It used to be when we needed to get to some place new, we would ask for directions. Even after asking for directions, we would use the handy Thomas Guide Map Books to make sre the directions given were, indeed correct. Nowadays, we have the power of the internet and GPS satellites so we can navigate surface streets and highways with ease. You do not even have to be tied down to your computer to print out directions anymore; most likely your phone has the ability to output directions. But are the directions accurate? Services like Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest, or navigation gadgets like TomTom or Magellan are very popular these days and I can see why; it has made traveling to a new destination easy.
My gripe with this is they all seem to output the same defined paths. Sure they give you an interstate route and a surface street route as an alternative, but lets be serious, not everyone is tech savvy to find these alternative paths, such as Google Maps click and drag feature. It is a cool feature where you can alter your path by dragging the originally defined path but I think they could make it even easier such as offering 3 alternate paths depending on the traffic conditions at the moment. That would be a step up but it might be difficult since traffic conditions change instantaneously.
But now, I ask you to imagine the traffic hell that would occur, if there was a New Year’s Eve event at Disneyland and everyone seeked directions from one of them map services mentioned. You will have every motorist exiting Harbor Blvd. off the Interstate 5 freeway depending on your location, of course. Clearly there will be some sort of hectic motorist bonanza that will occur. This really is not the map services fault, its probably our poor Department of Transportation or whoever is in charge of designing and paving the roads.
I’m sure you will all go try out each map service to see if they return with the same set of directions, so please do. Thanks.
A little side note: Other cool features are the estimated times and miles. This is wonderful that they give an time estimate and mileage estimate because now, for those working corporate road warriors, you don’t need to log your miles any more right? The downside is your company can track your miles making sure from Los Angeles to Long Beach is not 150 miles, even if you were to stop for lunch.
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