Getting directions used to mean a gas station and a paper map

I remember driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff back in '04, no GPS, just a folded map I kept under the seat. You'd pull into a Circle K and ask the cashier, who always knew the shortcuts that the map didn't show, like that one turn near Camp Verde that saved you 20 minutes. Now I just punch an address into my phone and it reroutes around traffic without me asking, which is nice but also kind of weird. The change really hit me about 5 years ago when my buddy's kid asked why we used to talk to strangers for directions, and I couldn't give him a good answer. I still keep a physical map in my truck for when I'm on a job site with no signal, but it's mostly a backup these days. Anyone else still grab paper maps for long trips, or am I the only one who misses the randomness of getting lost a little?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_torres21d ago

Ever notice how maps used to force you to actually know where you were going, like the route got baked into your head, but now I can drive to Vegas and not remember a single mile of it? That lost sense of direction feels like something we gave up without realizing it was on the table.

the_tara20d ago

Honestly, is getting lost really that big of a deal? I'd rather show up on time than prove I memorized a highway.