‘Annoying Things in life’ #8 GOOGLE MAPS

I am hoping some of you can identify with the experiences I have had relying on “Google Maps” for directions. Fortunately most of the time if I am driving myself I am familiar with where I am travelling and do not need to rely on assisted directions. Even when I do, the GPS navigation system in my own car is very reliable and up to date with its’ mapping and efficient with directions when required. However, there are occasion where I have had to rely on an alternative guidance system, either when driving or when walking and my previous “go to” guidance system has usually been Google Maps.  Of course, this is a common app already loaded in many smart phones and seems to be the default system for many users. Unfortunately, I have found it to be extremely unreliable and often complicated in the manner in which it determines the route an individual will use when trying to get from A to B.
Recently I have been interstate on a couple of occasions and have used Google Maps with my destination. It is with a mixture of frustration and amusement that I find guided directions often get confused within their own guidance advice and keep changing their mind as to whether I should be turning left, right or going backwards at different times. It seems they have an innate ability to find the longest possible route to arrive at the shortest distance between departure and destination. 
Some of you may know that from time to time I have been a user of a well-known driver service (non-taxi) and it would seem that those particular vehicles are fitted with an even more vague and unreliable Google Maps systems. If I know where I am going I tend to “assist” the driver in giving directions. I have found many of the drivers  do not have a great feel the territory for which they are working .Many become so dependent on the maps that they spend more time looking at their map than watching the traffic or driving the . I used to carefully and tactfully try to explain to the driver the most efficient directions to take, but often would be met with the response “but the map is telling me to go straight!” I now carefully explain that I will happily get the driver to my destination in a faster time so that he is more likely to pick up another fare rather than doing laps of the City trying to find my final destination. No wonder some of these “ride share” companies have not been making money – I suspect they use more of it on fuel and tyre wear due to their laughably inaccurate map usage. There is one particular company that is notorious for its unreliable map directions – it is no coincidence that that company is a four letter word. There have been many occasions when similar four letter word with at least one shared vowel is used during the course of the journey. Good luck with you next journey!

Look out for my next posting in the following week