Why do men like GPS when they don’t like to stop and ask for directions? It seems to me that this is the ultimate in direction giving/ receiving, having someone tell you turn by turn, street by street, how to arrive at your destination, and this stranger (often a woman), giving out the directions, can be quite bossy! Why do men like this so much? Well, not all men really do like GPS, my husband, Craig, doesn’t. This may be because he likes maps so much. But my dad, who is the most in control man I know loves GPS!
My family was just out to visit (from Texas) to attend a wedding, in Ila, GA (near Commerce) of a cousin (who, by the way, is from Ohio) who is marrying a Georgia girl. (We had a family reunion, right here in Georgia & not any of my family is from here!) My dad, who was conducting the wedding, flew into Georgia on a Friday, rented a car, & stopped by my house to pick up my mom (who had flown in on a earlier date) in order to get to Commerce for the rehearsal. The rest of us were heading out the next day.
My dad brought his GPS (it’s his 2nd best friend, next to my mom) but found that his rental car had one & he didn’t need it. He & my mom were heading out at about 2-3pm. Now, I knew that the most direct directions would take him to I-75, I-285, & up I-85. But for all you who know anything about the Atlanta area know that these directions on a Friday afternoon are a nightmare! Do you think this is information I could relate to my dad with his lady GPS friend at his side? No way! I didn’t even try because next to the confidence he places in his digital voiced friend he places little confidence in his daughter’s (who is still a little girl in his eyes, I think) ability to navigate him through a city like Atlanta. I just let them go with no words & only a prayer. Sometimes we kids just have to let go of our parents, give them to God, & allow them to explore & learn on their own!
Needless to say his new friend quickly turned into his enemy! She was always delayed in directing his turns. When one misses I-85’s exit, they don’t exactly appreciate needing to turn around from I-285 to catch the proper exit, though, Ms. GPS was kind enough to give my parents directions for their exit once they did turn around. Really, though, what is the hurry in getting onto I-85 at 5pm on a Friday, especially when the traffic is creeping along at 15-20 mph? Once my parents broke free from the traffic on I-85 they were much relieved & very much ready to arrive at their destination. Thankfully they still had their friendly female friend to direct them. Thanks to her totally competent directions they arrived safetly at an open field in Ila, Georgia. Oh! Wait! They needed to be at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. OK, enough is enough, a quick phone call to my uncle straightened things out & they arrived safely at the church 3 plus hours after leaving my house. We were so happy to see them the next day after our 1 1/2 hour trip to the same destination (although, I have to admit that we traveled on a Saturday morning). : )
That is funny! Earlier this summer we had a similar GPS experience with my parents. We were leaving on a Sunday to go camping near Dahlonega. They were supposed to leave from my house early Sunday morning and we were going to meet them up there after church. We left, just as we said, and followed our normal route to the mountains. But when we got there, we were shocked to see that they had arrived only minutes before us. Apparently, their beloved GPS took them west toward Alabama, then north INTO Tennessee, and back down to Dahlonega. They spent 6 hours driving to get to a campsite that is only 2 hours away!
I loathe GPS. I especially loathe the condescending voice that tells me where to go. It makes me feel like a two-year old, or a prisoner walking around in shackles. Every time we travel with my parents and they want to bring the GPS, I have to invent a new reason why it really isn’t necessary