Maybe I Shouldn't Trust Computer Maps Anymore

Everyone already knows that I think the automotive GPS is the greatest invention in the history of mankind. I've always been terrible at finding places, and half the time I'd forget to print out the map anyway. But now I need no preparation time to find any place in the country, except, apparently, my own apartment.

I got my first GPS about 3 or 4 years ago, and I never updated the map. I always thought that for the $100 they charge to update your map, I might as well buy a whole new GPS unit. But I was too lazy to actually do that. So for those 3 or 4 years, sometimes my unit ran me into dead ends, especially one particular one it always directed me into while I was trying to get back home. And don't say "learn the right streets and make the appropriate corrections." I don't do that. My job is to not crash the car. GPS's job is to navigate. It says turn right, I turn right. You must respect the chain of command.

Anyway, this Black Friday, I snagged a new GPS for only 60 bucks. Today was the first day I took it out for a test run, and everything worked well, until I was coming home and some of the roads and houses I was passing looked alarmingly familiar. But this GPS has the most up-to-date map available, so I wasn't worried. Perhaps they'd finally finished construction or something. I happily followed instructions and pulled right into that dead end. Again.

Today I was also searching for Italian food around my office building, and Google Maps was kind enough to find me Maggiano's Little Italy:

I've heard that their Middle of the Deserted Field location is the finest of their whole franchise.