego's hilly areas was a problem for the satellite-based service. I know no one actually walks anywhere in the Rancho Penasquitos and La Mesa area, but I enjoyed the weather so much I attempted to traverse the residential and commercial areas on foot. The Maps service not only gave me a somewhat roundabout route that took an extra 1.25 miles, I didn't realize I was walking through an extremely exclusive area of San Diego. In fact, the well-manicured garden made me feel like I was underdressed for strolling around that neighborhood.
Note: From a cartographer's perspective it is difficult to chart a walking path through hills since both Bing Maps, Here Maps, and Google Maps only recognize government identified roads and streets, not local foot paths and shortcuts. Even though I received sympathetic looks from drivers in the area as I trudged the merciless highways and hills, it was good exercise and an enlightening urban trek. A young mother who had dropped off her child at a local school even gave me an encouraging nod and probably would've offered me a lift if I hadn't rushed away so quickly in embarrassment.
Baca Juga
Contrary to what my high school buddy and her whole family advised, the San Diego MTS is actually pretty comprehensive. Visitors can get pretty much anywhere using the comfortable trolley. The bus stops are pretty much idiot proof even if you didn't have a data plan or SIM card for your stay (though it does help if you're impatient and want to SMS the service to get the arrival times). The $5.00 day pass is used even by the locals ($7 if you don't have a Compass Card yet), and is an absolute bargain compared to day passes in other countries such as Hong Kong and Japan.
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| San Diego Compass Card |
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| The trolley stations take advantage of San Diego's amazing blue sky and gentle sunshine. |
After the San Diego trip, I understood why there are few apps dedicated to places like San Diego. Most visitors just need Google Maps and the advantageous San Diego Compass Card. Also, if you didn't write down an itinerary, the free San Diego Guide from the tourist center at Balboa Park gives you a list of most commonly visited locales (La Jolla is worth the trip and the coupons are worth using).
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| A running joke in Wonder Man's 90s series was Simon Williams not owning a car in Los Angeles. Although Simon Williams initially used an ion jetpack from Stark Industries initially, the immortal Avenger started jumping around like the Hulk to travel around the city after Wonder Man #3 (1991), where Williams overloaded his flight pack to defeat a gamma-powered opponent/ |
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