Waze.

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November 19th, 2015 at 7:20:56 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I'm thinking "Waze" should be renamed "WTF???"

Tuesday I had to get from my apartment to the airport. Waze suggested routes that had too many twists, turns, double-backs and were generally as cogent as a plate of spaghetti after being flung at a wall.

Now, I understand that represents the app's "knowledge" of traffic conditions at the time. But the more you deviate from a route, the more traffic can go wrong further along. I just ignored it and took the most direct route. At one point Waze instructed me to get off the freeway, then get back on. Total time saved perhaps 10 seconds.

I complain because the app is usually quite reliable at finding the least worst option (there are often no good options, given traffic, much less "best" options). I reset the average speed every time I fuel up the car, and since I've been using Waze daily it's climbed from 17 kph to 19 kph. That's no small matter. I've also gotten stuck in bad traffic when paying attention to it.

For example, last electrolysis appointment, it told me to get off the freeway, take a rather longer detour, then rejoin the freeway further along. I did, only to get stuck for 20 minutes at a messed up crossing. That was ok, as I'll usually spend some time parked near the place waiting for the "anesthetic" cream to work. But if it had happened on the way to the airport, or work, or a meeting, I'd been screwed.

On routes I know well, I've learned to ignore it. For example, if it tells me to head for work in the morning by way of Tecamachalco and then head for the freeway via Fuente de Leones, I should instead drive down La Herradura into Fuente de Leones. it's a lot faster. Oh, there's usually a small traffic knot entering Leones my way, but it's far less a loss of time than the enormous detour it suggests to begin with. Besides, the Tecamachalco route includes many two-lane two-way streets, where the odds of getting stuck behind one slow driver are high.

It's on routes I don't know well that I don't quite know when to trust it.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
November 19th, 2015 at 12:35:04 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
So you get on the freeway by the Olympic venue, Hipódromo de las Américas?
November 19th, 2015 at 1:59:58 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
So you get on the freeway by the Olympic venue, Hipódromo de las Américas?


Olympic venue?

A freeway here is little like what you're used to in the US. Not like an Interstate or a turnpike at all. Here it means any street/avenue with more than two lanes each way which either doesn't cross other streets or has no stop lights along the central lanes (there are crossings and stop lights in the lateral lanes). Two in particular were "expanded" from two to three lanes each way by the expedient of painting another dotted set of lane markings.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
November 19th, 2015 at 7:42:05 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Nareed
Olympic venue?

A freeway here is little like what you're used to in the US. Not like an Interstate or a turnpike at all


I thought by freeway you were referring to "Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho" which divides the DF from State of Mexico or the Avenue del Conscripto.
November 20th, 2015 at 7:53:22 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
I thought by freeway you were referring to "Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho" which divides the DF from State of Mexico or the Avenue del Conscripto.


Oh, well, yes, that's one. I don't get on it on the way to/from work, but I have to cross it.

BTW, it's more commonly known as "El Periferico." Some people call it "The World's Biggest Parking Lot," too.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
March 29th, 2016 at 11:21:33 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Fortunately the schools are on spring break and morning traffic is light. I mention this because Waze simply shut down on the drive over this morning.

It may be an iphone issue. Yesterday the podcast player simply wouldn't come on. I had to reboot the phone. And the latter's not so easy since the on/off button's spring sprang its last a few weeks ago...
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 19th, 2016 at 3:43:14 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Take yesterday (please!). Waze indicated 3 different routes, estimating times from 35 to 45 minutes. Fair enough.

It took me 1:21 minutes to get home.

Partly it was traffic near the office, but that wasn't so bad. Say 15 minutes all told. It's bad, but not that bad. The real problem was the last kilometer and a half, literally. But even then Waze insisted on an ETA of 12 minutes.

It took me 45 minutes!

There were plenty of "standstill" traffic reports, so why was the estimate off by a factor of nearly four?
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 19th, 2016 at 3:53:22 PM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
Quote: Nareed
Take yesterday (please!). Waze indicated 3 different routes, estimating times from 35 to 45 minutes. Fair enough.

It took me 1:21 minutes to get home.

Partly it was traffic near the office, but that wasn't so bad. Say 15 minutes all told. It's bad, but not that bad. The real problem was the last kilometer and a half, literally. But even then Waze insisted on an ETA of 12 minutes.

It took me 45 minutes!

There were plenty of "standstill" traffic reports, so why was the estimate off by a factor of nearly four?

I love Google maps app
The map directions are a blue line but show where there are traffic problems with yellow for slow or red if real bad
Sometimes it will give an alternate route, sometimes the route with traffic problems is still the fastest
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
July 19th, 2016 at 4:05:48 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: terapined
I love Google maps app
The map directions are a blue line but show where there are traffic problems with yellow for slow or red if real bad
Sometimes it will give an alternate route, sometimes the route with traffic problems is still the fastest


I began by consulting Google maps to determine where traffic was worse. this helped, but not enough. Then I began consulting Waze. It worked better sometimes. Next I tried using Google maps to pick a route, and I tried Waze as well. overall Waze is better, but sometimes goes haywire.

As for yesterday, what bothered me was the lack of accurate traffic info, which led to insanely optimistic ETAs. It did tell me to take one route rather than another for that last near-mile. I could see the other route, and it was backed up worse.

I know there were no good options, but if I'd seen a realistic ETA, I might have stopped somewhere else for supper and a late latte (decaf), while the traffic cleared, rather than spend 45 minutes stuck in traffic. There are two malls right on the way and both were readily accessible when I passed them, thinking I only had 15 minutes to go.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
September 20th, 2016 at 11:45:40 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
But wait, there's more!

A few days ago a road near my place was closed for ongoing work. yesterday I didn't have Waze on, so I tried to use that road and, naturally, that's when I remembered it was closed.

Out of curiosity, today I looked up the route on Waze, and apparently no one has told the app about it. See, it maps the route using that road.

I suppose on today's drive home I could heroically give up some minutes and submit a report to the app... Yeah, right.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
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