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.