Friday, October 24, 2008

Intellectual Obesity II

So, today I'm out running and a lady in a huge Lexus SUV tops to ask me directions. She's looking for a street a half block away. Her GPS isn't showing it.
And she was totally flummoxed when I tried to give her directions. No idea what street she was on or what the main drags in the area were.
Remember the old days, when someone would give you directions to their house or you'd look it up in your street atlas? Or both?
Now that everyone has a GPS in their car, they just happily drive off into unknown territory totally oblivious to where they are going. When the GPS fails for whatever reason, they are lost. With no way to get unlost. It's like spellcheck for the luxury car crowd.
And that's the big issue with all our modern conveniences -- when someone actually has to do or think for herself, she doesn't know how.
Boy, when the aliens finally come to take over, it's going to be an easy take for them.

2 comments:

J.D. Enright said...

GPS units consistently direct people to my neighbor's house across the street. It's actually funny. And why couldn't this woman call her destination on a cell phone she must have in the car?

Spake the male who never stops to ask for directions (and doesn't even own a GPS.)

-JDE2

Carol Robidoux said...

dash dash/dot dash/dot dash dash dot/dot dot dot
dot dash dot/dash dash dash/dash dot dahs dot/dash dot dash
(Morse code translation: Maps rock! sigh, I sure miss morse code, too.) You know I love you MoMo, you are my favorite luddite.