A Good Reason To Buy A Map

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There have been reports of many problems with GPS units recently. Some units have been leading people into situations that people usually avoid by using GPS. Quite a few people have been following the directions that are being given to them and then driving into lakes, or ditches or off of bridges. Little things like that.

At what point did these people think that the GPS was right and that the big lake in front of them wasn’t that much of an issue. Did they think “maybe there is a road across the lake and we just can’t see it”. Didn’t they think to hit the brakes when the road ended or when they hit the barricade that usually blocks the end of the road that is there to stop you from driving in the lake.

I understand that some of these incidents happened in the dark but there are headlights on most cars these days. Maybe you’ve heard of them. These are the big lights on the front of the car that allow you to see what’s in front of you when its dark.

How on earth does this happen? I understand that when you don’t know where you are going it is good to have directions so you don’t get lost. But that doesn’t mean you don’t pay attention to whats around you. When you see news reports on TV or in the newspaper, the people always blame the GPS for them turning right in the middle of a bridge or crashing into a wall at the end of a dead end. These people should not only have their drivers licenses taken away and be banned from any form of transportation that exists, forcing them to walk everywhere, but they should also be banned from using any form of electronic device ever again. If you are so dependent on electronics that you will listen to them even if they are putting you in situations that could very well lead to your death then you shouldn’t be allowed to use any electronic device.

The reason I like maps is because they let you make your own directions. Directions that make sense to you. They allow you to find short cuts and avoid traffic.

Recently I have been walking a lot as a way to get exercise (i’ll explain how i feel about jogging in another post). One day I tried out the feature on google maps that gives you directions if you are walking somewhere. Not only did it have me winding through the small side streets in the not so nice area of the city but it conveniently forgot to tell me to go through the park instead of actually turning on to and continuing on the street i was on (“turn left on to….” means i’m following the street, “cut through…” or “walk into the park” should be fine). This left me quite a long way off the path it had set for me. Luckily I know my way around well enough to meet up with the route elsewhere and still beat the estimated 2 hours and 18 minute time that it was supposed to take me.

Someone Save Us

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If you haven’t been living under a rock, you will know the results of the Toronto (and GTA) municipal elections. I have to say that Toronto could have done slightly better. Okay maybe “slightly” is an understatement. They could have done much better. Of course much better isn’t too good either but still….

Toronto has elected a man that wants to cut taxes. Great! I hate taxes the rest of the next person. But is that all he is going to do? Well he says he’s going to “stop the gravy train”. Ha! Just like everyone else says they will. Sure it comes in all different forms like “sweeping the city clean” but has anyone ever actually done it successfully?

Think about it?

Sure some have been more successful than others but no one has ever swept the city completely clean or stopped the gravy train and sent it away.

People seem to have seen the promise of taxes being cut and put on blinders. Due to these blinders, people have managed to ignore the small things that don’t look to good for Toronto’s future. Things like cutting city staff by 50%. Yes I know he’s not just going to fire half of the city workers but for every two city workers that retire, one will be hired. So the change won’t be noticed immediately but it will be. So when city residents aren’t getting their garbage picked up on garbage day or the snow cleared from all the streets until days after it has snowed, I hope they realize what they’ve done.

I believe that Mr. Ford will slow down the “gravy train” but unless it stops, it’s still going to hit us at some point and we are going to be right back where we started.