Directions

[Brett_Tabke]

Remember when you had to give people directions to your place, or where you were going?
I don't miss that.

[graeme_p]

I used to have a map I could email. At one point I put it on my personal website.

[lucy24]

I don't miss that.

I do. Some years back, my father paid me a visit from another part of the state, arriving later than expected. On inquiry, turns out he got here via some secondary road (state? possibly even county) that nobody in their right mind would ever think of using--but G### Maps, or possibly his car’s GPS, decided this looked like the shortest route. And I'm pleased to say that my millennial son knows how to read a map.

[graeme_p]

Good point @lucy24. Sometimes you do need directions. When I visited someone in a rural area of England (Somerset) recently I got a warning not to use the route Google Maps usually suggested because the road was so bad. Interestingly TomTom did not suggest that route anyway so I was fine, but directions are still needed.

In more urban areas I sometimes need to ask how to recognise the right building or where to park etc.

[not2easy]

About 12 years ago I made the mistake of relying on Google Maps. Yes, there is a 'road' there, a horrible, rutted dirt road with nowhere to ask for directions. Took us 8 miles out of the way before we encountered someone to ask for directions. I do not use Google maps anymore. I can only think it was part of someone's cattle farm.

[tangor]

Heh. The internet merely makes bad maps work at the speed of electrons.

I remember a family vacation trip circa 1955 which relied on maps found at gas stations which also lacked accuracy or clarity.

As much as things change, they stay the same.

...and in that, at least, there is a sense of comfort that we're alright.