SatNav

SatNav
Originally uploaded by Andy Wilkes

Those of you who have had the dubious pleasure of travelling in my car will know that I have a sat nav. It is a little eccentric as all sat navs can be. We are all to familiar with the news stories about people, especailly lorries getting stuck on narrow country lanes or under low bridges. But I must speak in defence of sat navs and my use of them. I can read a map, I even got my Girl Guide map reading badge. I even know how to use a silva compass take bearings and orrientate and ordanance survey map. Unfortunatly I am blessed or other wise with a poor sense of direction, we can't all be good at everything!. My other point is that it is very difficult to read a map when you are driving. I used to be a bit nervous about going to places I hadn't been to before as I was worried that if I couldn't follow the directions I had been given for some reason I would have to stop, work out where I was on the map and then rethink my route. At least I know now that if I do go off course my sat nav will guide me back to where I want to be. Yes it talks at me in a very irritating manner and; yes I give those of my friends who can map read and do have a good sense of direction full permission to turn the "bloody thing" off and navigate for me. However when I am driving on my own to places I have never been before it does help me find where I am going. The important thing for people who use sat navs is not to suspend their use of common sense. Do these lorry drivers not look at the road signs warning them of low bridges?! The only gripe I have with my sat nav apart from the irriating voices is that it is quite some time since the map software was updated so occasionally it tells me to turn down a road that is now blocked off or suggests I return to the nearest road when I am on some stretches of new road.