Age and the internet.

[Dave]

"At the next roundabout take the second turning."

Do you mean drive straight on ahead? Why don't you speak English?

 

[tinkerdan]

"At the next roundabout take the second turning."

The roundabouts we have here-called traffic circles...when entering them you have to take a right turn and when exiting you have to take a right turn.
They are pretty big and anyone going straight ahead would severely damage their car.
Generally, though, the second turn would keep you going in the direction you came into the circle--however I'm certain I'd instruct someone to take the second turning.

 

[Danny McG]

"At the next roundabout take the second turning."

Do you mean drive straight on ahead? Why don't you speak English?

They never speak normal anyways, you'll get a "take a left turn at junction 82"
As opposed to "swing left at this big white pub"

 

[-K2-]

They've been adding for a few years here, roundabouts where there were perfectly good and safe intersections. Frankly, knowing our area, it's because some pretentious...twit, probably came back from a European city where they HAD to have them in plazas and other such areas, and decided they were great, simply to do something different.

No offense to other nations since they struggled to work within the constraints of existing cities, but the U.S. was noted for decades as having one of the finest road 'systems' (road quality another thing), in the world, emulated by those who were building new. So now, we have the massive confusion of needing to avoid either stupid or uncaring drivers as they whip around some pointless circle to drive straight ahead.

Next week, some other bright boy will decide we could avoid the whole intersection thing by catapulting cars over them...Sadly, there seems to be an abundance of stupid still in this world.

K2

 

[Foxbat]

And cars that talk?!? Grrrrrrrr.

It could be worse.....cars that talk back...

 

[Matteo]

"At the next roundabout take the second turning."

The roundabouts we have here-called traffic circles...when entering them you have to take a right turn and when exiting you have to take a right turn.
They are pretty big and anyone going straight ahead would severely damage their car.
Generally, though, the second turn would keep you going in the direction you came into the circle--however I'm certain I'd instruct someone to take the second turning.

Round - about?

and also:

 

[MikeAnderson]

This would be true for me as well. But would it be true for a 16 year old? or an 87 year old? A driver from Miami? --- I had a buddy from northern Florida tell me that the people to look out for when the rare ice hit that area were the people who had moved from New York 10 years ago and thought that they knew how to drive on slippery roads.

I live in South Dakota, and my favorite winter activity is watching idiots from the Sunshine State try to drive in our weather. They can't even drive in sunny conditions; put a half inch of ice on the road, it's like watching somebody trying to teach a dog calculus.

Pure, absurd fun.

 

[AlexH]

As well as missing the doctor's appointment, other things I couldn't do while my mobile phone wasn't working (a replacement SIM has fixed it):
buy some running shoes online because I couldn't complete the transaction without a texted code
sign up for an Apple ID

 

[mosaix]

As well as missing the doctor's appointment, other things I couldn't do while my mobile phone wasn't working (a replacement SIM has fixed it):
buy some running shoes online because I couldn't complete the transaction without a texted code
sign up for an Apple ID

It’s strange how embedded these things have become in our daily lives.

I was having a conversation with a ‘friend’ who thinks people on benefits are paid to much: “They can always afford a smart phone, can’t they?” etc.

Apparently, if you’re not contactable 24 hrs a day it’s possible to lose your benefit.

 

[AlexH]

It’s strange how embedded these things have become in our daily lives.

I was having a conversation with a ‘friend’ who thinks people on benefits are paid to much: “They can always afford a smart phone, can’t they?” etc.

Apparently, if you’re not contactable 24 hrs a day it’s possible to lose your benefit.

I find the reliance on a device sad and constant notifications are one reason society is becoming more stressed. It stressed me out switching all the notifications off when I first got a smartphone, and some apps still re-enable them with 'updates.' I didn't miss my mobile phone while it wasn't working, as I often leave it switched off anyway. I use GPS on my phone sometimes but always take paper maps too if it's important. In fact, when I go hiking, my mobile is rarely switched on.

