I had several stories that struck my fancy as I decided upon this week's Fried Friday's winner...and they all had a common theme: Driving.
I'm not talking "Miss Daisy", but just general driving issues. I want to first give an honorary FF award to Highway 74 through Monroe, NC in Union County...been a long time since I've had to drive that stretch of highway, and anyone who has had to deal with is already shouting "AMEN!" before I even write how horrible that stretch of highway is. Light after light after light with what seems zero timing to make the sardine-can traffic move a little more continuously.
A runner up, and in some respects a more serious and solid FF winner is the German minister (as in government) who had her government-issued chauffered limousine drive her 3,000 miles to Spain so she could spend time meeting with German residents living in Spain about some health care and investment issues...yeah, okay...
No, this week I chose to take a much simpler story that holds a great lesson for us all...
"Two Swedes walked into a bar..."
DATELINE: ROME, ITALY
OK, they didn't walk into a bar. They simply took their 'holiday' to make trip they've wanted to make for a long time into Italy: The Isle of Capri.
The articles I dug up did not say if the pair flew to Italy and rented a car or drove their own car down, or rented a car somewhere and drove down...the story gets rolling as they are in a car with a GPS unit.
I'll admit, GPS units have a great use and are a major boon for the directionally-challenged. I've never owned one and doubt I will...I'll admit that overall I'm pretty good with a sense of direction, even in new territory, and, get this: I'm a male who WILL stop and ask for directions when needed.
(I told the crickets to not bother chirping this time...)
The story goes that this pair had set their GPS unit on Capri and wanted first to go to the famed "Blue Grotto" on Capri's northwest shore.
Their first hint should have been that Capri is an island and not a part of the mainland...
(crickets are free to chirp, now...)
Setting aside that minor detail, the two Swedes arrived at their destination and finally asked authorities where they could find their intended landmark. After what had to have been a deer-in-the-headlight look from even the most polite official, he or she pointed south and explained they needed to turn around and go about 400 miles where they could then pick up a ferry to hop over.
(hold on a second, crickets...)
Everyone was a bit confused on how they could have gotten so far off course, and the Swedes didn't get angry, just took the bitter info pill and headed on their way. One thing about computers and sophisticated electronics that you can never lose sight of: they do what you tell them to...and hopefully you know the correct steps so you can maximize their effectiveness.
"I'll take "Mispellings" for $800, Alex"
Instead of entering C-A-P-R-I into the GPS unit, they typed in C-A-R-P-I...
(have at it, crickets...)
Slightly different destinations within Italy, wouldn't you say?
----------------------------------
TGIF, y'all! May all your entries be accurate ones, today and everyday!
I'm not talking "Miss Daisy", but just general driving issues. I want to first give an honorary FF award to Highway 74 through Monroe, NC in Union County...been a long time since I've had to drive that stretch of highway, and anyone who has had to deal with is already shouting "AMEN!" before I even write how horrible that stretch of highway is. Light after light after light with what seems zero timing to make the sardine-can traffic move a little more continuously.
A runner up, and in some respects a more serious and solid FF winner is the German minister (as in government) who had her government-issued chauffered limousine drive her 3,000 miles to Spain so she could spend time meeting with German residents living in Spain about some health care and investment issues...yeah, okay...
No, this week I chose to take a much simpler story that holds a great lesson for us all...
"Two Swedes walked into a bar..."
DATELINE: ROME, ITALY
OK, they didn't walk into a bar. They simply took their 'holiday' to make trip they've wanted to make for a long time into Italy: The Isle of Capri.
The articles I dug up did not say if the pair flew to Italy and rented a car or drove their own car down, or rented a car somewhere and drove down...the story gets rolling as they are in a car with a GPS unit.
I'll admit, GPS units have a great use and are a major boon for the directionally-challenged. I've never owned one and doubt I will...I'll admit that overall I'm pretty good with a sense of direction, even in new territory, and, get this: I'm a male who WILL stop and ask for directions when needed.
(I told the crickets to not bother chirping this time...)
The story goes that this pair had set their GPS unit on Capri and wanted first to go to the famed "Blue Grotto" on Capri's northwest shore.
Their first hint should have been that Capri is an island and not a part of the mainland...
(crickets are free to chirp, now...)
Setting aside that minor detail, the two Swedes arrived at their destination and finally asked authorities where they could find their intended landmark. After what had to have been a deer-in-the-headlight look from even the most polite official, he or she pointed south and explained they needed to turn around and go about 400 miles where they could then pick up a ferry to hop over.
(hold on a second, crickets...)
Everyone was a bit confused on how they could have gotten so far off course, and the Swedes didn't get angry, just took the bitter info pill and headed on their way. One thing about computers and sophisticated electronics that you can never lose sight of: they do what you tell them to...and hopefully you know the correct steps so you can maximize their effectiveness.
"I'll take "Mispellings" for $800, Alex"
Instead of entering C-A-P-R-I into the GPS unit, they typed in C-A-R-P-I...
(have at it, crickets...)
Slightly different destinations within Italy, wouldn't you say?
----------------------------------
TGIF, y'all! May all your entries be accurate ones, today and everyday!
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