Unintended navigation serendipity
Last night younger daughter, at home for the summer after her freshman year, decided that she wanted to go shopping at Trader Joe's, but was uncomfortable with driving on the expressways at night. She's right to be uncomfortable with her limited experience at high speed ramp merging here in NY and I offered to take her. She said the navigation in the new car would get us there.
Off we went, navigation set. She did not have the exact address so just entered Trader Joe's and chose the one with the shortest distance, which supposedly was 9.2 miles and the one that she was familiar with. We followed the voice slavishly. It did not seem quite right from the outset but with my luddite tendencies and previous irritation at the voice, I decided to just be cool and follow the system that had worked well for her in this new car that had become hers for the summer.
Follow the voice until, ugh, we're on the ramp to the Throgs Neck Bridge? I pulled off onto the shoulder, horns blaring behind me. What to do...we're on our way to Westchester or Fairfield for a quick shop at Trader Joe's? There was no choice, no turning back on a fast moving expressway. I gunned the engine back into traffic and we crossed the bridge and paid the $6.50 toll. Younger daughter kept apologizing but we had time and I could just laugh it off, or maybe that was a defensive laugh. At this point the navigation system indicated that we had 12 more miles to go. What happened to the 9.2 miles indicated? This would be a 22 mile one way trip.
The voice directed us. We followed. I was vaguely familiar with the territory from calling on businesses in the area in the early 1980's. Would a Trader Joe's actually be at the end of this rainbow. Would it have the same hours as the one we intended to visit on Long Island and still be open. Another toll on I-95 North and then a left turn into a commerical and residential area. Right, left, right, left on the familiar Boston Post Road, and finally on the left, Trader Joe's, still open.
We shopped. She completed her list successfully and I added a few items, cheese sticks, no-guilt potato chips, corn and pepper salsa, tartar sauce, why not. The shopping experience took no more than 15 minutes and we were back in the car.
One thing these navigation systems reliably know how to do is go home. The guidance was clear and since we knew where we were going it seemed like we were home in a flash after the lengthy drive up. Time is relative.
This serendipitous drive was such a good thing. An adventure of sorts with my always on the go daughter and on the way back a chance to talk about her college courses, the details of her sophomore living arrangements, and some of her other activities. Why the navigation system sent us on this unplanned journey is still unknown. No harm, no foul.
Off we went, navigation set. She did not have the exact address so just entered Trader Joe's and chose the one with the shortest distance, which supposedly was 9.2 miles and the one that she was familiar with. We followed the voice slavishly. It did not seem quite right from the outset but with my luddite tendencies and previous irritation at the voice, I decided to just be cool and follow the system that had worked well for her in this new car that had become hers for the summer.
Follow the voice until, ugh, we're on the ramp to the Throgs Neck Bridge? I pulled off onto the shoulder, horns blaring behind me. What to do...we're on our way to Westchester or Fairfield for a quick shop at Trader Joe's? There was no choice, no turning back on a fast moving expressway. I gunned the engine back into traffic and we crossed the bridge and paid the $6.50 toll. Younger daughter kept apologizing but we had time and I could just laugh it off, or maybe that was a defensive laugh. At this point the navigation system indicated that we had 12 more miles to go. What happened to the 9.2 miles indicated? This would be a 22 mile one way trip.
The voice directed us. We followed. I was vaguely familiar with the territory from calling on businesses in the area in the early 1980's. Would a Trader Joe's actually be at the end of this rainbow. Would it have the same hours as the one we intended to visit on Long Island and still be open. Another toll on I-95 North and then a left turn into a commerical and residential area. Right, left, right, left on the familiar Boston Post Road, and finally on the left, Trader Joe's, still open.
We shopped. She completed her list successfully and I added a few items, cheese sticks, no-guilt potato chips, corn and pepper salsa, tartar sauce, why not. The shopping experience took no more than 15 minutes and we were back in the car.
One thing these navigation systems reliably know how to do is go home. The guidance was clear and since we knew where we were going it seemed like we were home in a flash after the lengthy drive up. Time is relative.
This serendipitous drive was such a good thing. An adventure of sorts with my always on the go daughter and on the way back a chance to talk about her college courses, the details of her sophomore living arrangements, and some of her other activities. Why the navigation system sent us on this unplanned journey is still unknown. No harm, no foul.
posted by John Borden at 1:07 PM
1 Comments:
Nice commentary.
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