 

[Dave]

I didn't miss my mobile phone while it wasn't working, as I often leave it switched off anyway. I use GPS on my phone sometimes but always take paper maps too if it's important. In fact, when I go hiking, my mobile is rarely switched on.

When I'm away on holiday, I usually don't look at the Internet at all. Unfortunately, weather forecasts, maps, etc. are all moving online, You also have to book places to visit and events online (often you can't phone) and get digital tickets. I agree with you about the intrusiveness. Once you are online, you see the emails, the replies from Chrons... then it's a slippery slope!

Paper maps are essential. if you can still get reception on your phone then you aren't hiking in the right places!

 

[Parson]

Once you are online, you see the emails, the replies from Chrons... then it's a slippery slope!

Let's see I'm now on my fourth perusal of chrons today. No, I'm not addicted. I could stop anytime I wanted.

 

[JimC]

I spent last week on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina dealing with continual traffic circles.
They are essential in Europe - not here.

 

[JimC]

I turn my phone off when in my plane. I do carry a map, but generally leave it in the baggage compartment.

 

[Vladd67]

I spent last week on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina dealing with continual traffic circles.
They are essential in Europe - not here.

You would love Milton Keynes, 130 roundabouts and growing.

 

[Parson]

I turn my phone off when in my plane.

Okay, now I'm jealous!

 

[Astro Pen]

They never speak normal anyways, you'll get a "take a left turn at junction 82"
As opposed to "swing left at this big white pub"

I hate the bit where you are nearly at your destination and it says " Take the second right - Oh and you forgot to turn the oven off."

 

[JimC]

I'm prone to turn it off in my car too.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Well I'm sadly disappointed with you all.

All these grumbling and moaning about "modern" technology and longing for the good old days when men were men and beating wives was not only normal but expected. In those days there was none of this mass communication. A trip to the doctor by pony and trap was plenty fast enough. After all your wife had only just started her contractions and the "ride" would help the baby get into posistion.

Nevermind, there was no need for on line prescription services because what would you need? Leeches were plentiful in the local pond and your servants could collect them simply by wading in.

@Dave I fail to see the difference between your phone being without charge and just losing your key. At least with the phone, she could just recharge it. With the lost key, the solution is a brick. Having said that, I fail to see why you would rely on an electronic lock (I know cars do it all the time but..) as your only means of access. Especially because by it's nature a phone app that gives acces to your house has to be "clonable" in case there are two people living there, or you change your phone. Such problems leave your house at risk IMO. I accept it on a car because a car is just a piece of metal on wheels. Whereas your home contains all your trinkets. Having said that how many of us have a spare coin battery in their wallet for when their fob dies.

Sat navs in cars. I trust no one has actually put their actual "home" address in them. I always put the number and street address for a house half a mile away. If I can't get home from that location, then I'm too drunk to drive. Else if you lose your keys, they press the button, your car says "here I am" and your sat nav says this is where you can use that key to open the door.

As for transport nostalgia. Well that's just a load of horse sh*t.

Who would think this is a site for "futuristic imaginations"?

 

[Dave]

@TheEndIsNigh No one has ever called me a Luddite before and I don't think I could ever be called a Luddite, but the number of occasions when I have lost my physical keys or accidentally locked myself out of the house, can be counted on one single hand, while the number of times that my phone battery has died, (or I've had no reception, or can't connect to WiFi) are too numerous to count. In my anecdote, the problem was that the person couldn't actually find anywhere to charge her phone. In addition, this thread is (was) about the difficulties faced in an increasingly changing technological world, by a generation who may or may not have less capacity to keep up (or maybe just don't wish to) and how there are no alternatives. There ought to always be alternatives. (Maybe the alternative in the anecdotal case is instead of keeping a key under the flower pot, you keep a charged phone charger there.)

I turn my phone off when in my plane.

Okay, now I'm jealous!

I'm prone to turn it off in my car too.

I'm guessing it's a Bugatti La Voiture Noire?