The fact that people still rely solely on satellite navigation to get them to their destination astounds me. I have had experience with such devices and have found some of their directions completely mystifying. Others consider me old-fashioned, but at least I know how to read a map.

Now SatNav, or GPS (as it is known in the US), has its upsides. It is extremely convenient, has many other resources, and keeps you company when you’re alone in the car. For the most part, it can be very accurate. But I have had those experiences where the voice tells you to “go one mile and make a U-turn”. It has even directed drivers to go the wrong way down a one-way street.

Some people have become so dependent on SatNav technology that they no longer use common sense. Yes, I have heard with my very own ears from some of these people, “But it told me to turn here.” And my response, “Use your head. There is no road there.”

I do not use SatNav, though I have looked up directions from Yahoo! or Mapquest, both of which uses satellite navigation to produce directions. And sometimes they say “Turn on local road”. Because of those experiences, I know not to rely completely on technology. That’s why there is a map in the car.

It seems that our society has become so reliant on technology that simple map-reading has now become a lost art. I believe that it is no longer taught in schools. If that is the case, it is quite a shame that the next generation will not understand how to view a map. As it is, even people in my generation and the generation after are having difficulty with this. Mr. Robert Jones, who was led to a cliff’s edge by his SatNav, exemplifies all that is wrong with relying on technology and no common sense.