Memories of Mayhem

One of the things I remember (and I'm shocked at how much I have been remembering about an alcohol soaked event from 10 years ago) about Operation Mayhem is Scotty's AAA TripTiks.

Back in 1999, Google Maps wasn't exactly available. In fact, I don't even think that MapQuest had hit the scene yet. If you were going on a long trip (or to the bathroom for any reasonable amount of time), you either wanted your handy Rand McNally huge atlas or you just winged it and started driving.

There was a third option, however. Scotty was a AAA member and visited his local AAA office before the long trip. They gave him something called a TripTik which was essentially a hand-held flip chart of each segment of our journey. Not only was there a map for that particular segment, but also information on gas stations, exits, and restaurants. Back then, we thought it was the coolest thing in the world. We may not have ever used it or needed it, but it was certainly good to know we had it.

Today, the TripTik still survives and is available in Internet format to AAA members. While I certainly wouldn't use one today with in-car navigation systems and Google Maps, it is good to know that a little piece of history still exists.