PCGuyIV continues his prompt series with a question about directions.
When it comes to navigation in unfamiliar territory, do you shun technology, relying on traditional maps and written directions, or do you leave the atlas behind letting GPS and Google Maps guide the way?
First, despite being online all the time, I’m generally a luddite and dislike adding new tech into my life. It’s all so complicated and glitchy, imo, and I get more enraged when it fails than I ever did when the normal ways of doing things didn’t work. Back then, I could say, OK, this didn’t work because I skipped a step and next time I’ll know better. But with technology, things simply happen that are out of our control and we can’t fix them. Like Facebook logged everyone off and sold our data to the Klingons. Or my home internet is down because of an outage. Or those effing WP blocks are screwy and ruined my posts…
That said, I totally rely on my GPS now and it’s been literally a lifesaver. I used to copy down directions from Yahoo maps and then end up not concentrating enough on the road because I was trying to read them while driving.
I love Google maps and navigation! I no longer bother printing out directions or scribbling them down. I have a terrible sense of “space” anyway (not merely NSEW) and have to override my impulse to do anything differently from what the nav is telling me. Luckily, I don’t travel obscure roads in the wilderness where GPS can mess up and send you into a pit of quicksand.
But even pre-plague, I didn’t like to go anywhere new, or anywhere period, so there’s that…
~*~
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I think the more interesting question is, do you orient your GPS with north on top all the time, or the direction you’re going on top?
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I don’t change anything, but I’m pretty sure N is on top. Nope, wrong! I just tried to go south to San Diego and the map flipped sideways. Odd…
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I think my up should be the direction I’m going–that way, the map is the same way as my brain. (?)
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🤣🤣🤣
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I worked for AAA for 15 years. I love a good old fashioned map.😂
I won’t use navigation. I’ll write the directions down in my abbreviation shorthand and use that.
I have a pretty good sense of direction so even when I get “lost”, I can usually find my way to where I’m going.
I think the navigation bothers me because of my hearing loss. I dislike most strictly verbal instruction.🤔
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Oh, I mostly don’t use the voice nav. I have my phone mounted on the dash with the directions displayed one step at a time. Voices are annoying! Plus, they interfere with music…
I envy your sense of direction 💚
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True, I had forgotten about the music. When I really need to hear my GPS, I generally turn off the radio. That’s why I like using Waze on car trips – it’s on my phone, it doesn’t make noise and I can tell the driver (my husband) about the hazards on the road ahead as well as giving him directions.
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We love AAA and have been members for years. Whenever we are planning to go somewhere, we stop by the AAA office and pick up maps and books. They also have booklets that map your entire route for you.
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AAA is a great! I’ve been a member forever 🙂
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Yep. I worked in the Emergency Road Service department. It was a great company to work for.
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I’m one of those people that needed Directions for Dummies 😅 me and the lady from Google maps are tight! 🤓😎
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Same! Love her 🤣
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😁
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GPS and Google maps are the best option
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Agreed! I tried Waze but meh…
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Yes, that’s not as good.
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I’m still old school, reading a map, making note of some landmark for where I’ll need to make a turn, etc. Because a) the voice annoys me and b) I get turned around if I’m watching the me on the map move because I can’t figure out which way it’s facing. I’m fairly good at figuring out compass directions so static map it is.
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Happy to use tech if it’s effective, but GPS I find poor, taking one up impassable roads, over hill and dale.
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That’s annoying!
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Excellent well to the Mis-Directional and anti-Gadget Luddite from the guy who can literally get lost going around a corner – l completely agree with you. I am grateful for certain apps like Googlemaps because if you had to rely upon me getting you from A – B, well it could well become an A – Y – H – G – B journey!
As to technology gawd l hate it with a frigging passion, they had to drag me kicking and screaming into the 21st century! Despite everything l can’t stand complicated shit! i like basic, l am not tech head savvy, Suze is. I have a chunky clunky and heavy CD player that weighs a good weight and pulls my pocket down in my coat when l walk and l originally bought a nice small something or the other which is now an additional Xmas gift to Suze because it was too bloody fiddly!
But Googlemaps – AWESOME!!
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Haha glad it resonated! 🙃
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Oh yes indeedy 🙂
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