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I was hoping the article would go into how one can travel without a phone. But it's just the "look at your phone less" story (which is also true, I totally noti

by lucb1e 7y ago

I was hoping the article would go into how one can travel without a phone. But it's just the "look at your phone less" story (which is also true, I totally notice it myself when I'm in situations where I can't look at my phone). The issue with this is that I don't know how to get anywhere (conveniently) or find public transport connections without my phone.

xxpor 7y ago
I recently was in Prague for a day and mobile data wasn't working for whatever reason for me. I was able to get wifi in the train station, which let me download google and here offline maps for the city. So I was able to navigate around, but couldn't check twitter/hn etc. That worked out pretty well. I could have also bought a paper map but who wants to deal with that?
- lucb1e 7y ago
  ExactlyIn my case I always have maps downloaded with public transport data (using OsmAnd, no Google license needed), but it's not quite as good as routing with live updates. I don't know about your country, but in Aachen, Germany they drive using a "from" schedule. So if it says "line 3 to Haaren: 09:33" then that doesn't mean "at 0933" but "somewhere from 0933 onwards but definitely not sooner".
coldtea 7y ago
>The issue with this is that I don't know how to get anywhere (conveniently) or find public transport connections without my phone. Almost anywhere you go, even developing world, they have all kinds of small guidebooks and maps, often given for free, with all the public transport connections. You can ask any passer by for directions (god forbid they might be wrong or difficult, and you lose some time!), take a cab, ask the bus driver, check the diagrams at the subway station, and lots of other ways... People say it like it's some arcane magic to do so, whereas even back in 2000 or so, there were no "apps" and instant access to public transport connections, or such, and billions still managed...
- lucb1e 7y ago
  Yeah, when I need to I'll bother other people. But carrying around physical schedules (which I already find hard to figure out in my own language) or holding up the driver isn't really what I'd consider convenient.

by lucb1e 7y ago

xxpor 7y ago

I recently was in Prague for a day and mobile data wasn't working for whatever reason for me. I was able to get wifi in the train station, which let me download google and here offline maps for the city. So I was able to navigate around, but couldn't check twitter/hn etc. That worked out pretty well. I could have also bought a paper map but who wants to deal with that?

lucb1e 7y ago
ExactlyIn my case I always have maps downloaded with public transport data (using OsmAnd, no Google license needed), but it's not quite as good as routing with live updates. I don't know about your country, but in Aachen, Germany they drive using a "from" schedule. So if it says "line 3 to Haaren: 09:33" then that doesn't mean "at 0933" but "somewhere from 0933 onwards but definitely not sooner".

coldtea 7y ago

>The issue with this is that I don't know how to get anywhere (conveniently) or find public transport connections without my phone. Almost anywhere you go, even developing world, they have all kinds of small guidebooks and maps, often given for free, with all the public transport connections. You can ask any passer by for directions (god forbid they might be wrong or difficult, and you lose some time!), take a cab, ask the bus driver, check the diagrams at the subway station, and lots of other ways... People say it like it's some arcane magic to do so, whereas even back in 2000 or so, there were no "apps" and instant access to public transport connections, or such, and billions still managed...

lucb1e 7y ago
Yeah, when I need to I'll bother other people. But carrying around physical schedules (which I already find hard to figure out in my own language) or holding up the driver isn't really what I'd consider convenient.