A gentle newbie rant
 

Consider the context....I might buy a home tomorrow...so, the pluses far out weight this complaint...and honest feedback isn't a bad thing.

So....I went out late to get a bite and some cat supplies...coming back, in the dark, my regular gate was unavailable with a note that said use the Morse Drive entrance.

Error 1: No directions to said entrance. This is on the visitor's gate...guess what - visitors don't know the streets, yet.

My dinner (post gastric bypass) is quickly moving through the pipes. One hour later I find the Morse entrance. The young (sic) lady at the Morse entrance doesn't even know the street I am living on...she finds a card with directions...but, the card is bereft of distances on the directions and the street signs are tiny, not well lighted, so...I miss the important turn.

That was error 2. We are now over an hour into this adventure and the pipes are screaming.

Error 3: The next gate I come to...again, the guard has no idea about the street, he tells me to go back to guard no. 1 as he can;'t read the card due to age and has no idea about the streets. I beg the guy...call someone..police, a guide dog, a genie....he just points and says "go that away." I will stop talking about the pipes at this point...

Finally, the GPS kicks in and I get back to the house...1 1/2 hour into a return from Walmart.

Upon entering the home Rada, the kitty, who was forced to spend 6 hours in a box due to the flight...rolled over on her back and with 4 paws in the air, started to laugh. Very hard. Do you know the meow translation of "Karma?" I do now.

Rant over...

The sad thing is that you probably still could have used the gate. Just pop to the resident side and push the button.

Sorry you had to go through this. Now, imagine you live south where there aren't "guards" to help you (they either never had guards at those villages or they've gotten off work) and no little slips of paper to help you find your way.

Some years ago we left the home of friends at night from a neighborhood that we were otherwise unfamiliar with. It too us TWENTY-FIVE minutes to find our way back to the 'main drag,' in the course of which we passed their home twice—and they live on a cul de sac! It's just the nature of TV, and personally, in spite of these occasional inconveniences (though I'm sure this isn't how you felt at the time...), I prefer it this way than a perfectly square or rectangular grid!

GEE whiz. Buy a five dollar map and do not leave home without it.

I am so sorry you had this experience. I had it many times during my first year here - it's difficult because there are no landmarks and the signs are hard to read. Take Gracie's advice - buy the $5 map and always have it with you.

One more vote for that $5 map. Never leave home without it. I have one in the golf cart also.

Agree, but . . .
 

all gate guards should at least have a map - and reading glasses to see it!

I moved about 15 times in my 20s, 30s and 40s - never left the house without my map for the first few weeks.

Unbelieveable, but here in The Villages I have actually met people who live here and aren't sure which village they live in - one of them only knew her villa neighborhood name. During my work life as an insurance claims adjuster, I also talked to people who didn't know what county they lived in. Pretty amazing.

Concur about investing in a $5 map. Before we moved to TV, our agent mailed us a current map, and between the tangible map and Google earth, I learned all the main connecting road names and direction. The downside was that Google's e-map was not updated for another 6 -7 months, Learning my new home town roads was a pleasure - I felt as though I was already Living The Dream :)

Did any of you think that this might be one of his first days here and he has not had time to go out and buy a map?

At the Springdale resident-only gate there is a sign in front of the gate that says if you are not a resident use the Briar Meadow South gate - without an arrow pointing you north to the gate.

And I just looked at the map and the entry gates at the circles are not labeled anyway.

My instructions always say go around xxx half circles (go straight) and then go xxx quarters around the next circle and go into the gate that says Springdale on the wall.

It can get confusing.

Z

Z, you KNOW I always agree with you. NOW he knows he can press the button and get in anywhere just like all the really bad people. The poor guy almost soiled his britches. That time is past. It is good advice for him and all people who have lived here less than a year to keep a five dollar map (available at Publix and Mercantile and Sales Center...no they DON'T give them to you free) hanging in a large plastic bag around their necks. ;).

Especially at night. So people can spot new people and HELP them.

small rant
 

My sympathy to you-had similar problem when first moved here.Left Savannah,follwed detour signs that were poorly marked-lucky for me a kind villager said "follow me " and led us right to home.

You are RIGHT.

