For many of us, getting somewhere unfamiliar once meant studying a map, writing down directions, or stopping to ask someone for help. Now we can simply enter an address and follow the directions on our phone.
Do you think knowing how to navigate without GPS is still an important skill, or has technology made it unnecessary?
And be honest: if your GPS suddenly stopped working somewhere unfamiliar, how confident would you be that you’d find your way?
GPS can be frustrating if you’re trying to do things like avoid the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($$$) as we were attempting on a trip to Delaware. Be advised that most places do not sell road atlas, anymore. Upon arriving home after that trip, we bought one from Amazon, and make sure it is with us when we travel.
As an x train ticket office clerk, I was often shown a smart phone with a map and directions on and and asked, how do I get to’ wherever '?
The ability to read a map is a skill that has to be learnt, just as the skill to follow a route planners directions has to be learnt.
Here in the UK we still get news items about lorries getting stuck in narrow lanes, of cars getting sent through fords, that owing to rain are too deep!
That item called ’ common sense ’ which is actually quite rare should still be used when deciding to travel.
Like most people, I find GPS amazingly helpful. It takes so much anxiety out of getting somewhere new. I’m thankful for it.
However, I do also make a point of not using it if I’m not going somewhere new. I enjoy getting to know an area, especially if it’s my own city, and knowing how to get somewhere without a GPS is even better. I can also pay better attention to my surroundings when I’m not looking at my GPS for the next turn.
I also love looking at maps. It helps to see how a city or town is laid out. With a GPS, I find that I often lose the bigger picture.