A “Classic” adventure

Coming from afar to witness Black history is tough when you don’t have an accurate guide to get you there. Many people find themselves flipping through papers printed from the Internet in order to find their way to the Big Easy.
Today, there are Web sites like MapQuest, a navigation system that help fans, spectators and tourists find their way to their travel destination. Many use it because it’s free, convenient and it’s quick for consumers to get directions offline.
However, what do you do if your navigation system isn’t working properly or your Internet is not having a good signal? Most would reach for a map or just continue driving until they find a landmark. “I travel with a map all the time. I think it’s an outline that is as accurate as it gets,” said Shayla Bell, a GSU senior from Memphis.
Bell says when you print directions from Web sites they are sometimes not accurate. “I remember when I was going to Indiana from Dallas, I used an Internet site, which led me in the wrong direction,” she said.
According to www.wired.com, some Internet travel providers often tell drivers to turn the wrong way down a one-way road or direct them to exits and “unnamed streets” that don’t exist.
Drivers also have complained about MapQuest, saying an exit is on one side of the road, but they end up having an accident because it’s on the other side.
Nonetheless, there are 23 million users on the MapQuest site every day, and most people are satisfied with the site.
“I always travel using an Internet site, and I have never had a problem,’ said Rickey Edwards, a sophomore from Savannah, Ga.
Though he said he has heard of complaints from people, he thinks Internet travel sites will be around for as long as cars exist. “I don’t want to go back to big maps because you never know how long it’s going to take to get to your destination.”
Regardless of how you travel to the Bayou Classic, just be safe. If that means having an ancient map, so be it.