It's become an essential part of cars and driving, but as Shona Hendley has discovered, the car GPS system sometimes goes beyond helpful and into the realm of annoyance.
“In 100 metres at the roundabout take the second exit. In 50 metres at the roundabout take the second exit. At the roundabout take the second exit. Take the second exit.”
“Oh, for f*cks-sake, yes Gina (my name for our car’s GPS), I heard you the first time,” I grumble.
This scenario is pretty common for me and Gina. You see, our relationship is very much one that is love-hate. Recently though, due to an increase in situations like the one above, it has been less love and much, much, much more hate and choice words coming from yours truly.
While I do appreciate all Gina does for me in navigating new routes, she does have a few personality traits that are just not so endearing – the repetition is one. I mean no one likes a nag or being told the same direction five times in the space of a minute.
Like, seriously, how many times do you need to be told to turn, or in this case, go straight through the roundabout? And then even when you are doing what is directed of you, Gina still says it again. Like come on Gina, I am sure your fandangled computer system can see that I am doing this, how about a “well done for taking that second exit” instead?
I am sure I am not the only one who has gripes with their GPS or very audibly argues with them from time to time (at least I hope I’m not the only one). Because the truth is, we all know how very frustrating they can be.
I mean, take the roundabout directions – the second exit, well it is also predominantly just going straight, so why can’t Gina and co just say this?
Because saying the “second exit” well, can be confusing. I personally start counting the exits and freaking out about which is the second one because maybe this is the one per cent occasion where it isn’t actually going straight, where there are only three exits, or even less likely, that there are more than four. But nope, 99% of the time I just need to go straight through it. Straight Gina, straight.
Also frustrating is when Gina is wrong, very wrong. Like telling me a certain street is a school zone. “School zone ahead,” she tells me. Except well, it isn’t (you are one street off Gina, one street off).
Besides my kids and I all telling Gina this, she refuses to take our advice on board and worse, she even interrupts my Apple CarPlay music to inform me of this every single morning when I take my kids to school. No Gina, for the last time it is not a school zone.
Sometimes, not only is Gina wrong but her insistence on telling the incorrect direction, well it all gets too much. Like when she says to turn right at a street that says no right turns, or to do a U-turn but nope, you ain’t allowed, Gina. Not only will she tell you this, but she will often keep telling you this and when you don’t do it, she will then still try and get you to do it further up the road, where often these same rules still apply.
Now, don’t get me wrong I really do value Gina – not only does she help me get to the places I don’t know how to get to, or places I have forgotten how to get to, but she also chimes in from time to time about red light or speed cameras and thank you for that Gina, really thank you. But sometimes, despite all of her computer-programmed smarts, she does pass on information that is really not at all necessary.
Take for example, when Gina has been utilised to get you home from somewhere new and as you approach your house, she tells you, “your destination is on the left in 50 metres.” Ummmm, Gina, this isn’t any ‘destination’ it is home, as is programmed into you. Why don’t you say this? Or better, why are you telling me it is here, I mean I know it is here, I live here, and you live here.
The only upside to all of this is unlike a human, Gina does have an off button and she knows I’m not afraid to use it.
Keyword: My love-hate relationship with my car's GPS