My journey as a local guide has opened my eyes to a whole different world. I got to know about the local guide when I got my first Android phone. Initially, I did not take my contribution seriously until I started seeing the results of my contributions and reviews in other people’s lives.
Google Maps has made my life a lot easier, so much so that I preach Google maps to my friends and family. Living in Lagos State which is a metropolitan city with over 20 million people, it makes a lot of difference to find your way quickly and easily. Sometimes, a person might be in the notorious Lagos traffic for over 2hours- imagine being in traffic for that long and still not being sure of your direction! I realized suddenly that I was my neighbour’s keeper because my contributions help individuals to know about a place before ever setting foot there. I realized that I can help humanity in my own little way by giving my contributions, reviews and pictures; which further aggregates the essence and indispensable value. Encounters in places like normal everyday small businesses, markets, restaurants, historic centers, etc. can change a person’s perspective or view of life forever.
Being a local guide enables me to help people to save time, meet up with their appointments quicker, they save money and fuel [gas] on transportation, they save energy that would have otherwise been wasted in moving around in circles. What’s more? I have made good friends just by being a local guide. I consider the Google Map a life-saver because it shows the best route to take, it shows where there is traffic and even tells your estimated travel cost and travel time.
Through my recommendations, contributions and reviews, travellers, tourists or visitors [to various places] can make proper plans in advance. Proper planning will help them save money, time and energy. Having a heads-up about a location gives visitors a more rewarding experience than if they had visited a restaurant, for example, without having any idea of what to expect.
I remember one day I was walking down the road in my neighbourhood, a very large residential estate. A man driving a Honda Pilot parked beside me and wound down his side glass, then he beckoned to me. As I moved closer to him, in desperation the man asked me “please, how do I get out of this estate, I have been moving round in circles”? I smiled because I knew this was the experience of most first time visitors to the estate, as it is a very large residential estate. I tried to explain how he will get out, but I soon realized it was an exercise in futility as he could visualize the route. So I asked, “Do you have an android phone?” He quickly said “Yes”. I said, “Can I use it to help you get out”? He looks surprised and said, “Sure, why not? Then I introduced him to Google maps and gave him a brief tutorial about how to use it. I then input his destination into Google maps and activated the voice prompt. I asked him just to follow the direction. The man hesitantly asked me if I could give him my number, just in case it doesn’t work. I reassured him it will work but still gave him my number anyway.
Fast forward later that evening, I received a phone call. A really excited man was thanking me for the help rendered and telling me what a wonderful help Google map was. I was really happy that I could be of help and that experience strengthened my resolve to serve as a local guide. Imagine if the man was running late for a job interview, a business meeting or a lunch date with his wife or girlfriend?
The best thing about Google Map is that it is intuitive. I find that many of the first time users that I teach, find it easy to use from the start. My journey as a local guide has truly been fulfilling.
