Why Spelling Matters

Crusader sent this to me; it’s pretty funny

ROME — Officials say a Swedish couple looking for the pristine waters of the popular island of Capri ended some 400 miles (660 kilometers) away in the northern industrial town of Carpi after misspelling the destination on their car’s GPS.

Angelo Giovannini, a spokesman for the Carpi town hall, near Modena, said Tuesday the couple drove into the main square last week and asked the local tourist office how to reach Capri’s famed Blue Grotto sea cave.

Giovannini said “we thought they might mean a restaurant. Capri is an island, they did not even wonder why they didn’t cross any bridge or take any boat.”

As they say on Mapquest: it’s good to make a “Reality Check” when you follow these things.

7 Responses to “Why Spelling Matters”

1. Rob says:

   July 28, 2009 at 11:09 am

   About 20 years ago, there was a trucker from Los Angeles who brought his load to Duluth, MN, where he had delivered a few times before. When the receiver looked at his paperwork, he told the guy he should take this road to I-whatever and “head south about 1500 miles”. He was supposed to deliver to Duluth, GA. Expensive mistake. Spelling may not always be the problem. 🙂

2. Mr. Bingley says:

   July 28, 2009 at 11:41 am

   Hehehe, true. Just ask the people who fly to Rochester, Minnesota while their luggage goes to Rochester, New York…

3. nightfly says:

   July 28, 2009 at 1:22 pm

   Could’ve been worse. If they’d have spelled it “Crapi” they’d have wound up here in New Jersey.

4. Rob says:

   July 28, 2009 at 2:13 pm

   Can’t think of anything worse than that, Fly. 🙂

5. mojo says:

   July 28, 2009 at 11:56 pm

   What’s the name of the hotel in Crapi, I wonders.

6. Rob says:

   July 29, 2009 at 1:51 pm

   You don’t think tourists refer to it as the Crapi hotel, mojo? I’d have to.

7. Gary from Jersey says:

   July 31, 2009 at 4:06 pm

   Could have been worse. There are two Bayonnes, you know.