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Paul P.
I'm essentially the opposite of Joel when it comes to using a GPS for directions, especially in an area that I'm very familiar with.
Oh, I absolutely agree that a GPS is completely gratuitous in an area that you're familiar with. Problem is, I've only ever been to Santa Barbara a handful of times in my life, so I'm not familiar with the area at all. When I'm driving around Pasadena, and the areas of Los Angeles that I'm familiar with, I don't use it.
When I first moved to LA from the east coast, I was shocked by how much you had to drive everywhere, and how much traffic there always is. It took me about a month to ditch the plan to get around by public transit (the LA metro is nowhere near as good as the Boston T or the NYC subway) and buy a car, and then a few months after that to get a GPS. Los Angeles is so massive that there's always going to be some neighborhood you need to go somewhere in, where you know how to get most of the way there, but the last few twists and turns of obscure streets will completely baffle you. Paper maps are perfectly adequate, except when you're driving alone, which I usually am. It's a little dangerous to be taking your eyes off the road to consult the paper map. Nice to be able to just listen to the GPS instructions, and/or very briefly glance at the unit's map display. Plus, live-traffic updates to the GPS unit are a lifesaver, when you're trying to decide which freeway will have the less-sucky traffic situation, at any given time of day.
Could be an age thing, too, I suppose. I'm 27. But then again, my 64-year-old dad uses a GPS too, and loves it!
Joel
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2011 12:41PM by JoelTDahl.
