Runtime Errors…

When I teach computer programming to my students, I am quick to point out that it's all about the details. A misspelled variable name or a missing semicolon means the program will never work. In these simple cases you are often helped by compiler errors which prevent the program from ever executing. These often cryptic messages give the initiated a chance to determine what went wrong and fix if fairly easily. The more insidious errors are called runtime errors. These are generally logical failures and occur only after the compiler tells you that you have a perfectly valid program. The problem with runtime errors is that the computer does very little to help you track them down. Your only hope is to try as many cases as possible, observe the results, and hope you can create a fix. Oftentimes runtime errors are "cured" with a workaround – a kludge which mitigates the problem in the program. Well, I've managed to trip across a few runtime errors in my travel already. These are unanticipated problems which could not be easily detected before the trip began – at least before the first trip of this kind. Live and learn! I now know that you cannot withdraw money from an ATM using a card which expired 5 days earlier! So much for the concept of ready cash in any country! But there's always the workaround of using (expensive) cash advances from a credit card. I also know that in order to insert a new SIMM chip into your cell phone to get local service, you need to have a SIM slot! And, in order to import liquor into a country which allows it, you cannot pass through a country which does not – especially if all of your bags are carry-on! Runtime errors are the bane of software developers. They are difficult to observe, problematic to find, and oftentimes impossible to fix within the current design. This makes workarounds a necessity. It seems that in travel, it is much the same. Even with extremely diligent planning, the unforeseen will occur. Just have those workarounds ready.