by Stushie

Created on: February 23, 2008

For many years, male drivers like me have been ridiculed for getting lost on family road trips and never stopping to ask for directions. Some TV commercials and magazine ads frequently show a frustrated looking father pouring frantically over a map, whilst his partner rolls her eyes and the kids scream in the back seat. The picture is true to life, but it may be one that is soon destined to become outdated by the introduction of GPS.

Imagine this scene in the future: Dad is patiently driving and Mom is carefully reading a magazine. The two kids in the back seat shout out, "Are we there yet?" Instead of angrily reacting to the question, Mom quietly leans forward and pushes a few buttons on the dashboard. On their video screen, the two kids can instantly see where they are, how far they have traveled, and how many miles to go before they reach their intended destination. Everyone is at ease and the previous stress of long, tedious road journeys is no longer experienced.

Will GPS ever replace conventional maps? You bet your bottom dollar. Living in America is all about road travel and if installing a GPS in the standard family car can reduce domestic pressure by enhancing the journey, then a lot more people are going to want to use this technology to better their lives and extend their vacations. Maps are fun things to look at before the journey begins and a great way for families to get round the dinner table to plan their route, but once the road trip commences, it will be time to fold up the map and let the GPS take over.

One of the best uses of the GPS will occur when traffic delays are encountered on the interstate. There will be no more frantically searching for the map in the glove compartment, furtively trying to pinpoint the present location, whilst keeping an eye on the rear bumper of the car in front. The GPS itself will offer an alternative route, enabling the car travelers to get to their desired destination a lot sooner. Instead of taking a side road that leads way up into the boonies, drivers with GPS in their cars will quickly find safe and reasonable re-directions for their journey. A conventional map may show different colored lines, but the GPS formulates an alternative route far more quickly than the human brain can decipher.

Families, salespeople, and even local drivers will eventually use the GPS as the most natural way of getting from point A to point B. Those old State maps will become collectibles from a bygone age. Perhaps, in years to come, an old geezer like me will be sitting in the back seat of my grandchild's car fondly reminiscing and saying, "I remember the good old days when we had to use paper maps and never stopped for directions." At which point, the old lady sitting with me will roll her eyes and say, "Thank God for GPS."

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