Google Maps transit is still a frustrating experience
These all seem like nitpicks. Maps transit is still the best way to figure out to go between points and it works in multiple countries with the same interface.
It’s quite decent in the UK. But I wish it had more customisability. Sometimes it cannot understand that I’d rather walk 15 minutes than buy a bus ticket for a 3 minute bus ride. But if someone was disabled and got free bus rides because of that, then of course it would make sense for them.
It can tap into bus data to see when it’s late and stuff. But sometimes the bus company messes up the data. Oops.
Yea, like, basically the complaints boil down to, why am I not being handheld throughout the process more?
For me I just need the general direction and what bus/train line direction to take.
Feels like people in general are getting worse at basic spatial awareness.
The missing features are very basic things, like showing stops on a map or which location within the stop the bus stops at.
Stop using google
What do you recommend instead for transit?
Google Maps lets me know when to get off my stop, and where to head next, in real time, as well as updates on whether metros or trains are late and when the next one is coming.
Is it worse than the alternative? I’m no Google loyalist these days, but if you’re like me you have no idea what the alternative transit guide even is!
I use the app’s by local transit services and organisations (9292, NS) and so far that’s working out pretty well.
They don’t have the reminder to indicate when your stop is coming up, but the last two or three times I tried to use that with Google Maps it just didn’t warn me, so I don’t think I’m missing out on much.
There are a bunch of open source transit apps as well, but little work as well as Google does when it comes to planning trips and finding alternatives. Sometimes there just isn’t any open data about public transit and only a few shitty commercial apps have up to date information, but you could always check Google if the routes they suggest seem inefficient or too good to be true.
One of the routes I take tries to get me to make an illegal crossing through a busy street to get to a bus shelter on the other side.
A short walk down the sidewalk, there’s lights with a crosswalk. And just on the other side there? A much safer to access bus shelter that the same bus stops at.
There’s seemingly no way to report this stupid route, either.