After getting up at 3 a.m. for the airport to fly to Orlando, getting through that huge mess; getting the rental car, etc.........husband minus his cigarettes for a long stretch at airport and during flight and airport again, the ride north was nice, however, he totally got lost and went in circles plus back and forth over the bridge looking for the rental office (the big building in Lake Sumter Landing).......and he had his brand new smart phone.

After that first exhausting day, we learned the main routes and everything went well..........we were also told that you can just press the button so that we could get into our second rental home (for which we didn't yet have the keys)..........but for newbies or those just arriving, especially those from a small town, it is overwhelming at first.

Vermont towns are not as hard to navigate as TV is. It is huge and everything looks the same.

I had several of the maps from the Mercantile Store; however, him being exhausted, lacking nicotine, etc.......and trying to drive the "roundabouts", he couldn't look at the map and drive.

He later programmed it all into the navigational system.......and we were all set...once we got our bearings. Traveling to TV is exhausting in and of itself; mostly the two airports, waiting for the luggage and waiting for the gals at the rental car counter.

Next time will be easy. But, you are right about newcomers finding it overwhelming. I'll bet many get lost. Plus we were starving as all they give you on flights nowadays are pinky nail sized graham crackers. So, not thinking totally straight. Next time we'll drive our own car down and "overnight" at the top of Florida, to arrive "fresh and alert".

GeeWiz - buy the house - sounds like you'll do just fine here.

Our sales rep must have given us a half a dozen since April, kept two in the car and one in the cart.

When we stopped in the cart to read the map someone always stopped to ask if we needed directions, once a couple said to follow them, very helpful.

Don't leave home without it.

In October 2011 I purchased a LARGE PRINT map of TV. Although I forget just where I found one it may have been at a Walgreens.

The Villages has been the only community where I found my GPS just would not function in much of the residential area.

My experience
 

Even with a map, sometimes it's impossible to figure out if you turn right or left when you come out of a tunnel. I found on our first visit to TV that LOGIC doesn't apply to some situations. We went out for an evening cruise in our LSV golf cart to check things out. We got lost, cause of those dang tunnels, thought we were headed north and ended up at 466A. It got cold so we zipped ourselves inside the cart and finally made it back to LSL with a BAD case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Hey . . . we still bought a house that first visit and a new GAS powered cart (with an exhaust pipe routed out from under the cart) LOOK OUT FOR THEM TUNNELS:rant-rave:

Yes, get a Map
 

You are definitely not alone, most of us, if we are being honest, will admit to the same problem when we first came to TV ........... when you are traveling in the dark it is difficult to make out where you are and which way you should be going. However, once you have traveled around in the daylight everything will fall into place and you'll be getting around like a native.

Buy the house - you will love it!

The new chips that they are implanting in your forearm at closing will have a GPS.

I heard this from Pooh.

Must be part of the amenities fee! :laugh:
But still, what do visitors do?
Let's see, to visit one needs map, compass, GPS, flashlight to read map and find button on gate (right or left side?),
magnifier glasses to see map, gas mask, porta pottie for cart, Gracie's phone number. Am I leaving anything out? :girlneener:

Thank God for the GPS because a bag of crushed up cookie crumbs will only get you to one of the Odell Circle intersections. If the tunnels aren't bad enough, what's the deal with crossing the same street twice? Daaaahhhhhh . . . . . it's a circle you big dummy:crap2:

The implant will be better than having to wear the older version each day.....makes it really difficult to golf....:D:D:D (For now, your realtor should make sure to provide the appropriate number of systems for your household..:a20: .When the new implant system comes out, expect long lines at the implant station so it might be a good thing to keep your old system handy for a while.)
http://www.thinkwaytoys.com/ProductI...mage/63233.jpgv

Buy a house, buy a map and enjoy.....this has to be one of the few communities in the area where getting lost isn't always a bad thing. Whip out that map and there will always be someone who will come along to either help you plot your trip or have you follow them to your destination. Before too long, you'll be the one helping others find where they need to go!

Gives new meaning to "it pays to know where you are going".

Sorry for your ordeal as I have been in TV at night not being totally familiar with streets. I found a map to be helpful and to be used all the times. It is much easier during the day to memorize streets on the map and see where you are going. Nighttime is challenging proposition.

