Having recently put a little post about losing my Local Guide pin (AKA “My Precious”) and having a non collaborative partner (AKA “Beloved” almost happy about it, I got a few comments of similar experiences of LGs that are having somewhat resentful or at least very exhausted partners about all this “Google Mapping” hobby of ours.
This also reminded me the fantastic article of map hackers and length to which addicted Local Guide go for their hobby.
This made me think of an idea to put a post somewhere and see if our partners would want to form a support groups so they can at least complain to each other about our addiction!
I had a go at putting myself in their tired from walking behind us shoes, and this is what I can up with:
Are you tired of being the partner of a local guide for Google Maps? Do you feel like your life is constantly interrupted by the need to take pictures for Maps’s benefit? Do you feel like your partner’s obsession with documenting every single business and road is taking a toll on your relationship?
Well, you’re not alone! As the partner of a local guide, I’ve been there too.
It’s like being in a relationship with a modern-day Magellan, constantly on the lookout for the next great discovery. And while the thrill of exploration can be exhilarating, it can also be exhausting.
Lets face it, you’ve become an expendable Sidekick on their never-ending mapping mission.
Remember when you used to, you know, enjoy walks together? Now you’re speed-walking to keep up as they frantically photograph each parking meter and fire hydrant.
Always hunting down of missing businesses and roads. At home they can’t find the car keys or the gas bill that came yesterday even if it is just in front of them on the table, but out in the world it is a quest to be the ultimate cartographer, documenting every nook and cranny of the local area.
Every sad looking doorway must be documented. No storefront can go un-photographed. Daily walks are mapped with far more precision than a Mars rover.
You’re just think “fancy a coffee”, and suddenly your partner is like a bloodhound, sniffing out the nearest Starbucks to add to Google’s maps.
Is it really necessary to have a photo of every single business? and while we are at it, does the Eiffel Tower really need 200 additional photos from every possible direction?
Honestly they must have taken more photos than that Hubble Space Telescope!
Can we talk about food? You know, that thing that we all need to survive? Yeah, well, forget about enjoying a meal in peace when you’re with a local guide.
Forget about savoring the flavors, the aromas, the textures. Forget about taking a bite and closing your eyes to fully experience the culinary bliss.
Nope, not when your partner is eagerly waiting to document every dish that comes to the table.
It’s like, hello, can’t you see I’m trying to eat here? Can’t you see that I’m famished and just want to enjoy my meal in peace?
But no, your partner is too busy trying to get the perfect shot, the perfect angle, the perfect lighting. And you’re left sitting there, feeling like a prop in their little foodie photo shoot.
Don’t even get me started on the sideways glances you get as loudly narrates their 5-star review of the bathroom cleanliness into their phone. The poor waitstaff now know more about the dimensions of the urinal troughs than they ever cared to learn.
And then there’s the classic vanishing act. You know, the one where you step into a shop for just a second or few more (“Sale” signs are improtant you know) and when you come out, your Local Guide partner has seemingly evaporated into thin air. You look around, but they’re nowhere to be found. You even try calling out ‘Marco!’ but all you hear back is a faint ‘Polo!’ coming from who-knows-where.
Just when you think they’ve been abducted by aliens or something, them Aliens drop them back – probably after they’ve explored and photographed everything in Uranus.
Just be prepared for the ‘I was just taking a shortcut’ excuse when they finally reappear.
But hey, at least Google’s reward plan is pretty sweet, right? I mean, who doesn’t love a good pair of socks or a fancy pin?
If you would surprise them with a pair of plush socks, it would be totally ignored, but those Local Guides socks that can be matched with no outfit on the planet unless you are a circus clown, it is like the holy grail of desired objects… give me a break!
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or frustrated by your partner’s constant need to document everything, take a deep breath. Remember that it’s not all about the rewards or recognition – it’s about the thrill of the hunt, the joy of discovery, and the satisfaction of contributing to something bigger than yourself.
And hey, if all else fails, you can always console yourself with the fact that your partner’s obsession with Google Maps is probably never going to lead to fame or fortune. So, go ahead and join the support group, vent your frustrations, and commiserate with other partners who are going through the same thing.
@Herve_Andrieu maybe you want to check it by lovely Andrea?
@TorM @Briggs @Jayasmitha @JonBekkevoll @JordanSB @MattGatlin @TerryPG @MortenCopenhagen @AdamGT and the rest of us Local Guides addicts, how bad does it get for your partners in your chosen crime?
I’m sure if they ever form a group, it would be hilarious to see ourselves through their loving (yet frustrated) eyes.
