GPS -Manufactured in Hell

I knew it! Recently there have been stories in the paper about people trusting their GPS' to take them somewhere and they end up - far from their destination, with the GPS still telling them over and over to "make the next illegal U-turn". The sadistic, crazy person who programs these little monster machines should be made to always have to follow their GPS, no matter if they are only "trying" to go to the local grocery store. I hope they don't run out of gas before they get there!

I'm a trusting person normally so when I plug an address into my GPS and tell it to go the "fastest route", I expect to get there - quickly - or at least sometime that day. I also expect to have a calm ride because the competent GPS is in control. Most of the time I get to my destination. But, lately I'm starting to question if a GPS can get Alzheimer's.

Why else would it tell me to get off of the highway at exit 21 and get back on at exit 22? Or make a left turn on an overpass on the freeway? I may not have a great sense of direction but I do know that 2 illegal U-turns in a row won't get me anywhere but pulled over by the local police. Try to explain that your GPS made you do it!

I finally decided that I might be the cause of my GPS' misguidance because I hadn't updated the maps in over a year. Thanks to excellent childhood training, my first thought is always that it must be my fault. Quickly I found that a GPS is much like a printer. Both can be purchased at reasonable prices but try to buy ink or a revised map and you better get your credit card limit raised.

One hundred dollars and 2 hours later, my GPS was ready for it's test run. To check on the updated maps, I put in an address for a subdivision near my house that was only about 2 years old. "No such address" noted my newly updated GPS. Thinking that I put it in wrong (yep, the guilt's strike again) I re-entered the address. It finally accepted it and I was on my way - the opposite way from the subdivision. I decided that I had time so I would just relax and follow the directions of the British woman. She seems a little brighter than the woman with the general accent less voice. One hour and 40 minutes later, the voice said "You have arrived". Well, I had arrived - somewhere - in a neighboring town. It seems that the GPS decided that I didn't know what I was talking about so it lead me to a different city.

As much as I argue with and yell at my GPS, it still never listens to me. I know I'm not the only one frustrated with these "do not know it all" devices. A friend got a rental car with a GPS and after being totally lost, she lost it and called it every name she could think of - and even some she didn't know she knew. Just as she was about to take a breath and start in again, she heard a voice say "Ma'am, do you need help?" It seems that her GPS was attached to AnStar-type support and everything she said was heard throughout their office. Maybe the joker who programs these machines works there and thinks this is a hilarious prank.

Whatever the reason, the public continues to buy new GPS', thinking that the next one will work better. I'm not getting a new one, but I might see if my maps need to be updated again.