Hindsight is wonderful. :smiley:

Are they visiting or camping? :jester:

I think getting lost goes with the territory, I couldn't find my house for the first few days. The first night I went out to dinner in LSL, couldn't find my house and was driving around (still pulling a trailer), finally I found a manned booth, he looked it up in the computer and couldn't find it either-LOL. Finally he called someone and got neighborhood watch to lead me home. They also gave me a sticker thing for my dashboard with a number to call and they would find you. Don't know if they still have them, but it was real handy.

Finding my mailbox wasn't easy either, I had to try my key in about 6 of them until it worked.

The thing with GPS is it doesn't work too well in new areas, when I have people visiting it directs them around the whole place. I usually tell people to put in the Speckled Butterbean and take the new road.

Four years ago, up on arriving at TV, with my trusty GPS directing me to go through the gate to Springdale via Mulberry.....This on a Sunday afternoon....After waiting at the gate.....Not a clue what to do and no one behind me, I think I saw a note Visitors go to Buena Vista Circle. Now where in !@@#$# is BV circle. Finally I backed out and waited for a car & piggybacked in.

I still do not see any improvement in the procedure. I don't have an answer to the problem of approaching gate at off hours, but IMHO the problem is this is a community with gates, but not a gated community.

I'm one of those disgusting lucky ones -- let me go somewhere once and I'll always find it again. That being said, TV had me seriously ticked off when I first moved here. No one warned me that streets not only circled but looped over themselves; that a "road" was a whopping two blocks long but then existed again three blocks over; that a "circle" changed names and, thus, you had two streets with the same name. Talk about frustrating!

I've learned to pretty much ignore street names and just count streets or notice certain landmarks (people better not remove their trees or decor -- I'll have to start all over learning that area). Learn your main streets (Morse, Buena Vista, Canal, Boone; 441, 466, 466A, Odell (1 and 2); Belle Aire, Legacy and Belle Meade; whatever the main street is that goes from Sanibel to Gilchrist (forget the name)). Once you know those grids, it becomes easier. Then you just have to learn your neighborhood and where your friends and rec centers are in connection to the main streets.

The $5.00 maps and the Model Home map in the Daily Sun show my street name incorrectly and calls to the Sales Office and the Daily Sun is like talking to a wall.

Villages Golf Cart Service had a hard time finding our street too.

Anyone know who can get the correct name on all of the maps so Police and EMS can find it.

I feel like our street is in the Wit Sec Program and no one knows our name!

You are not a true Villager until you have been hopelessly lost. Just wait til you get lost in your golf cart or go down a cart path in your car or take your cart on a cars only route. Oh, and I somehow got onto a closed cart path and then couldn't get out. I still can't figure how that happened.

We have lived here over a year now.....and I NEVER leave home without my map....we have one in each car and the golf cart. I always mapped out my directions for months after I came here......I can still get lost in Orange Blossom Gardens, Silver Lake area! :jester:

OMG! That's just not fair! Is your address correct in GPS or Google Maps? I hope so.

amazing !

Have you all seen the youtube video of Glenn Beck Lost in the Villages? It's worth watching :a20:

Call the Customer Service Center 753-4508. They will connect you with the folks who are in charge of the maps. Next time they are printer your change will be included. I did this and it worked.

BTW - bought a CYV today (more on that later). Last night, I learned a new double meaning to the term "hindsight." Rada is still chuckling about it. Thanks to all for all of you good advice. I have taped the map to my boxers.

Hope to meet you all in the near or distant future.

G:pepper2:

Congratulations on your new villa!

Congratulations on the purchase of your new home!

Totally agree about the street signs
 

Perhaps it is because we are getting older and can't see as well, but it is terribly hard to see the street signs at night. Perhaps they figure we will all be in bed before sunset. LOL

Just finished first Lifestyle visit. I was terribly upset that I was able to find Spanish Springs without to much dificulty but took 2.5 hours to find my way back to Lake Sumter Landing! I am sooo glad to hear everyone has a getting lost story. A very fine Villager lead me to the Morse Rd cart path. Thank you so much.

Another congratulations on your purchase of a courtyard villa. Hope your move in goes smoothly! It seems like getting lost is almost a rite of passage in TV.

_____________________________________
All newbies get lost when arriving in TV for the first couple of days. I have learned to put a map, FLASHLIGHT, and compass in my golf cart, so I can read the map and know if I'm going in the right direction! It helps a lot!! BTW, welcome to TV!