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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

GPS Adventure

I've been using GPS since I moved down to Atlanta. Most of the times it's been the best thing ever. I'm directionally challenged and even with turn by turn instructions I've made wrong moves. It's true. ::Hangs head:: GPS usually recalculates fairly quickly and helps find me an alternate to get me back on track. But then there are the other times. Last Friday was one of those.

My department at work had our Christmas party at our boss's house. He lives out quite a way from Atlanta, so after the party, I went straight home and not back to work. (Of course, I had training to finish before Sunday, so I did some work at home, but that's beside the point.) This is where GPS became...interesting.

First off, my boss lives on a dirt road. I have never driven on a dirt road and I was in grade school the last time I rode in a car on a dirt road. GPS managed to get me within like 3 houses of his place, but it wasn't completely successful getting me to his house. Luckily, one of the guys painted a sign and put it in front of his house so I found it without having to turn around. If I even could have found somewhere to turn on this narrow dirt road.

But that was going there. On my way home, GPS managed to get me back to real roads admirably. And then the weirdness began. It would take me on a road for a little ways and then turn me off on another road. And then another and another. It took me down the road in front of the Atlanta Motor Speedway (or something like that). Sometimes I'd be on a road for all of about half a block and then it would turn me onto yet another road.

was totally going WTH? But I dutifully followed my instructions. On narrow streets. Past COWS! I'd see signs now and then that pointed toward a freeway, and I was sure GPS was guiding me there, but nope. That wasn't what the computer decided was the fastest route.

What really freaked me out, though, was when I was on a road whose name I'd never seen before and GPS told me that I was five miles away from home. I was like, OMG, GPS has gotten me lost! This wouldn't be the first time. I was like, okay, just follow GPS and when the instructions end and you're not home, you can try again. I'm seriously map challenged so having this fail is a big problem.

And then the miracle happened. The street I was on suddenly changed names. This happens a lot in the Atlanta area. Don't ask me why, but the same road will have multiple names. It makes it really confusing to get around down here. It doesn't even have to cross a city or county line, the road will just change names. Anyway, this new street name was the one that goes past my turn off. I was saved!

Relieved, I pulled into the garage. I might have been on a cross-country adventure, but GPS did get me home safe and sound.