2008-12-02 45 -73

Location

Near St-Amable, a south shore suburb of Montréal. Google makes it look like it's in a field next to a road.

Participants

Robyn

Expedition

I looked up bus directions on Google Maps and walked to the first stop where I caught bus #77. I knew I had to disembark on Av. Chamby, by the cross street something de Gentilly to get bus 730. When we turned onto Chamby I watched the cross streets carefully, and also the signs on the stops showing the bus routes. No Gentilly and no 730. The bus reahed its terminus at a school and everyone got off. I asked the driver about route 730 and he had never heard of it. Also I didn't understand his entire answer because I don't speak French very well.

I walked further along Chamby, right to the river, without finding Gentilly or the 730 bus. It was at this point about 17 km to the geohash, a three hour walk if the roads went straight there. Too much, even if I could find the southbound counterpart of the elusive 730 bus.

If you've been geohashing for a bit, you've already learned to stick to the plan, and not to be lured down roads that appear to go in the right direction. But you probably still do it, because hey, it might go there. I found a bus that appeared to be going in the right direction. And I got on it, knowing nothing but its route number. It actually did very well, and I told myself that if it got to within 5 km of the geohash, I would jump off and walk to it. It got about 5.5 km away, and then turned around. I considered getting off, but it didn't look like a great area of town, and it was starting to snow, and I had an appointment later in the day, so I didn't go further.

Not a great effort, I know. But there are much nicer parts of the city to walk in. I believe the missing bus belonged to a different bus company.